Please note that applications for upcoming UTEC class will be available mid-June 2012

History
The University Teaching Excellence Course, UTEC, has been offered in various forms since 1976. In those three decades, over one-thousand faculty and staff have completed the program. Graduates include department chairs, deans, and current UT system Chancellor Dr. Francisco Cigarroa. The content and format of the course has changed over time as different faculty become involved and new materials and methods become available. We continually evaluate and revise the content and methods to better meet the needs of our learners.

Mission

UTEC promotes excellence in clinical and classroom teaching and the scholarship of teaching and learning through a curriculum based on best practices and scholarly research in education. The course develops participants’ capacities to be innovative, evidence-based, reflective educators and educational researchers, modeling the highest standards of professional education. Graduates individually and collectively act as a catalyst for institutional change, advocating for excellence in educational practice and scholarly activity at all organizational levels. UTEC graduates will be recognized leaders in health professions education.

Content and Organization
The Academic Center for Excellence in Teaching offers a number of different professional development programs designed to help faculty improve or augment their teaching skills. UTEC is currently our most complete offering, with time and outcome commitments equivalent to many university-level courses. Meeting monthly over the course of 20 months, participants will systematically build on acquired knowledge and skills, collaborate with colleagues on designing and evaluating teaching sessions, and conduct an educational research or evaluation study. They will write statements of teaching philosophy, concept map the relationships among the variables that influence teaching and learning, and keep a teaching notebook. These exercises are not academic; they will provide real value to participants in future teaching, tenure and promotion, and scholarly publication.

Course content will include

• Theories and models of learning

• Adult learning theory

• Principles of evaluation and assessment

• Formative evaluation and feedback

• Learning climate

• Setting goals and objectives

• Principles and methods of active learning

• Mentoring

• Educational research methods

• Curriculum design and planning

• Motivation and relevance: making learning meaningful.
Who Can Benefit
UTEC is open to all UTHSCSA faculty and staff. This includes fellows, teaching assistants, administrative personnel, and preceptors. If you have responsibility for student learning in any way, we welcome and encourage your participation. Enrollment is not limited to new or novice teachers. UTEC participants typically have a range in experience both in terms of number of teaching years and settings. All five schools are usually represented, as are classroom and clinical faculty.
Participant Expectations
To satisfactorily complete this certificate course, regular attendance is necessary. Likewise, satisfactory completion of assignments will be required. We understand that faculty are busy, and accommodations can be made, but the interactive and participatory nature of the class means content cannot be "made up" by viewing a PowerPoint at a later time. Do not view this as an a la carte experience, picking and choosing sessions to attend based on their perceived value or relevance to your teaching needs.
Please remember that this course is in high demand. If you are accepted, it is very likely someone else was not. Out of respect for your colleagues, please do not apply if you cannot reasonably expect to complete the full 20 month course and expected time commitments.
Time and Place
3rd Thursday of each month beginning 16 September 2010 and ending April 2012.
5:00pm - 7:30pm
Location to be determined (Long central campus)

Application
Logistics and our wish to maximize the benefits of small group learning dictate that class size be limited to no more than 35. We select participants based on a number of criteria including representation from a cross-section of educational units, teaching experience and history, a mix of clinical and classroom teaching (collectively, not individually), and individual goals for participating in UTEC. Enrollment decisions are made by a group of ACET staff and Academy of Master Teachers members.

Please notify your department chair, section head, or advisor of your intent to enroll in UTEC. This condition serves two purposes. First, it communicates your desire to improve your teaching skills and your willingness to invest the time and effort to excel. Second, it assures us that your immediate supervisor is aware of your potential participation in UTEC and is willing to support your decision in terms of time and effort. Once you have appropriate permissions, please complete and submit the online application (link below). If you have any questions about completing the form, please contact course director, Dr. Bret Simon (bret.simon@uthscsa.edu), 567-2284.