The Center for Teaching & Learning Innovation (CTLI) hosted two weeks of Semester Start-Up events in August to help MSU prepare to teach Fall semester classes. Educators joined us for a variety of offerings: an all-day course Plan-a-thon, Instructor Jumpstart orientations, workshops on a variety of teaching and learning topics, and our Open House celebration welcoming the campus to the newly-renovated space for CTLI and Office of Faculty and Academic Staff Development (OFASD) in W206 of the Main Library.
As always, the CTLI kept student success at the forefront of our programming and resources for educators as we support and celebrate teaching at Michigan State. Brendan Guenther, MSU’s chief academic digital officer and the CTLI’s responsible administrator, said “The vibrant discussions I've witnessed this week show that our educators are deeply invested in all aspects of student success, from community building to fostering a sense of purpose."
With only six working days between the return to work for nine-month employees and the start of Fall classes, Semester Start-Up was packed with opportunities for educators to try out our workshops and resources. Our first-ever Plan-a-thon was a dedicated day for course planning, including optional workshops about syllabus design, mid-semester feedback, and designing assessments & assignments, with special guest consultants from IT Ed Tech, EDLI, Advising, and the MSU Neighborhoods. We hosted workshops about starting the semester with an intentional and deliberate tone for community building, creating engaging intro videos, designing inclusive pedagogy, understanding AI within pedagogical practice, employing student-centered grading approaches, and using the D2L learning management system as a student-centered course hub.
We met hundreds of new MSU educators at the New Faculty & Academic Staff Orientation Info Fair and at Instructor Jumpstart, our 2-part orientation to teaching at Michigan State. Additional CTLI programming for specific MSU units and audiences included a Student Engagement workshop for the School of Social Work, a Survivor Disclosures and Active Listening workshop for student tutors, and an Advising/Tutoring Appointment systems training.
We heard from many educators that attending our programming would positively impact their teaching and benefit their students. One attendee of the Inclusive Pedagogy session noted how the reflection on thinking about identity and intersectionality gave them vocabulary to discuss these topics more with their colleagues and students; another attendee remarked that using more inclusive language will make all students feel more welcome and respected. Participants in Instructor Jumpstart told us they valued the workshop’s quick tips for engaging students from day one and its useful information about MSU campus culture.
A theme from the undergraduate and graduate student tutors at the Active Listening session was that going through active listening strategies helped them be more empathetic and inclusive when talking with others. A few educators attending the Plan-a-thon expressed gratitude for the time and space to plan their courses with intention while having access to a variety of consultants if they were getting stuck. One educator in the Student-Centered Course Hub workshop told us, "I loved the insights into today's learners. Lots of encouragement to try new things that will change the student experience." We’re also heartened that, overall, Semester Start-Up attendees’ feedback reported increases in their understanding of workshop content as well as their confidence in applying what they’d learned.
As a frequent collaborator within MSU Student Success initiatives, the CTLI is very familiar with the five opportunity areas for student success, and we refer to them often in our offerings for MSU educators. While much of our programming supports Educational Success centered on classroom instruction, the other four areas (Purpose, Community, Belonging, and Well-Being) are extremely relevant to how educators can support their students’ thriving within and beyond their courses.
Jeremy Van Hof, Teaching Center director within the CTLI, explains this connection: “The Teaching Center is motivated by the notion that the classroom is a key location for student success. We believe that by empowering educators to be as successful as possible in their teaching, we are doing work that contributes to students' academic wellbeing and by extension their overall success at MSU. Our programming in the lead-up to fall semester focused on helping all educators develop inclusive, equitable, engaging learning environments. We are actively working to integrate elements of MSU's five opportunity areas for student success into the learning outcomes of all our programming.”
Semester Start-Up culminated in the CTLI Open House on Aug. 23. We introduced the campus to our updated space in W206 of the MSU Main Library, which we share with the Office for Faculty and Academic Staff Development. We have an open office layout, a Hushpod recording studio, and a variety of meeting rooms for hybrid-enabled meetings, workshops, and individual consultations. During the Open House, we gave tours of the space, introduced ourselves to visitors, explained our services, and offered plenty of snacks. We also distributed #iteachmsu Educator Awards to MSU educators nominated through the Thank an Educator initiative in 2023-24 by their colleagues for making a positive difference to the educational and student success missions of the university. The award recipients are recognized by the Office of the Provost and announced at each year’s Spring Conference on Teaching & Learning, organized by the CTLI.
Throughout these two weeks, the corridors of the CTLI buzzed with discussions as educators shared insights and best practices. The attendance and participation across all workshops reflected a shared Spartan commitment to enhancing student success in all its facets. From the theory-focused sessions to the pedagogical deep-dives, each offering contributed to building a more robust, inclusive, and effective educational community at Michigan State University. We know all students bring the ability to succeed, and our teaching practices are shifting to better reflect student success as an institutional value.