Program for Effective Teaching and Learning (PETAL)

Purpose & Preamble

PETAL is a collaborative and supportive faculty development program to promote innovative, effective, evidence-based teaching for all students, in and out of the classroom. The program equips faculty to be critically reflective practitioners by identifying and enacting best practices to remove barriers to student success, to achieve equitable outcomes, and, in the process, to re-envision the core function of our institution.

Program Outcomes

By the end of this program, faculty will be able to:

  1. Articulate their values and beliefs about teaching and learning as they relate to being a critically reflective practitioner, and relate these to participating in a community of practice.
  2. Demonstrate relevant equitable and inclusive practices that welcome all students, foster a sense of belonging, inspire lifelong learning, and help close equity gaps.
  3. Construct course materials that illustrate knowledge of accessibility, sustainability, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  4. Integrate high impact practices into teaching and learning scenarios.
  5. Build and evaluate courses that effectively align learning goals, activities, and assessments.
  6. Identify and apply effective pedagogical practices and technological resources

Call for Applications

There may be space available in PETAL during Spring 2025 for other faculty members in addition to the new faculty. We invite any interested faculty to express their interest in participating in this program. We are starting this process early to give interested faculty members ample time to plan for it. Please note that the exact number of seats available will not be confirmed until the hiring process for new faculty is completed. 

Program Details

  • Duration: The 15-week program will run throughout the Spring of 2025. All participants are required to attend weekly meetings on Fridays from 12 to 3 pm. 
  • Format: A combination of workshops, seminars, and collaborative projects. 
  • Topics: Inclusive and effective teaching practices, using the whole campus as a learning lab, and more. See a copy of the 2023 Syllabus for topics covered in the program. 
  • Benefits: 
    • Engage with a community of educators across disciplines and varying levels of experience.  
    • Learn about available resources and tools to be more effective in your teaching. 
    • Opportunity to develop as a critically reflective practitioner. 
    • Three (3) credit AWA. 

Eligibility

Full-time tenure-track faculty members (classroom and non-classroom) from all disciplines are eligible to apply. 

Application Process

Interested faculty members should complete the online application, including approval signatures , by August 30, 2024.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be reviewed based on the following criteria: 

  1. Clear goals for participation 
  2. Willingness to engage in reflective practice and openness to feedback. 
  3. Commitment to collaborate and work across disciplines. 
  4. Plan for sharing knowledge with others. 
  5. Availability for weekly PETAL sessions in Spring 2025 (Fridays from 12 – 3 pm) 

Contact Information

For inquiries or additional details, please contact the Teaching and Learning Center at tlc@wcupa.edu.