CIRTL @ Northwestern Certificate Program

A three-tiered certificate program for graduate students and postdocs to advance knowledge, values, and teaching skills in STEM fields.

Overview

Northwestern University is a longstanding institutional member of The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL), an internationally recognized network of over 40 research universities that supports the development of future faculty committed to implementing accessible, evidence-based teaching practices for all undergraduate learners.

The Searle Center leads the CIRTL @ Northwestern Certificate Program, offering three levels of certification corresponding to the three levels of learning outcomes outlined by the CIRTL Network. Geared toward graduate students and postdocs, the CIRTL @ Northwestern Certificate Program is open to all members of the Northwestern community.

Core Ideas

The CIRTL Network vision is to transform higher education through implementing innovative, culturally responsive pedagogy that benefits all learners.

STEM-focused programs offered by The Searle Center designs its STEM-focused programs to advance CIRTL’s three core ideas:

Learning Communities
Learning-through-Diversity
Teaching-as-Research (TAR)

Programs, Events, & Resources

As a CIRTL member, the Northwestern community has access to robust online resources, programming, workshops, and events with peers and experts at the Searle Center and across all CIRTL institutions. Topics include fostering a growth mindset, teaching with transparency, and Teaching-as-Research (TAR). The Searle Center is proud to contribute to CIRTL programming, including Making Large Classes Feel Smaller, a self-paced course developed by Erika Nadile during her time as Assistant Director of STEM Education at Searle.

CIRTL programs and events fill up fast! We recommend the following to stay up to date: view the CIRTL events calendar and subscribe to the CIRTL Network Newsletter.

Value of CIRTL

The CIRTL Network and CIRTL @ Northwestern programming adds value to the educational experiences of graduate students and postdocs.

Advance knowledge, values, and teaching skills in STEM fields.
Enhance career prospects and prepare for the job market.
Engage with and contribute to a professional network.

CIRTL @ Northwestern programming also truly afforded me the space to make informed decisions when building my classes – not just adding exams or filler assignments but really thinking through how the assignments would aid students in reaching our class goals. One of the best parts of the programs was meeting different students, staff, and faculty who cared about teaching in the way I do as well.”

—Program participant

About the Certificate Program

The Searle Center offers a three-tiered certificate program for graduate students and postdocs:

Associate—One exploratory session from each offering: Student Experiences in STEM, Pedagogical Innovations in STEM, and a CIRTL online network workshop
Practitioner—Associate + one quarter of Reflective & Effective Teaching, the University Practicum, or a CIRTL online network course
Scholar—Practitioner + STAR

Table listing learning outcomes of each certificate level and Searle offerings that satisfy learning outcome requirements.
Tier	Learning Outcomes	Searle's Offerings
Associate	Explore and Recognize Value Recognize the value of participating in learning communities that center teaching and learning. Describe the scope of diversity in learning environments of all learners, including students and instructors. Demonstrate knowledge of and stay current with evidence-informed and inclusive teaching practices.	Student Experiences in STEM—a reading circle focusing on experiences, development, and their perceptions of commonly used learning practices and the classroom environment. Pedagogical Innovations in STEM—a scholarly exchange showcasing leading-edge research and strategies from featured faculty and education researchers.
Practitioner	Reflect and Engage Communicate pedagogical values and decisions around evidence-informed inclusive teaching. Integrate and implement one or more evidence-based teaching strategies into a responsive teaching plan that centers students’ backgrounds, to accomplish their learning goals. Critically reflect upon experiences, others’ perspectives, and scholarship to promote ongoing development as an effective and inclusive educator.	Reflective and Effective Teaching (RET)—a certificate program to guide the foundational pedagogical development of graduate students and postdocs in a unique learning community. Northwestern’s University Practicum—an annual online series addressing wicked problems in higher education combining theory with practical strategies.
Scholar	Advance and DIsseminate Demonstrate understanding of the Teaching-as-Research (TAR) process and its relation to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). Apply knowledge of the TAR and SoTL processes to current or future teaching. Contribute to community knowledge about teaching and learning through the co-creation of a teaching and learning guide.	Searle Teaching-as-Research (STAR)—a culminating scholarly project for CIRTL practitioners centered on the creation of a discipline-based case study fit for our teaching and learning guides. Coming soon!

How to Receive a Certificate

We recognize that participants may move through this program in a non-linear fashion. Participants will be notified via email about progress.

To earn the credential at each level, participants should complete this form. Participants will be asked to submit:

One-page reflection(s) demonstrating achievement of the learning outcomes upon the completion of each level.
Accompanying program artifacts further demonstrating achievement of learning outcomes.

Participants may be asked to provide additional materials supporting the program learning outcomes.

Contact Us

Veronica Womack, Associate Director of High-Impact Teaching

veronica.womack@northwestern.edu