Programs

The Academic Kickoff features interactive sessions designed to facilitate graduate student and postdoc transitions to teaching roles at Northwestern University. 

CIRTL at Northwestern efforts support future faculty. Participation in STEM-based programming offered through the Searle Center and the CIRTL Online Network is eligible for and recognized by a CIRTL Certificate.

An annual immersive three-day course design institute centered on developing a new Canvas-ready syllabus for the upcoming academic year, driven by evidence-based practices, iterative discussion, and reflective learning communities.

Just like the annual Summer Course Design Institute, the Generative AI Edition will guide instructors step-by-step in developing a course where they can have confidence that all enrolled students will have the opportunity to achieve the learning outcomes—no matter how rigorous or ambitious.

Formative Feedback Partners are graduate students and postdocs trained in leading Small Group Analyses, conducting Teaching Observations and Midquarter Feedback Surveys, and facilitating End-of-Term Focus Groups to provide evidence-based, formative feedback on teaching. Throughout the academic year, Formative Feedback Partners participate in a learning community in which they engage in discussions and activities to deepen their skills in providing written and verbal formative feedback.

Graduate Teaching Fellows further their pedagogical development by developing or sustaining an initiative in their department around learning & teaching. 

Kickoff Session Leaders are a dedicated group of graduate students who help introduce incoming TAs, graduate student instructors, and postdoc instructors to learning and teaching at Northwestern University during the Academic Kickoff.

Pedagogical Innovations in STEM is a scholarly exchange offered each quarter, showcasing leading-edge research that informs teaching and learning strategies. Recommended for those pursuing the CIRTL Certificate.

Reflective & Effective Teaching (RET) is a certificate program that offers a unique cohort-based learning community for graduate students and postdocs from any discipline who aspire to improve student learning. Participants, known as RET teacher-scholars, who complete three quarters of the RET program receive a Certificate of Completion, a Completion Letter, and, if eligible, a TGS transcript notation. Teacher-scholars engage in seminars and special-topic workshops and complete artifacts that align with their goals and stage of teaching.

Reflective Teaching Guides further their pedagogical development by mentoring their peers in Reflective and Effective Teaching (RET).

Launching Learning & Teaching Leaders Since 1999, the Searle Fellows Program has been a university-wide initiative for early career research- and teaching-line faculty with the mission to cultivate a community of learning & teaching leaders at Northwestern who exemplify excellence and benefit from a shared year-long experience of pedagogical experimentation, critical reflection, and joyful celebration. Applications open early May and are due by mid-June.

Student Experiences in STEM is an evidence-driven reading circle focusing on students’ experiences, development, and their perceptions of commonly used learning practices and the classroom environment. Recommended for those pursuing the CIRTL Certificate. 

Advancing the University Priority of building resilient students and a sense of belonging. Each year, the University Practicum hosts a practical, flexible, and supportive online practicum on a timely topic of learning and teaching. This year, the topic was determined by a survey of Northwestern instructors, who expressed their commitment to promoting academic rigor and learning enriched by empathy and care. Working alongside educational developers and faculty experts, participants will (re)define students' holistic success and advance their techniques for creating, facilitating, and assessing student success. Designed to complement participants' busy schedules, this practicum offers a flexible choice of synchronous online and recorded sessions, learning labs, individuals consultations, and a faculty panel. Join the 1,000+ Northwestern participants who have deepened their practice with the University Practicum. Available in February or April. Register Now “The practicum gives me a space to collaborate with other instructors and discuss how we implement teaching strategies and techniques in our own classrooms—what we’ve tried, and what has worked. I find that to be very, very useful.” —Arend Kuyper, Director of Undergraduate Studies for Data Science, Department of Statistics and Data Science

Each winter, we offer a cozy, half-day retreat for graduate students and postdocs with teaching experience to explore and develop their teaching practices. Focused around a special topic, the Winter Retreat features an interactive keynote address, related workshops to implement evidence-driven teaching techniques in the classroom, and an opportunity to connect with peers over our popular hot chocolate bar.