Join one of CATE's January Zoom workshops to reset and get ahead.
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Join one of CATE's January Zoom workshops to reset and get ahead.
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| Welcome back to campus and the start of UIC’s spring semester.
At CATE, we’ve been thinking a lot about stories, because so much of teaching is shaped by the stories we bring to our classrooms and the stories we create with students. This spring semester, we’re putting those stories at the center of our work with instructors.
Instructors across UIC’s campuses have been telling us what’s working and what they need, and these conversations have shaped our Week Zero workshops. Some of the topics may look familiar, but our plans are grounded in what you’ve shared: the challenges of supporting student well-being, the need for inclusive course materials, and the desire for practical guidance on navigating AI in our classrooms.
We’re also highlighting stories emerging from our Inclusive Education Scholar Certificate Program. Participants have given us a window into how this work is showing up in their classrooms and their students’ experiences. Their reflections remind us that inclusive teaching is not a checklist, but instead a set of practices shaped by real people navigating real classrooms.
To gather even more stories, we’re adding two new opportunities this spring to foster communities and connections. We’re launching a Large Courses Community of Practice, because some of the most challenging moments come in classrooms with 150 or more students. We want instructors in those larger spaces to have support, strategies, and peers who understand the scale of the work needed to teach in this environment. Our Teaching Partners program continues the theme of instructor support. The faculty who joined a pilot last spring told us what it meant to see their teaching from a new perspective and to learn alongside colleagues who were grappling with similar challenges. Their feedback and your participation this spring will help us strengthen the culture of reflective practice across UIC’s campuses.
Every program described in this newsletter is informed by stories you’ve shared with us. We hope you’ll join us and partner with CATE to build a campus community where instructors feel supported, connected, and empowered to try new things.
Best,
Lori Mumpower
Executive Director, Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence
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Welcome back to campus and the start of UIC’s spring semester.
At CATE, we’ve been thinking a lot about stories, because so much of teaching is shaped by the stories we bring to our classrooms and the stories we create with students. This spring semester, we’re putting those stories at the center of our work with instructors.
Instructors across UIC’s campuses have been telling us what’s working and what they need, and these conversations have shaped our Week Zero workshops. Some of the topics may look familiar, but our plans are grounded in what you’ve shared: the challenges of supporting student well-being, the need for inclusive course materials, and the desire for practical guidance on navigating AI in our classrooms.
We’re also highlighting stories emerging from our Inclusive Education Scholar Certificate Program. Participants have given us a window into how this work is showing up in their classrooms and their students’ experiences. Their reflections remind us that inclusive teaching is not a checklist, but instead a set of practices shaped by real people navigating real classrooms.
To gather even more stories, we’re adding two new opportunities this spring to foster communities and connections. We’re launching a Large Courses Community of Practice, because some of the most challenging moments come in classrooms with 150 or more students. We want instructors in those larger spaces to have support, strategies, and peers who understand the scale of the work needed to teach in this environment. Our Teaching Partners program continues the theme of instructor support. The faculty who joined a pilot last spring told us what it meant to see their teaching from a new perspective and to learn alongside colleagues who were grappling with similar challenges. Their feedback and your participation this spring will help us strengthen the culture of reflective practice across UIC’s campuses.
Every program described in this newsletter is informed by stories you’ve shared with us. We hope you’ll join us and partner with CATE to build a campus community where instructors feel supported, connected, and empowered to try new things.
Best,
Lori Mumpower
Executive Director, Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence
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Week Zero Events for UIC Instructors |
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Week Zero is the perfect time to reset and get ahead. Check out our blog post for a closer look at our January Zoom workshops designed to support you right out of the gate.
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Week Zero is the perfect time to reset and get ahead. Check out our blog post for a closer look at our January Zoom workshops designed to support you right out of the gate.
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Register for the Inclusive Education Scholars
Certificate Program |
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Register for the Inclusive Education Scholars
Certificate Program |
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| Teaching Partners:
Real Reflections from
Real Classrooms |
Last spring, BIOS instructors Alex Daemicke Hanson and Michael Mills participated in a pilot of Teaching Partners, CATE’s peer observation program. Their takeaways, from refining pacing and scaffolding to expanding active-learning moments, highlight how collaboration and reflection can spark meaningful improvements in real time.
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Teaching Partners:
Real Reflections from
Real Classrooms |
Last spring, BIOS instructors Alex Daemicke Hanson and Michael Mills participated in a pilot of Teaching Partners, CATE’s peer observation program. Their takeaways, from refining pacing and scaffolding to expanding active-learning moments, highlight how collaboration and reflection can spark meaningful improvements in real time.
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New! Join CATE’s Large Courses Community of Practice |
This spring, we’re launching a new informal, discussion-based group, because teaching large-enrollment courses presents unique challenges and opportunities. Whether you’re an experienced large course instructor or new to this format, find a supportive space to talk candidly with colleagues who understand the complexities of teaching at scale. The Large Courses Community of Practice starts Wednesday, January 28.
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New! Join CATE’s
Large Courses
Community of Practice |
This spring, we’re launching a new informal, discussion-based group, because teaching large-enrollment courses presents unique challenges and opportunities. Whether you’re an experienced large course instructor or new to this format, find a supportive space to talk candidly with colleagues who understand the complexities of teaching at scale. The Large Courses Community of Practice starts Wednesday, January 28.
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| Is the Action Research Scholars Program for You? |
This year-long professional learning program is for UIC instructors who want to engage in data-driven, reflective teaching. Scholars participate in cross-disciplinary learning community meetings and workshops to develop, implement, and disseminate an IRB-approved teaching research project. Read our blog post about how one alumni scholar, Rita Hatfield from the Liberal Arts and Sciences, developed a nursing simulation experience for first year pre-nursing chemistry students. The ARS program starts Fall 2026, and the Call for Interest is due Monday, February 2.
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Is the Action Research Scholars Program for You? |
This year-long professional learning program is for UIC instructors who want to engage in data-driven, reflective teaching. Scholars participate in cross-disciplinary learning community meetings and workshops to develop, implement, and disseminate an IRB-approved teaching research project. Read our blog post about how one alumni scholar, Rita Hatfield from the Liberal Arts and Sciences, developed a nursing simulation experience for first year pre-nursing chemistry students. The ARS program starts Fall 2026, and the Call for Interest is due Monday, February 2.
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Connect with Colleagues in Our New Pedagogy-Driven Tech Group |
If you’re looking for a place to trade teaching strategies, crowdsource ideas, and learn how others are using tools like Canvas Studio or Perusall, our new Pedagogy-Driven Tech Teams Channels are for you. Explore the community and join the conversation.
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Connect with Colleagues
in Our New Pedagogy-
Driven Tech Group |
If you’re looking for a place to trade teaching strategies, crowdsource ideas, and learn how others are using tools like Canvas Studio or Perusall, our new Pedagogy-Driven Tech Teams Channels are for you. Explore the community and join the conversation.
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THE TEACHING HUB FOR UIC INSTRUCTORS
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