Celia Popovic
University/Faculty Priorities Alignment
While it might seem reasonable to expect the priorities of a teaching support centre to align with those of a university or a faculty or department, it is not always the case.
If a teaching support centre is to succeed and gain the trust and engagement of the constituents it wishes to serve, it must show how the priorities align and how the centre can help faculty to succeed.
University priorities do not always align with those of the Faculties or Departments. In some institutions there can be disconnect between what is stated in public documents and the embodied actions of faculty. A teaching support centre can be the conduit by which the priorities of the institution as a whole can be brought into alignment. However, it is challenging position, as it can also be seen as the mouthpiece of a central administration, particularly if there is a culture of distrust.
An educational developer would be well advised to seek out the policies and priorities of the institution, of the Faculties and of the centre itself. Most universities publish policies, often these are available publicly, but as an employee you should be able to get those of your own institution. There may be a Learning, Teaching and Assessment strategy. Policy around teaching may not be as clearly flagged, in which case you will need to seek it out.
The teaching support centre may have a strategic and operational plan. At the Teaching Commons at York University, for example, we launched the centre with a five year strategic plan. This was update on a rolling one year basis, so we had a sense of direction for the next 4 to 5 years, but it could be amended and tweaked as necessary to reflect changes in context or policy. The strategic plan was tied closely to the university's academic plan. Separate to this we had a one year operational plan. This was linked directly to the strategic plan and spelt out in detail the actions we would take as a centre to achieve our strategic aims.
When trying to align with Faculty priorities it makes sense to find out what these are, and to tie in the Faculty priorities to the Centre's priorities.
A strategic or operational plan is a good start, but it has to be shared with others if it is to impact on practice. Everyone in the centre should know what is expected of them, and how their actions tie into the work of the whole. Faculty contacts also need to know that there is a plan and support of their priorities is key to the centre. To avoid being regarded as a mouthpiece for the centre, it is vital that this connection is made.
It is vital to create links and bonds with Faculties or departments. Depending on the size of the organization and the number of developers it may be possible to allocate a named contact from the centre to each Faculty. This can work extremely well as the developer builds personal connections with individuals and develops their understanding of the programs on offer, discipline specific pedagogies and challenges; consequently building credibility and efficiency.
Another way to build this rapport is to appoint Teaching Fellows (other titles may be used) in a Faculty or Department. The Teaching Fellow is an instructor with a task to raise the profile of teaching and learning among colleagues. The Teaching Fellow works closely with the teaching support centre, ensuring that resources including workshops and seminars are in line with the needs of their colleagues and held at times likely to garner support.
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