The CTL hosted 82 graduate students at the 2026 Teaching Assistant Summit in the Millennium Student Center on Wednesday, August 19. Designed to prepare GTAs for the academic year ahead, the Summit offered opportunities to learn practical teaching strategies, explore Canvas tools, engage with experienced faculty and graduate instructors, and connect with peers across disciplines. We would also like to recognize Z Sellami, CTL Student Engagement Specialist, who played a key role in planning and coordinating this year’s event. Thank you to all of our presenters, panelists, and attendees for helping make this year’s Summit a success! 

Z Sellami is the new Student Engagement Specialist in the CTL, supporting the training and development of graduate student instructors and Active Learning Assistants (ALAs). They are committed to strengthening student engagement at UMSL and they collaborate with both faculty and students to help create student-centered learning environments from the initial steps of course design to teaching methods and assessment strategies. 

Z earned their Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Chicago and has taught a broad range of Humanities courses for the past 8 years, including foreign languages, literature, and theoretical linguistics. In their free time, they enjoy baking and bouldering. They also love exploring St. Louis’s parks and museums and hanging out with their two cats, Artemis and Apollo. 

What do you love about working at UMSL so far?
So many things: I love the place, the student population and the faculty. Most of all, the CTL team is unbelievably collaborative and supportive! I was nervous to start a new position after 8 years at a different institution, but I felt right at home from day one. I also love that we get to collaborate with so many departments across campus, and even though I only started in June, I feel like I know tons of people already. The common denominator is everyone’s openness for conversation and collaboration, which I think is unique to UMSL.   

What’s your favorite thing about working with faculty from different disciplines?
I am naturally very curious and love learning new things, and getting to talk to students and faculty from different disciplines exposes me to areas of studies I know nothing about. So I get to go on little Wikipedia rabbit holes every so often and learn more about Philosophy, Chemistry, or Biology. I’ve also had the chance to find out about subjects I didn’t even know existed like Supply Chain Analytics.  

If you could instantly learn a new skill or hobby, what would it be and why?
Sewing. Most of my pants need to be hemmed (I’m short!) and sewing skills can also open up a whole new world of clothes alteration possibilities! 

How would you describe the CTL’s “personality” to someone who’s never visited?
The perfect balance of serious work and banter: We care about student success and it shows in our work, and we care about each other and it shows in our overall office atmosphere. Never a dull moment on the 5th floor of Lucas! 

If you could have any animal as a pet (ignoring practicality), what would you choose?
Raccoon! I think they’re so cute and love watching videos of them trying out human snacks. 

Which CTL initiative do you think has the most potential to transform learning?
Obviously I have a soft spot for embedded student support programs, aka the Active Learning Assistant and Supplemental Instruction programs. Our student employees collaborate with faculty and get to see how much work goes into teaching behind the scenes, and our faculty get to hear and react to students’ perspectives on a weekly basis within a structured program. This cultivates more understanding and empathy between students and instructors, and I think this kind of stronger relationship is crucial to transforming learning.  

Federal regulations require UMSL to verify that students receiving financial aid are actively attending class. All faculty must confirm whether each student has attended at least one class session or participated in an online course. This process also supports scholarship and assistantship eligibility, accurate enrollment reporting, and F/FN grade assignment.

If attendance tracking is challenging, especially in larger classes, consider one of the following options: 

Regardless of your method, we recommend following up with an email or Canvas announcement to identify students who may have missed class due to illness or an approved accommodation. Watch for emails from the Office of the Registrar (registration@umsl.edu) when surveys open in UMSL MyConnect (available through the Faculty/Staff page). Survey-specific deadlines and instructions will be included in those messages.

As you make your way through the early semester, consider how you will build a community of practice here at UMSL. If you are looking for an opportunity to connect with other part-time faculty across the University, consider the Part-Time Faculty Teaching Circles.

Interested? Fill out the interest form by September 15, 2026. We will use this information to identify potential interest and times for a Teaching Circle for the fall. Contact Reggie Luna Gacad (rlunagacad@umsl.edu) for any questions.

Mid-Semester Feedback is an optional, anonymous survey administered through CoursEval that provides instructors with early student feedback on 16-week courses, helping them make meaningful adjustments while the semester is still in progress.

Need initial certification to teach online at UMSL? The Online Teaching Certification Seminar (OTCS) is a six-week, fully online Canvas course designed for first-time online instructors. Participants explore course design, learning objectives, student engagement, instructional technologies, and peer feedback while collaborating with colleagues. The final cohort for 2026 starts on October 5.

Since 2018, UMSL has engaged in the Curriculum Alignment Process (CAP), which includes four phases. Phases 1-3 focused on departments reviewing and updating degree program learning outcomes, curriculum mapping, and sequence scheduling. Phase 4 is focused on supporting departments as they draft, pilot, and implement degree program assessment plans to measure mastery of student learning outcomes, and the CTL is working closely with faculty and departments across campus to support degree programs as they update and refine their assessment plans.  The long term goal of CAP is to reduce academic barriers for students and provide departments with valuable data to help inform curriculum decisions.

While updating these plans is a key requirement for UMSL’s upcoming 2028 Higher Learning Commission reaccreditation visit, assessment work serves many purposes beyond HLC. The assessment plan feeds directly into a department's comprehensive five-year program review, supplying data for curriculum and resource rationale as related to student success. To keep this work manageable and meaningful, the CTL uses a collaborative cohort model where departments can share approaches and draft plans together with feedback from colleagues across campus. The CTL serves as an active partner throughout this process, helping departments establish sustainable practices that support a collaborative assessment culture on campus. With 2028 approaching, completing Phase 4 represents a significant benchmark in UMSL’s dedication to student success.

We encourage departments in the planning, drafting, or implementation phases of degree program assessment to contact Emily Litle (emily.litle@umsl.edu) to discover how the CTL can continue to serve as a partner in degree program assessment.

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), a division of the Office of Academic Affairs, supports the professional development of those who teach and learn at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Our goals–to promote engagement in courses, on campus, and in the community–enhance the University as we align our activities, services, and consultations with the campus goals to promote excellence in teaching, research, and service.

Center for Teaching and Learning
University of Missouri–St. Louis
5th Floor, Lucas Hall 
25 Lucas Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63121
ctl@umsl.edu • umsl.edu/ctl