While the CIRTL-UTA Teaching Certificates Program focuses on teaching and learning, the teaching and learning sessions are designed to transfer teaching and learning skills and knowledge for careers in academia or industry.  In industry, teaching skills and knowledge, such as planning, preparing, and delivering content in an effective and engaging manner to various groups of individuals, are applicable skills that can be incorporated into the workforce to lead and presenting trainings, workshops, seminars, and/or meetings.   

Graduate students participating in the CIRTL-UTA Teaching Certificates program should begin the program in the Fall or Spring semesters, but can access the program in the Fall, Spring, or Summer semesters. 

The entire program has a very flexible schedule for completion.  The program maps contain room for adjustment for each certificate level requirements and each semester to meet the needs of the graduate student.  NOTE:  Graduate students should check with their academic department to determine if a Teaching Certificate map was developed as part of their graduate program requirements. 

The pace to complete each certificate level’s requirements would vary on the graduate student’s time, ability, and certificate level requirements.   Levels 1 and 2 are more straightforward, thus could be completed at a more accelerated pace while level 3 and 4 are more in-depth and reflective.   Each level is designed to be completed within 1 academic year.  

No, graduate students can complete one, two, or all of the teaching certificates.  Graduate students can stop at any level in the program.  NOTE:  Graduate students should check with their academic department to determine what level of certificate would need to be completed if the CIRTL-UTA Teaching Certificate program is part of their graduate program requirements. 

The College Teaching and Associate Certificate (level 1 and 2) are designed for all graduate students to learn about foundational teaching and learning practices.  Level 1 and 2 are ideal for graduate students only pursing a Master’s degree.  Level 1 and 2 can be completed within a 2-year timespan, the usual length of time to complete a Master’s degree.  The Practitioner and Scholar Certificates (level 3 and 4) are more in-depth with a teaching-as-research poster that leads to publishing or presenting of that project, learning communities, leadership, mentorship, and career development.  While Master’s seeking graduate students are welcome to participate in levels 3 and 4, these levels may be more challenging as they are designed for graduate students at the doctoral level and post-doctoral researchers.     

The CIRTL-UTA Teaching Certificates program is supplemental program and completely free to all levels of UTA graduate students. 

As the level certificates build upon the teaching and learning knowledge of the previous level, participants must take the certificates in order:  College Teaching, Associate, Practitioner, and Scholar. 

The CIRTL-UTA Teaching Certificates are available to all levels of graduate students.  However, as each certificate level continues to build, the level of expectations and requirements also increase.  Ideally, graduate students at the master’s, doctoral, and post-doctoral level can comfortably complete the College Teaching, and Associate levels.  The Practitioner and Scholar levels is geared for graduate students at the doctoral level and post-doctoral researchers because these certificates have elements that focus on presenting and publishing teaching-as-research, creating learning communities, mentoring, and leadership and career development in academia or industry. 

Yes!  Graduate students are welcome to attend any teaching and learning session that promotes their ability to describe and recognize value in teaching and learning even if they selected option 2.  The same hold true if graduate students select option 1, they can still participate in the College Classroom course.  Graduate students only need to complete one of the options to meet the requirements for the Associate Certificate.  

Yes!  The Graduate Student Conference on Teaching Excellence is open to any graduate student.  They do not need to participate in the CIRTL-UTA Teaching Certificates Program to attend.  Graduate students are encouraged to attend the conference every year to learn about new teaching and learning topics (the conference sessions change each year) and build community and network of other graduate students.   

The expectation of Level 2, Associate Certificate, is that graduate students fully immerse themselves into a teaching and learning experience to effectively describe and recognize the value in teaching and learning practices.  Describing and recognizing good teaching is often conducted through observation and reflection.  The teaching observation requirement includes two options for the graduate student.  Option 1:  The graduate student observes a faculty instructor teaching.  Option 2:  The graduate student is being observed as they teach by a faculty instructor.  Option 2 is an ideal option for graduate students who are working as Graduate Teaching Assistants.  

Option 1:   Being the Observer.  Graduate students will observe a faculty instructor teaching in a classroom setting or learning environment where teaching and learning is occurring.  Graduate students will work with their academic department/faculty advisor to connect with a faculty instructor to schedule an observation with them.  The faculty instructor can be within or outside of their academic department.  The graduate student could also connect with member of UTA’s Academy of Distinguished Teachers to observe their teaching.  Ideally, the observation should be at least 45 minutes in length, so the graduate student can capture and reflect upon multiple teaching and learning practices.     

Option 2:  Being Observed.  Graduate students who are actively teaching in a classroom setting or learning environment where teaching and learning is occurring can be observed by a faculty instructor chosen by the graduate student.  Graduate students will work with their academic department/faculty advisor locate and schedule an instructor to observe them.  The observation should be at least 45 minutes in length, so the observer can provide ample feedback from multiple teaching and learning practices the graduate student can reflect upon. 

NOTE:  Graduate students should check with their academic departments to determine if their graduate program requirements preselected option 1 or option 2. 

The UTA Emerging Leaders program is a year-long program with 3 sessions in the fall semester and 3 sessions in the spring semester.  The program covers leadership development with graduate students and addresses topics but are not limited to; characteristics of a leader, leading vs managing, relationship building and mentoring, emotional intelligence, time management, conflict management, title IX, toxic environments, microaggressions, just to name a few.  Sessions will include case scenarios for group discussion and guest presenters.  

The UTA Maverick NextGen Faculty Academy is a year-long program with 3 sessions in the fall semester and 3 sessions in the spring semester.  This program supports the career development for graduate students at the doctoral level or post-doctoral researchers as future faculty in academia but could be applicable for industry.  The session topics address but are not limited to; executive presence; presenting and speaking; balancing work/life (teaching, research, and service); being a good colleague and collaborator; higher education hiring process; mock interviews including teaching demonstrations; personal branding (social media); and writing CV and cover letters, just to name a few.  While these sessions will lean toward careers in higher education, the NextGen Faculty Academy can also benefit post-doctoral researchers or doctorial students pursuing careers in industry.  Sessions will include guest presenters and multiple opportunities for graduate student to engage and receive peer feedback. 

A Learning Community is a group of individuals that come together to share learning, discovery, and generate knowledge.  As a Learning Community Builder, the doctoral graduate student or post-doctoral researcher are encouraged to facilitate conversations in exploring, advancing, and/or disseminating effective teaching practices with diverse learners.  The doctoral graduate student or post-doctoral researcher are 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.  The ‘community of learners’ should have 6-10 participants.    

The Learning Community Builder is expected meet with their ‘community of learners’ for about 8-10 hours over the 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 set goals, maintain a clear vision for their learning community, and be responsive and nurture strong relationships with their ‘community of learners’.  The Learning Community Builder is to provide on-going, two-way communication with CIRTL-UTA leadership team and provide them with the dates, times, topics of session, and learning outcomes for each session.   

Through the use of the UTA LMS platform, Canvas, the documentation for CIRTL-UTA Teaching Certificates level will be collected and stored in this platform.  Each certificate level will be separated into modules.  Each module is completed through an asynchronous approach to allow for flexibility with the graduate students.  After the graduate student submits that certificate level’s documentation requirements, they will be verified by a designated individual(s).  Once verified, a completion certificate will be issued for that certificate level along with a digital badge to post on social media platforms.  The designated individual(s) will notify UTA Registrar Office to include this certificate level on the graduate student’s official UTA transcripts.