Learning Community Builder

What is a CIRTL-UTA Learning Community?

A CIRTL-UTA Learning Community is a group of diverse individuals who come together with a common goal to explore, disseminate, and/or advance teaching and learning by sharing experiences, discoveries, and creation of knowledge in teaching and learning practice.

The Learning Community Builder

The Learning Community Builder leads members of their learning community through the process of reaching a common goal and foster relationships among its members.  The Learning Community Builder is expected to establish their own ‘community of learners’.  The community of learners can include students, at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels, within or outside their field of study, and within or outside of UTA.  It is strongly encouraged the Learning Community Builder creates a cross-disciplinary learning community, but it is not required.  It is advised that the Learning Community Builder promote and recruit for their ‘community of learners’ early in the semester or prior to the start of the semester, so facilitating their community of learning can occur during that semester. A ‘community of learners’ should have 6-10 members.    

Group of people in a meeting
Teacher helping students with doing tasks

The Learning Community Builder is expected meet with their ‘community of learners’ for about 8-10 hours over a semester.  Ideally, 3 to 4 sessions of 90 minutes to 2 hours in length.  Sessions could be held in-person, synchronously virtually, or hybrid, at a date and time established by the Learning Community Builder.  The Learning Community Builder is expected to create goals and work towards an outcome, maintain a clear vision, and be responsive and nurture strong relationships with their ‘community of learners’.  The overall goals and outcome(s) from the community of learners will vary. 

Learning Community Builder Expectations

Learning Community Builders are expected to:

  • Attend a Learning Community virtual orientation meeting with the CIRTL-UTA Leadership Team.
  • Provide the CIRTL-UTA Leadership Team with the dates, times, topics of session, and outcomes for each session. 
  • Maintain on-going, two-way communication that is positive and professional with their community of learners and CIRTL-UTA Leadership Team.  
  • Complete an assessment and evaluation that summaries the outcomes/results of their learning community and reflect about their experience as a Learning Community Builder.

CIRTL-UTA Teaching Certificate Program:  Learning Community Builders

The CIRTL-UTA Teaching Certificate Program, Scholar Certificate, Level 4, requires participants to advance and disseminate teaching and learning practice and creating. Building a learning community is one of the elements to expanding teaching and learning knowledge.   To meet the Scholar Certificate, level 4, requirements, graduate students will be required to create their own learning community per the guidelines noted above.

Learning Community Builder Grant

As Learning Community Builders, the UTA Graduate School offers a one-time grant opportunity for Learning Community Builder.  To support the mission of CIRTL-UTA program, up to $500 grant is available to cover supplemental resources and supplies needed in the creation, implementation, maintenance, and assessment of a learning community.      

Graduate students interested in participating in the Learning Community Builder program do not need to be part of the CIRTL-UTA Teaching Certificate Program to participate.  Applications to the grant are individually based.  The Learning Community Builder must be in good academic and professional standing, making progress on their degree (doctorial students) or field of study (post-doctoral researchers), and have a strong interest in advancing and disseminating teaching and learning.   

Grant Process and Eligibility

  • Complete the Learning Community Grant Application Form (coming soon)
  • Application submission deadlines: One month before the schedule start date of the fall, spring, or summer semester

Students with GTA/GRA appointments are eligible to apply but must have approval from their faculty advisor.

Students receiving need-based financial assistance should speak with the Office of Financial Aid to see if they are eligible to receive additional assistance.