The University of Texas at Austin
April 13, 2022
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CommuniCATE: News from Moody College's Center for Advancing Teaching Excellence (CATE)
The Moody College Center for Advancing Teaching Excellence (CATE) shines a spotlight on outstanding teaching and encourages effective teaching practices. Our newsletter, CommuniCATE, features news, events, tips, and stories of teaching and learning in Moody College.
Learn more about CATE

News & Events
News 
Congratulations to our 10 CATE Above & Beyond Award winners for their exceptional efforts in teaching during the pandemic. Read more and see the list of winners.
Congratulations to Rosental Alves, Professor in the School of Journalism and Media, on being awarded the Moody College Teaching Excellence Award.
ULA Program Update - Fall 2022 courses will be announced by April 15 and student applications will be accepted April 18-29.
New Content: Watch CATE intern, Aliayaé (aka Aliayaé On The Street), as she interviews Moody College students about their experiences with teaching and learning in the College. Watch now!
Feature Story: Katie Bradford and Robert Carroll selected for ACUE Effective Teaching Course
Katie Bradford headshot, woman with blonde hair and red lipstick, smiling facing forward in a blue jacket and print scarf Robert Carroll headshot, man facing forward with beard, smiling, wearing a suit, shown from the shoulders up
The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) Course in Effective Online Teaching Practices leads to a nationally recognized teaching credential in evidence-based practices. It is the only college teaching credential recognized by the American Council on Education. In this interview, Moody faculty Dr. Katie Bradford and Dr. Robert Carroll reflect on their time participating in the ACUE course.
Read Interview
Upcoming Events
Our last spring 2022 brown bag will be tomorrow, Thursday, April 14, 12-1pm. Join us in CMA 5.136 or via Zoom. The theme is concurrent teaching but join us to talk about anything that is on your mind.
Check our News & Events page frequently for updates and new events. 

Teaching & Learning in the News
  • Three Recommendations to Increase Equitable Learning Environments
  • Five Techniques for Better Class Discussions
  • Using Reflective Writing to Get Students Connected with the Material

Teaching Spotlights
Josh Gunn headshot, man with shoulder length brown hair, facial hair, black shirt and red tie, looking at the camera
Dr. Josh Gunn is a professor of communication studies. He is currently teaching COM370H (Hygiene/Politics of Waste) and CMS 390R (The Subject). Gunn’s most recent book Political Perversion: Rhetorical Aberration in the Time of Trumpeteering, was published in 2020.
READ JOSH'S SPOTLIGHT >
A woman, Karen Schlag, smiling for the camera next to with brown hair next to a black dog with white around it's mouth
Karen Schlag is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Communication Studies. She was a multi-year Assistant Instructor for the department’s Language, Communication and Culture course, and is currently a teaching assistant for Dr. Dina Inman Ramgolam’s Digital Communication class. Before starting her doctoral program at UT, she worked at the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) as a lecturer.
READ KAREN'S SPOTLIGHT >

Inclusive Teaching & Learning
As you wrap up spring and begin to think about your summer and fall courses, how can you make your classes more inclusive and welcoming for all students? What can you do to ensure all students feel a sense of belonging in your class and in Moody College? Check out the ideas and resources on our website and below to help you get started (or keep going!)
Check out our new video Inclusive Teaching: Making Small Changes where Moody faculty discuss their experience in our Small Changes for Inclusivity learning community and how they've approached inclusivity in their courses. 
3 Small Steps to Increase Inclusivity
  • Provide opportunities to use feedback to improve performance.
  • Use grading practices that recognize and reward growth and improvement.
  • Share time estimates for activities and assignments to help students manage their time.
More Small Steps

Best Practices in Teaching
In this section we feature some best practices that we encourage you to consider as you design and implement your courses. Reach out to MoodyCATE@austin.utexas.edu for assistance with any of our suggestions.  
April Feature: Assessment
  • Align assignments with course goals and outcomes.
  • Offer multiple, varied, low stakes opportunities to demonstrate learning.
  • Use clear evaluation criteria and / or rubrics.
  • Provide clear, timely feedback.
  • Invite feedback often and throughout the course.
  • Offer a “time bank” that allows students to have a two-day grace period on one assignment or two one-day extensions for two different assignments.
More Best Practices

Teaching & Technology 
Introductory slide with text for one thing that works with Curran Nault
Introduction slide for kick it up a notch with discussions

One Thing That Works: Hear from Moody faculty about how they use small, easily implementable improvements to their classes to really make a difference.


Kick It Up a Notch: Looking to boost your next class? Incorporate some new tools? Check out these short videos to learn ways to make your classes pop.

Submit a CATE Testimonial
Has CATE helped you with your teaching? Or has something you learned at a CATE event positively impacted your classroom? Share a testimonial with us that we may add to our website to encourage others to benefit from CATE services. Thank you!

Follow Us 
Follow CATE on social media to stay up to date on all things teaching and learning in Moody College. 
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Contact Us 
Submit your general feedback and suggestions for CATE,  ideas you have to improve this newsletter, or nominations for spotlights using this form: 
Submit Feedback
Email us with questions or to make an appointment to speak with a member of the CATE team: MoodyCATE@austin.utexas.edu.
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