We at the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) promote excellence in teaching by getting to know our faculty and graduate students, learning from them, fostering leadership, and bringing people together from across the University. We provide consultations, workshops, and print and web resources on teaching and academic success. We focus on implementing evidence-based, high-impact educational practices with Duquesne's amazing community of teachers and learners.
We guide Duquesne faculty and graduate students to:
- Implement sound instructional strategies focused on student learning by embracing evidence-based pedagogical ideas and a spirit of innovation.
- Create well-designed courses and curriculum that incorporate strong learning-assessment strategies resulting in deep learning.
- Succeed as teacher-scholars engaged in pedagogical development and academic research in whatever stage they are in (tenure-track, tenured, non-tenure track, adjunct, teaching assistants).
- Approach personhood holistically with a view to understanding their students and themselves
as people balancing personal and academic demands.
Feel like they belong and contribute to a community that values teaching excellence, collaboration and diversity.
We plan events and create resources that contribute to the professional and holistic
development of faculty and graduate students at Duquesne. All Duquesne faculty, staff, and graduate students are welcome to attend CTE's workshops.
You can learn more about our workshops by following the link below. The Center for Teaching Excellence offers programs to welcome and orient all who are
new to the teaching community at Duquesne, as well as colleagues who are making the
transition to a new role (e.g., moving from adjunct or TA to full-time faculty). Every year, CTE celebrates the achievements of our excellent faculty and graduate
student instructors at Duquesne University. To learn more about the event and the
awards conferred, follow the link below. We provide resources to help faculty succeed as teacher-scholars engaged in pedagogical
development and academic research in whatever stage they are in (tenure-track, tenured,
non-tenure track, adjunct, teaching assistants). The Flourishing Academic is a Duquesne University multi-voice blog devoted to exploring the question, “How can we as teacher-scholars thrive in academia?” We feature posts on teaching, learning, and academic career success by Duquesne faculty,
graduate students, undergraduate students, and the Center for Teaching Excellence
(CTE) staff, in addition to occasional guest writers from outside of the University.
We hope you visit us often, comment actively, and teach enthusiastically! Each year, CTE forms a comittee to review the teaching portfolios of our many talented
graduate student instructors and teaching assistants. You can learn more about the
award and the application process by following the link below. The purpose of the Creative Teaching Awards is to recognize faculty members who have
implemented innovative ways of teaching and have assessed the impact of the innovation
on student learning. The innovation may have been used at other institutions or in
other fields, but must be newly adapted to your field at Duquesne. You can learn more
about this award, previous recipients, and the application process by following the
link below. We collaborate with instructors to implement sound instructional strategies focused
on student learning by embracing evidence-based pedagogical ideas and a spirit of
innovation. Whether through consultations with CTE, preparing midsemester informal course evaluations,
reflecting on Student Perception of Teaching end of semester evaluations, or conducting
Peer Evaluations of Teaching, CTE is here to offer assistance and support however
we can. CTE offers a professional development certification process for graduate insturctors
and teaching assistants. This process helps build up the foundation of your teaching
competencies as well as understand how to then present your teaching background as
an asset on the academic job market. We approach personhood holistically with a view to understanding faculty and students
as people balancing personal and academic demands. CTE Values the diversity that Duquesne's instructors and teaching assistants bring
to their teaching, research, and participation in the constitution of the university's
identity. Additionally, CTE strives to make instructors and teaching assistants feel
included on campus as well as provide them with the means to shape their own classrooms
and departments into inclusive and equitable spaces. Whether you're a mid-career tenure track faculty or a first year graduate student,
CTE does its best to provide support and cultivate resources that help everyone pursue
their professional goals. Events
The Teacher-Scholar Model
Instructional Strategies and Course Design
Holistic Development
Contact us!
Feel free to reach out to us individually through our contact information here or generally via cte@duq.edu.
Steven Hansen, Ph.D.

Erin Rentschler, Ph.D.

Jeff Lambert, Ph.D.

Bethany Kaser

Center for Teaching Excellence Events

Monthly Mentor Mindfulness
Facilitator: Bethany Kaser (CTE)Date and Time: Monday, February 20th, 12:00pm-12:15pmLocation:...

In it Together: Retention Minded Teaching (Part Two: Motivational Strategies)
How can faculty contribute to the larger goal of retaining students? What strategies can...

SCALE: Utilizing Student Feedback
Small Changes Advancing Learning (SCALE) workshops are shorter (30 minutes) where the...

Maximizing the Potential of ChatGPT in the Classroom
Join the Center for Teaching Excellence, in collaboration with Dr. James Purdy, director...

Preparing for Non-Tenure Track Promotion
The Faculty Handbook outlines procedures for non-tenure track faculty to apply for promotion....