The University of Guelph Teaching and Learning Network

See the Teaching and Learning Network Year 1 Report - January 2023-2024

Purpose and Goals

The University of Guelph's Teaching and Learning Network (TLN) will build educational leadership capacity, and recognize, value, and celebrate teaching and learning. It will foster collaboration, knowledge exchange, and resource sharing across Colleges, Campuses and institutional units at UofG. Through strategic projects that focus on innovative and scholarly practices, the TLN addresses instructor needs and priorities and supports the university's goals of fostering excellence in teaching and learning. A key outcome of the TLN is to increase efficiency and access, and decrease duplication across Colleges and other units at U of G.    

The goals of the Teaching and Learning Network are to:

  1. Build educational leadership capacity and recognition across and within Colleges, Campuses and institutional units.   
  2. Collaborate on cross-College and institutional teaching and learning projects involving knowledge inventorying, creation, and mobilization. The Network also initiates and plans strategic projects each year, reflective of the goals of the institution and members.   
  3. Identify or collect information about faculty, instructors and instructional team needs and priorities related to teaching and learning to inform the creation of programming/resources and institutional planning.   
  4. Exchange ideas and resources to encourage, support and promote evidence-based, innovative, experimental and/or promising teaching and learning practices.   
  5. Facilitate and coordinate communication and marketing of teaching and learning events and resources.   

Note: This Network will focus on teaching and learning initiatives outside of curriculum or program-level conversations.

The TLN furthers the goals of the 2019 University of Guelph Teaching and Learning Plan (Goal 2: Advance and Further Develop Our Leadership in Teaching and Learning) and responds to recommendations from the 2021 Provost’s Task Force on Pedagogical Innovation to create infrastructures that promote cross-college and cross-campus communications and collaborations about teaching.

TLN Network Members 

Core TLN Members

  • Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL) representative (Chair)
  • OpenEd representative
  • Library representative
  • Faculty representative from each College on the main U of G campus, and one representative from each of the Ridgetown and Guelph-Humber campuses
  • Graduate student and Undergraduate student representative

Additional TLN Members

Based on the TLN's needs, interests, and activities, individuals from other offices or units may be involved on a temporary basis as advisors, experts, or advocates. Additional members may include faculty, instructor, staff, and students, and individuals from Student Accessibility Services, Indigenous Initiatives, Diversity and Human Rights, the Experiential Learning Hub, for example. The University Teaching Leadership Fellows may also be involved as appropriate.

Core membership on the TLN could evolve over time based on the work of the network and the capacity of other offices/units to appoint core members.

2023-2025 Core Members

The network includes representatives from the following U of G colleges, campuses, units, as well as a graduate students and an undergraduate student representative:

  • Janet Beeler-Marfisi (OVC)  
  • Ruben Burga (Lang) 
  • Carolyn Creighton (OpenEd) 
  • Bawneet Singh (Undergraduate student/CSA VP Academic) 
  • Laura MacDiarmid (Guelph-Humber) 
  • Steve Loewen (Ridgetown) 
  • Mavis Morton (CSAHS) 
  • Melanie Parlette-Stewart (McLaughlin Library) 
  • Shauna Kechego-Nichols (COA)  
  • Nabhan Refaie (Graduate student/GSA VP Internal) 
  • Kerry Ritchie (CBS) 
  • Andy Robinson (OAC) 
  • Christie Stewart (TLN Chair/Office of Teaching and Learning) 
  • Julie Vale (CEPS) 

Terms of Service and Time Commitment

Core members will serve a minimum of two years on the TLN. Temporary members’ time commitment will vary based on the goals for their involvement.

The TLN will meet approximately 9 times per academic year.

TLN members will be expected to gather and share information with the Network about teaching and learning events, resources, and needs in their College, Campus, or Office. Where appropriate, they will partner with other network members to design, facilitate, and market teaching and learning events, and participate in Network-organized opportunities for professional development related to teaching and educational leadership..

Resourcing

The Network is allotted $5,000 per year for professional development of Network members related to teaching, learning, and educational leadership.

Contact

If you have questions about the Teaching and Learning Network, contact otl@uoguelph.ca  

UofG Teaching and Learning Inititatives and Activities Inventory

One of the first activities the TLN engaged in 2023 was capturing a complete inventory of key teaching, learning and educational leadership initiatives and activities across represented units that are currently underway, planned for 2023 or are offered on a regular, ongoing basis. Many folks across campus contributed to providing information to create this inventory. To learn about the multiple purposes this activity served and to view all the UofG Teaching and Learning initiatives and activities captured in this first inventory, such as teaching and learning related courses, events, workshops, awards, resources, and committees, click here. This inventory will be updated annually.