Class Consultations
A program to empower faculty to enhance their teaching by requesting non-evaluative feedback on any instructional session, regardless of modality. Facilitated by the Teaching & Learning Center (TLC), this voluntary program fosters reflective practice and continuous improvement. All feedback remains between the instructor and the TLC, ensuring a safe space for professional growth.
In Spring 2026 this program is in a pilot phase where only tenured faculty may participate. Upon successful completion of the pilot, the intent is to open this program to all faculty.
Process Overview
- Instructor requests a class consultation using the Qualtrics Request Form.
- Instructor and consultant schedule necessary meetings and visits.
- Instructor meets with consultant for a pre-visit meeting.
- Class visit occurs.
- Instructor meets with consultant to debrief the class visit.
Program Expectations
Instructors requesting a class consultation commit 2 hours of their time for the pre-visit and post-visit meetings as well as responding to questions or requests from the consultant.
The TLC cannot guarantee consultations for specific class sessions but will do our best to accommodate those requests. If an instructor is seeking a consultation for a specific class session, we recommend submitting the request at least a month in advance.
If an instructor's preferred consultant is not available, the instructor will be contacted to see if an alternative is acceptable or if they would rather wait for their preferred consultant to become available.
Instructors can request one class consultation per semester.
What to Expect at the Pre-Visit meeting
The purpose of this 30-minute meeting is to establish expectations and better understand how the instructor hopes to benefit from the class consultation process. The consultant uses a standard set of questions for this meeting to help them understand the context, environment, and structure of the course. At the conclusion of the meeting, the instructor and consultant will decide on a protocol to guide the class visit.
What to Expect at the Class Visit
The consultant will arrive a few minutes early on the scheduled day and time.
If recording of the session was requested, the consultant will set-up the recording equipment based on the decided upon tools during the pre-visit meeting.
During the class visit, the consultant will take notes according to the selected protocol and gather information to address any areas where the instructor has indicated they would like specific feedback.
Ultimately, the goal of this program is to support the instructor in their individualized needs, so each review will be different.
What to Expect at the Debrief Meeting
After the class visit, the consultant will prepare a feedback report for the instructor. The report will address areas where the instructor indicated they wanted feedback and will utilize the reporting structure of the protocol selected for use. The feedback report will include both positive strengths of the instructor's approach and suggested areas for improvement delivered using the Quality Matters feedback framework of constructive, specific, measurable, sensitive, and balanced. The written report will remain confidential between the Teaching & Learning Center and the instructor. The instructor is welcome to share their report with others; however, the Teaching & Learning Center will not share reports with others.
Once the consultant has completed the report, the consultant and instructor meet to debrief the class consultation by reviewing collected data and the written report. The review session is meant to be a collegial, reflective discussion to further strengthen the instructor’s skills and relationship with the TLC. If appropriate, the consultant may recommend other relevant programs that could benefit the instructor.
To reiterate, the goal of this program is to support the instructor in their individualized needs to help them on their journey of continual improvement.