Facilitate Communication Among Campus and Network Partners

• The Vanderbilt STEM faculty leader facilitates communication among campus and CIRTL Network partners and attends two to four CIRTL Network meetings.
• The campus STEM faculty leader, or a designee in his or her absence, participates in monthly CIRTL teleconferences.
• The CIRTL postdoctoral fellow participates in weekly project meetings organized by the Network Coordinator and attends Network meetings as appropriate.
• The campus STEM faculty leader, in coordination with the CIRTL postdoctoral fellow, periodically (e.g., 1-2 times / semester) gathers the Vanderbilt CIRTL team (Virginia Shepherd, David Weintraub, Tom Harris, Andy Porter, Allison Pingree, Molly Bolger) in an advisory board capacity.

2. Prepare a Campus Institutional Portrait As the CIRTL Network develops, it will be important to document the process and impact of institutional participation. Such documentation will be useful to numerous constituencies: a) to Vanderbilt University as it assesses its own needs, establishes plans, and progresses toward goals; b) to the broader STEM community exploring various strategies for preparing the next generation of faculty; and c) to the National Science Foundation, which is interested in the impact of the CIRTL Network. The following information constitutes an initial outline of proposed activities at Vanderbilt University as part of the CIRTL consortium:

• Assist Vanderbilt CIRTL faculty in the development of an Institutional Program Plan: A plan of the institution’s current resources and programs at the institutional and departmental levels will be developed building on the recent report submitted by an ad hoc committee of the Learning Sciences Institute entitled “Education in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics at Vanderbilt University: A Description of Current Resources and Activities in STEM Education Research and Outreach.” Based on the information contained in this report and additional information gathered during the term of this contract, the plan would include the following:
  • A description of current activities or resources
  • A history of ongoing programs at Vanderbilt
  • The responsible units
  • A description of the participants.
• Identify Gaps or Needs: A summary of the areas of professional development in teaching and learning, in addition to disciplinary-based research preparation, that Vanderbilt would like to address will be compiled by the Vanderbilt CIRTL team.
• Address Goals for Network Participation: The Vanderbilt CIRTL team will prepare a report that addresses:
  • Institutional goals for participating in CIRTL
  • The outcomes that the institution would like to see from participation in the CIRTL Network
  • The kinds of support and resources that the institution needs from the Network to achieve its goals.
• Define Institutional Challenges: A statement of the challenges that Vanderbilt may experience or encounter in working with the Network or in pursuing institutional goals for participation.
• Identify/recruit a campus Evaluation Liaison (EL): The EL will meet (in person or virtually) with ELs from the other Network campuses to coordinate and share ideas and models about evaluation and assessment of CIRTL efforts. Deliverable: Institutional Portrait

3. Prepare a Plan for CIRTL-Linked STEM Graduate Student-through-Faculty Professional Development The Vanderbilt CIRTL team will develop a plan for implementing CIRTL-linked activities at Vanderbilt. Such a plan would include:

• Implementation goals
• Timeline
• Identification and creation of a plan for recruiting and engaging faculty and staff who are already natural collaborative partners for CIRTL collaboration.
• Identification of the staff and resources required for implementation
• Preparation of a statement of how progress and achievements will be assessed each year. The foundation of CIRTL lies in the three pillars: Teaching-as-Research, Learning Community, and Learning-through-Diversity. These would be woven throughout the plan. Deliverable: Vanderbilt University CIRTL Implementation Plan

4. Implement CIRTL-linked Activities at Vanderbilt University The STEM faculty leader will lead the implementation of CIRTL-linked activities at Vanderbilt University. A postdoctoral fellow, hired with funds provided through this CIRTL subcontract, will serve as a member of the implementation team under the direction of the STEM faculty leader. Based on the needs identified in the institutional portrait and in the plan created in step 3 above, the CIRTL team will:

• Build on existing professional development activities for STEM graduate students, postdocs and/or faculty (e.g., Teaching Certificate program at the CFT, etc.), cross-publicizing and coordinating such activities via the CIRTL website and other CIRTL efforts
• Provide an opportunity for STEM graduate students at Vanderbilt University to participate in CIRTL Network teleconferences and/or video conferences with other graduate students from CIRTL Network universities.

5. Contribute to the collective knowledge of the CIRTL Network

• Encourage those involved in the local implementation of CIRTL to share with Network partners the experience gained through applying the three pillars of CIRTL in professional development activities at Vanderbilt University.
• As appropriate, provide documentation and resources that would allow other universities within and beyond the CIRTL Network to implement adapted versions of successful CIRTL-linked activities developed at Vanderbilt University.
• Document the process of joining the Network

Summary of Deliverables:

1. Participate in CIRTL teleconferences and meetings
2. Launch and build / maintain Vanderbilt CIRTL website
3. Complete Campus Institutional Portrait
4. Complete Campus Implementation Plan