Dear Colleagues,

Teaching is at the heart of our mission as a university, and each semester brings new opportunities to reflect, innovate and strengthen the ways we support student learning. The Institute for Excellence in Teaching & Learning was established to support and celebrate this vital work, and I am pleased to share several important initiatives underway.

Over the past few months, the Institute has expanded opportunities to increase the dialogue and collaboration across our schools and colleges through the creation of a new Institute Faculty Liaison group. This group provides valuable insight into the needs of their academic communities, shares information about Institute opportunities and surfaces new ideas for advancing teaching and learning. Just as importantly, it fosters cross-college information exchanges, helping us learn from one another and build a stronger, more connected culture of teaching excellence.

This year, several key initiatives are taking shape:

  • Large Classroom Initiative – Focusing on strategies to increase engagement and improve learning outcomes for students in high-enrollment STEM courses.
  • AI in Teaching & Learning – Working in collaboration with the AI Development Accelerator (AIDA) to explore the role of AI in the classroom, both as a tool to enhance instruction and as an essential area of student literacy.
  • Inclusive Pedagogy – Supporting faculty in developing approaches that foster equity, belonging and student success across diverse learning environments.
  • Campus LX (Learning Experience) Transformation Initiative – Advancing the use of innovative technologies and supporting the migration to Blackboard Ultra to strengthen teaching and learning across modalities.
  • Faculty Development Workshops – Offering a series of fall symposia and events on a range of topics from AI to strategies for supporting student success.
  • Shipley Academic Innovation Fund – Providing faculty opportunities to explore and experiment with AI in teaching and learning through a new “call for proposals” (see below).

As these activities continue to grow, I invite you to see the Institute as both a partner and a resource. We welcome your ideas and look forward to the many ways we can continue to elevate and support the extraordinary work you do.

With appreciation,

Wendy Colby headshot

Wendelin Colby
Vice President & Associate Provost
BU Virtual & Institute for Excellence in Teaching & Learning

News & Announcements

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