Newsletter March 27, 2025
cte.utah.edu

It’s the time of year when department chairs are thinking about making graduate student teaching and TA assignments for summer and the 25-26 academic year, so in the Martha Bradley Evans Center for Teaching Excellence, it’s time for planning all of the opportunities we offer for pedagogy training for graduate students and postdocs. Our Graduate Teaching Institute will be May 5-8 and is free for all registrants, but capacity is limited. We also offer a 15-credit graduate certificate in Teaching in Higher Education. Our required courses are all offered fall and spring, and for the first time, this summer too! Also, save the date for our Annual Teaching Symposium on August 11. Read on below for more information.

We are excited to open registration for our Graduate Teaching Institute! This 4-day in-person event is free to all graduate students and postdocs who are interested in learning more about pedagogy in higher education. Registration is free, but capacity is limited. 

Required courses are now being taught summer, fall, and spring semesters

As a research-intensive institution of higher education, the University of Utah employs scholars who are leaders in their fields to conduct research and teach in degree programs across multiple disciplines. To keep instructional quality at the U on the cutting edge, the Martha Bradley Evans Teaching Fellowship encourages and supports faculty engagement in projects related to factors affecting instruction within their disciplines at the national level. Each year, projects address critical issues in twenty-first century, post-pandemic higher education. For the 2025-26 academic year, fellowships will focus on “Teaching Digital Natives: Supporting the Next Generation with Understanding and Compassion.”

Gen Z learners, born between 1997 and 2012, are frequently called digital natives; technology is infused into nearly every aspect of their lives. This generation bore the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on education, and they are coming of age amidst tremendous social upheaval. As a result, Gen Z has been also described as more well-informed about current events than previous generations. We are seeking proposals for pedagogy projects that innovate education in ways that expand upon students’ application of digital learning skills and their awareness of current events, with the hope of fostering workforce-ready technological skills and compassion in University of Utah students.

Four faculty fellows will be awarded, drawing from the 18 colleges at the University of Utah. The proposed project should be completed within one year, with the goal of implementation within the faculty member’s department/college at the end of the fellowship. Fellows will be asked to submit an annual report detailing project outcomes at the end of the year.

Eligibility: Career-line (.75 FTE or higher), tenure-track, or tenured faculty are eligible to apply.

Multiple fellowships of up to $10,000 will be awarded. Budget may include the following:

Proposals are due by May 15 via the MBE Teaching Fellows Application form, and awardees will be announced by May 31. Fellowship decisions will be made by a committee formed by the CTE.

Submission Requirements:

We are searching for a new Associate Director. The position is open to tenured and career-line faculty and involves a .5FTE commitment to CTE. The Associate Director works closely with the Director and CTE Team to coordinate our graduate student training opportunities, manage incoming requests, and more. If you’re interested, apply HERE. For more information, you can email the CTE director.

The University of Utah’s AI website “Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the U,” announced in August 2024, has been updated to include an AI support resource to better assist the university community with answers to AI technology questions.

The AI support resource is designed to provide the university community with helpful AI information and assistance.

To ask an AI-related question or request AI support, please visit ai.utah.edu and select the “Support” button. A group of AI leaders from across the U will review questions and requests and respond on a weekly basis.

The team will add the most common questions and answers to the FAQ section under the “Support” tab. Please check the page often to keep updated on AI at the U.

The University of Utah is proud to launch the Utah Day One Books Access program starting Fall 2025. University of Utah's Day 1 Books Access Program is a campus-wide initiative to provide students enrolled in undergraduate courses with increased accessibility to their required textbooks, courseware, and course packs at a single $259 low flat rate per semester.

The Learning Center is hosting Finals Preparation Workshops, and we would love if you could help us spread the news! There are three sessions scheduled, so students can choose whichever day and time work best for them. All three options will be held in Marriott Library 5220. The scheduled days and times are:

These workshops will provide students with strategies to effectively prepare for finals and connect students to free academic support resources. The events are free, and snack grab bags will be available at each session while supplies last.

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is excited to announce the Education Series for Spring 2025.  The OUR Education Series includes topics of interest for undergraduate student researchers and their faculty mentors. These events are open to all and are designed specifically with undergraduate students in mind.  Faculty are welcome to incorporate these events into their classes and/or encourage their students to participate.  

Faculty grants of up to $2,500 per year are available.  The University of Utah Sustainability Office offers funds to instructors who wish to integrate sustainability into their courses or renew a Sustainability Course Attribute (SUST). The funds can be used for a variety of purposes, including, but not limited to:

The streamlined application consists of three questions. There are two upcoming deadlines: