The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) is a nation-wide online network of 40+ universities that seek to enhance excellence in undergraduate education through development of a national faculty committed to implementing and advancing evidence-based teaching practices for diverse learners. The goal of CIRTL is to improve the learning of all students at every college and university, and thereby to increase the diversity in fields and the literacy of the nation.

The CIRTL@UCLA program supports the professional and career development of graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and current faculty who are engaged in teaching now, or who are considering academic careers. The collaboration of CIRTL@UCLA and the national network inspires commitment to use effective teaching practices for diverse college students, and to provide current and future faculty the knowledge and tools to do so.  The project was funded by the National Science Foundation to support future faculty in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), but has expanded to include graduate students and postdoctoral scholars from ALL disciplines. 

Learn more about CIRTL@UCLA and the National CIRTL Network by watching this video where we discuss some of the highlights of the CIRTL@UCLA certification pathway. 

Upcoming CIRTL Events:

Get an introduction to key learning principles and the basics of effective, evidence-based teaching practices in this 12-week course about teaching in the college classroom. This course will focus on developing inclusive, learner-centered approaches to teaching. Participants will explore the interconnectedness of learning objectives, assessment, and learning activities through both discussion of course materials and developing and practicing their own lesson plan. Course Schedule This course meets in Zoom on Tuesdays, September 26 through December 12, at 3-4:30PM AT / 2-3:30PM ET / 1-2:30PM CT / 12-1:30PM MT / 11AM-12:30PM PT. If you have a disability, please let us know your learning needs. Contact Kate Diamond (kdiamond3@wisc.edu), who is supporting this course, to let us know how we can help you have a successful experience. By registering for this CIRTL cross-Network program, you consent to CIRTL sharing your personal registration and participation information with CIRTL administrative staff, as well as program staff at your institution, for purposes of outreach, program evaluation, and meeting local program requirements, as applicable. Read more at https://cirtl.net/event/the-college-classroom-2/2023-09-26/
Date & Time
  • Sep 26, 2023 11:00 AM
  • Oct 3, 2023 11:00 AM
  • Oct 10, 2023 11:00 AM
  • Oct 17, 2023 11:00 AM

https://uwmadison.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUrce2qqDopGtPwUl3X3LF6tRcYVf4oV_J2#/registration

Learn best practices on navigating challenging classroom discussions in this two-part workshop. In STEM disciplines, where knowledge is considered to be “objective,” instructors can be caught off-guard when challenging topics – especially ones that relate to social or cultural trauma – arise. In this workshop, participants will learn best practices for “difficult knowledge”—content that causes students to analyze social trauma (Britzman 1998)—in diverse disciplinary contexts, and apply those practices to design a pedagogical tool applicable in their own classrooms. In doing so, participants will gain a better understanding of how to address pressing ideological issues in their discipline and incorporate them in their teaching.
Workshop Schedule
This workshop meets in Zoom in Thursdays, September 21 and 28 at 3:30-5PM AT / 2:30-4PM ET / 1:30-3PM CT / 12:30-2PM MT / 11:30AM-1PM PT. If you have a disability, please let us know your learning needs. Contact Kate Diamond (kdiamond3@wisc.edu), who is supporting this workshop, to let us know how we can help you have a successful experience. By registering for this CIRTL cross-Network program, you consent to CIRTL sharing your personal registration and participation information with CIRTL administrative staff, as well as program staff at your institution, for purposes of outreach, program evaluation, and meeting local program requirements, as applicable. Read more at https://cirtl.net/event/teaching-discomfort-facilitating-challenging-discussions-in-the-classroom/2023-09-21/
Date & Time
Explore inclusive teaching and active learning frameworks in order to develop practices and class policies that support student engagement in this two-part workshop. Student participation is undeniably desirable in any classroom, and yet it remains challenging to define its scope: how can we address the value of participation effectively and through an inclusive lens? In this workshop, participants will explore both the student perspective and the instructor perspective of “participation” and consider the intersections between these practices and those of inclusive teaching. In session 1, we will work on defining and setting expectations for student engagement, and on building strategies within the framework of active learning in order to provide a practical approach to creating significant learning experiences. In session 2, we will look at how instructors can harness the language of growth in the classroom when providing feedback on student engagement to center equity in the learning space. Participants will leave with a cache of inclusive participation strategies and a draft participation policy for a syllabus.
Workshop Schedule
This workshop meets in Zoom on Thursdays, September 28 and October 5, at 2-3:15PM AT / 1-2:15PM ET / 12-1:15PM CT / 11AM-12:15PM MT / 10-11:15AM PT. If you have a disability, please let us know your learning needs. Contact Kate Diamond (kdiamond3@wisc.edu), who is supporting this workshop, to let us know how we can help you have a successful experience. By registering for this CIRTL cross-Network program, you consent to CIRTL sharing your personal registration and participation information with CIRTL administrative staff, as well as program staff at your institution, for purposes of outreach, program evaluation, and meeting local program requirements, as applicable. Read more at https://cirtl.net/event/beyond-participation-inclusive-perspectives-on-student-engagement-and-feedback/

Postdoctober Fest Welcome Celebration

Thursday, October 5, 2023
4:30 – 6:30 PM
James West Alumni Center, Founder’s Room
325 Westwood Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90095
RSVP HERE

Join us to celebrate Postdoctober Fest 2023, UCLA’s monthlong celebration of our postdoctoral scholar community! Enjoy a snack and chat with current and former UCLA postdocs, faculty mentors, and campus community.

RSVP is strongly encouraged.

Learn about teaching at community colleges straight from current staff & faculty! In this three-part series, we’ll hear faculty & staff reflect on the joys and challenges of teaching at a community college, the broad diversity of students in their courses and how that diversity enhances learning, and the ins and outs of finding a full-time teaching position at a community college.

Events in this series take place at -3:30PM AT / 1-2:30PM ET / 12-1:30PM CT / 11AM-12:30PM MT / 10-11:30AM PT on the following dates: Thursday, October 26: Introduction to Teaching at a Community College Thursday, November 9: Getting Hired at a Community College: Tips and Strategies from Faculty on Hiring Panel Thursday, December 7: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusive Teaching in the Community College Setting If you have a disability, please let us know your learning needs. Contact Kate Diamond (kdiamond3@wisc.edu), who is supporting this event, to let us know how we can help you have a successful experience. By registering for this CIRTL cross-Network program, you consent to CIRTL sharing your personal registration and participation information with CIRTL administrative staff, as well as program staff at your institution, for purposes of outreach, program evaluation, and meeting local program requirements, as applicable. See upcoming events in this series at https://cirtl.net/series/exploring-careers-in-teaching-at-a-community-college-fall-2023/ This series is organized through the NSF INCLUDES Alliance Aspire: National Alliance for an Inclusive and Diverse STEM Faculty, as part of the Regional Collaborative initiatives.

https://uwmadison.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0qc-uhrDktH93aLsgCqGivtU3BbQjdW8o_#/registration 

Date & Time
Nov 2, 2023 09:00 AM  in 
Description
Learn how adding transparency into your teaching can strengthen active learning, assignments, and assessment in this one-part workshop. Participants will be encouraged to apply new ideas and information related to transparency to your own instruction or to an imagined course and will be provided opportunities to share and receive feedback from peers.
Workshop Schedule
This workshop meets in Zoom on Thursday, November 2 at 1-2:30PM AT / 12-1:30PM ET / 11AM-12:30PM CT / 10-11:30AM MT / 9-10:30AM PT. If you have a disability, please let us know your learning needs. Contact Kate Diamond (kdiamond3@wisc.edu), who is supporting this workshop, to let us know how we can help you have a successful experience. By registering for this CIRTL cross-Network program, you consent to CIRTL sharing your personal registration and participation information with CIRTL administrative staff, as well as program staff at your institution, for purposes of outreach, program evaluation, and meeting local program requirements, as applicable. Read more at https://cirtl.net/event/teaching-with-transparency-evidence-based-approaches-to-foster-student-motivation-and-engagement/
Learn about common forms of neurodiversity, the obstacles that neurodiverse students might encounter in academia, and teaching strategies to overcome those obstacles in this two-part workshop. In part one, participants will learn key basics about neurodiversity, on topics including conditions such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism, and ADHD, common obstacles faced by neurodivergent students, and strategies and resources for supporting neurodivergent students. In part two, participants will brainstorm, refine, and detail an individualized and actionable teaching approach to create more inclusive learning experiences for all students based on strengths-based learning and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles.
Workshop Schedule
All participants will attend a first session on Wednesday, November 8; then, participants can choose from attending one of two follow-up sessions on either Monday, November 20 or 27. Sessions take place in Zoom at 1-3PM AT / 12-2PM ET / 11AM-1PM CT / 10AM-12PM MT / 9-11AM PT. No cap. Registration opens Monday, August 14. If you have a disability, please let us know your learning needs. Contact Kate Diamond (kdiamond3@wisc.edu), who is supporting this workshop, to let us know how we can help you have a successful experience. By registering for this CIRTL cross-Network program, you consent to CIRTL sharing your personal registration and participation information with CIRTL administrative staff, as well as program staff at your institution, for purposes of outreach, program evaluation, and meeting local program requirements, as applicable. Read more at https://cirtl.net/event/supporting-neurodivergent-students-2/2023-11-08/
Date & Time
  • Nov 8, 2023 09:00 AM
  • Nov 20, 2023 09:00 AM
  • Nov 27, 2023 09:00 AM

Register Here

How can you make your teaching and research documents accessible to neurodiverse individuals and individuals with disabilities? Through this workshop, participants will learn to recognize features that might make their teaching and research materials inaccessible, to present content in a variety of formats, and to use specific tools like LaTeX to improve accessibility of their materials. Special attention will be given to teaching and research materials with complex mathematical characters and equations, which have historically presented unique challenges to accessibility.
Workshop Schedule
This workshop meets in Zoom on Fridays, November 17 and December 1 at 1-2:30PM AT / 12-1:30PM ET / 11AM-12:30PM CT / 10-11:30AM MT / 9-10:30AM PT. If you have a disability, please let us know your learning needs. Contact Kate Diamond (kdiamond3@wisc.edu), who is supporting this workshop, to let us know how we can help you have a successful experience. By registering for this CIRTL cross-Network program, you consent to CIRTL sharing your personal registration and participation information with CIRTL administrative staff, as well as program staff at your institution, for purposes of outreach, program evaluation, and meeting local program requirements, as applicable. Read more at https://cirtl.net/event/creating-accessible-teaching-and-research-documents-in-stem/2023-11-17/
Date & Time
  • Nov 17, 2023 09:00 AM
  • Dec 1, 2023 09:00 AM

Register Here

We know the one-size-fits-all approach to learning design is not optimal. But how do we incorporate flexibility into teaching and learning while still maintaining rigorous learning? In this workshop, participants will learn the three principles that underpin Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a pedagogical framework backed by neuroscience that fosters motivated, resourceful, and strategic learners. They will have the opportunity to apply these principles to a teaching artifact of their choice, be it a syllabus, assignment, and/or teaching practice. Participants will come away with an expanded understanding of learner variability, how it can be leveraged as an asset in the classroom, and how to make learning more accessible for their students. No previous experience with UDL is necessary.
Workshop Schedule
This workshop meets in Zoom on Thursdays, December 7 and 14 at 2-3:30PM AT / 1-2:30PM ET / 12-1:30PM CT / 11AM-12:30PM MT / 10-11:30AM PT. If you have a disability, please let us know your learning needs. Contact Kate Diamond (kdiamond3@wisc.edu), who is supporting this workshop, to let us know how we can help you have a successful experience. By registering for this CIRTL cross-Network program, you consent to CIRTL sharing your personal registration and participation information with CIRTL administrative staff, as well as program staff at your institution, for purposes of outreach, program evaluation, and meeting local program requirements, as applicable. Read more at https://cirtl.net/event/getting-started-with-universal-design-for-learning-2/2023-12-07/
Date & Time
  • Dec 7, 2023 10:00 AM
  • Dec 14, 2023 10:00 AM

Register Here

Work with an experienced instructor in your discipline to enhance your understanding and experience of teaching a university course in this 5-month mentorship program that blends monthly synchronous sessions with intensive independent and mentor-driven work. No cap. Register by November 8.

Register Here

Read the latest CIRTL@UCLA Newsletter