04.21.2025

TEACHING.UIC.EDU

CATE

The end of spring semester provides all of us with an opportunity to reflect, to celebrate successes, and to think deeply about our work as teachers and scholars and our contributions to our campus community. 

These are challenging times we find ourselves in (understatement of the year). However, I am incredibly grateful during times like these to be supported both by kind colleagues and leadership who understand that our mission is our strength. Despite these challenges, I’ve had an incredible first year at UIC, thanks to all of you who have reached out to CATE and attended our events, the CATE team who I grow more impressed by with each passing day, and my smart, generous colleagues in the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. 

The summer months, for me, will be a time of reflection on this past year and on your feedback from CATE’s survey results (thank you, if you have completed our survey). Our team is excited to continue the work of planning for next year’s CATE services and programming. 

I’m excited for what’s to come, and I hope after some good rest and thoughtful reflection, that you will be as well.

Lori Mumpower
Executive Director, Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence

Read about where the Action Research Scholars have taken their classroom research projects since they completed the program, their accomplishments, and how they’ve continued to innovate and be leaders in teaching. 

This award is co-sponsored by the Graduate College, the Honors College, and CATE, and celebrates the excellence of UIC graduate students in their teaching and mentoring of undergraduates. Please join us in congratulating this year’s PhD award recipient, Angela Silva (Sociology), PhD honorable mentions Azfar Baharudin (Economics) and Nick Christo (Math, Statistics, and Computer Science), and our MA award recipient Furkan Basim (Electrical and Computer Engineering)!

Reminder: We are hoping you can participate in our inaugural CATE survey of teaching and learning on UIC’s campuses. Your comments will help us make important decisions about the programming and services that we provide each year. The survey will close on Monday, April 28.

Need a space to wrap up your semester grading? We invite faculty, graduate student teaching assistants (TAs), and instructors to drop by the Teaching Excellence Building on May 8 to gather in community, to grade, and to say goodbye to the spring semester. Coffee, tea, and treats will be available, as well as quiet work spaces. 

Are you a graduate student or postdoctoral researcher who is interested in drafting a teaching statement for the academic job market? Join us for this interactive in-person workshop on May 8 where you will generate ideas with your peers for a descriptive teaching statement that is unique to you.

CATE is excited to offer instructors a second chance to attend some of our most popular workshops from the previous year. Our CATE team will be offering 90-minute Zoom workshops on a variety of topics on Wednesdays in June and July, from 10-11:30am. Join us if you can! 

Are you interested in online learning at UIC? CATE is launching a Microsoft Teams channel that will connect faculty and staff interested in sharing ideas and providing support for online education.

Are you interested in learning how to support student success and well-being by building an inclusive learning environment in the classroom? We invite you to join the fall 2025 cohort of the IESCP, featuring self-guided online learning modules and participation in learning communities and workshops. Over 200 faculty and instructors have completed or are on track to complete the program. Complete the interest form so you are one of the first to find out when fall registration opens! 

The Instructional Design & Media Production Studio (IDMPS) is excited to announce a new award for innovative achievements by faculty in online course design: The Innovative Online Course Design (IOCD) award. Applicants qualify for this self-nominated recognition program by developing asynchronous online courses with the Instructional Design and Media Production Studio and the UIC Online Initiative. This award celebrates the contributions of faculty who produce innovative and rigorous online, asynchronous courses, demonstrating outstanding commitment to student success. To learn more about the Online Initiative read the UIC Today article on how UIC’s Online Initiative expands access and opportunity in online learning. Visit the IDMPS website for more information about the IOCD award.