The Center for Teaching advances teaching and learning excellence at Iowa and develops a collaborative university culture that supports, values, and rewards effective teaching.

The center is an advocate for evidence-based, reflective teaching and a leader in instructor professional development, responsible for sparking and shaping transformative conversations about teaching and learning on campus and beyond.

Our team collaborates with UI instructors; teaching assistants; department, collegiate, and university administrators; students; and campus partners to create structures and policies that enhance teaching and learning excellence.

The Center for Teaching partners with all campus community members who care about excellence in teaching and learning, including all instructors, administrators, and staff. 

Teaching Feedback

The Center for Teaching offers teaching consultations, classroom observations, and instructional feedback for individuals as well as departments. 

Early-Career Support

Initiatives and programs to support faculty and instructors during their first years of teaching include the Course Design Institute, Early Career Faculty Academy, and Early Career Faculty Community of Practice. 

Graduate Student Support

Resources and guidance to support graduate students and teaching assistants, including learning communities, mentorship programs, instructional teams, and more. 

Faculty Communities

Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) and Communities of Practice (CoPs) are convened and facilitated by faculty scholar-practitioners and contribute to teaching and learning excellence. 

Teaching Resources

Guidance on Teaching and Learning Topics

Center for Teaching staff have expertise in a wide range of teaching and learning topics.

On our website, you can find guidance on teaching and learning topics such as accessibility and universal design in learning (UDL), artificial intelligence, assessment, course design, inclusive teaching, self-evaluation, syllabus guidance, and scholarly teaching. 

Whether you are a teaching assistant or a department chair, our office is excited to engage with you on how we can support teaching excellence on campus. 

Visit our teaching topics page to explore articles, guidance, templates, and more.

Teaching Topics
Student desk with a book

Syllabus Design and Use

Tools and advice for instructors looking to craft syllabi that not only serve as effective teaching tools but also as bridges to connect with students. 

Becky Gonzalez teaches SPAN:3105 Linguistic Aspects of the Lusophone World in a TILE Classroom in Phillips Hall

Accessibility and UDL

Resources to develop flexible learning environments and more accessible teaching materials to meet the diverse needs of learners.

Recent Articles

Scholarly Teaching Program Fall 2025 Applications Open

Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Eva Latterner
The Center for Teaching is accepting applications for the next cohort of faculty in the Scholarly Teaching Program. The program offers the opportunity for teaching-focused faculty to participate in an interdisciplinary learning community, explore the literature on evidence-based teaching practices, and attend a teaching conference together.

Center for Teaching Staff Spotlight – Anna Flaming

Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Wendi Griffiths
This is the third installment of our Staff Spotlight Series, which aims to introduce you to our team in the Center for Teaching. Anna Flaming is the assistant provost for teaching and learning and director of the Center for Teaching.

Connecting with SoTL Experts to transform teaching and learning at Iowa

Monday, February 17, 2025
As part of a multi-year effort funded by the P3 Strategic Initiatives Fund, the University of Iowa is using scholarly inquiry to advance excellence in teaching and learning. The initiative provides faculty members with expert, ongoing support to design, implement, and disseminate SoTL studies.
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Events and Workshops

Faculty Workshop: Writing Effective Teaching Narratives promotional image

Faculty Workshop: Writing Effective Teaching Narratives

Wednesday, April 2, 2025 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Virtual
This session, open to faculty in all tracks, is focused on helping faculty discuss their teaching practice and goals in promotion and review materials. The event - part of the Office of the Provost Development through the Faculty Lifecycle series - will be facilitated by staff from the Center for Teaching. Participants will assess their teaching statements, identify gaps and opportunities for documenting their teaching, and discuss strategies for gathering evidence of successful teaching...
Cultivating Success: International Teaching promotional image

Cultivating Success: International Teaching

Wednesday, April 2, 2025 3:00pm to 4:30pm
University Capitol Centre
This event was rescheduled from February 12. Teaching in a new cultural environment can be both rewarding and challenging. This panel discussion is designed to share faculty expertise on how to address these issues. In this panel discussion, veteran faculty with successful teaching careers at the University of Iowa will share different pedagogical approaches and discuss ways to enrich classroom environments based on transnational knowledge and wide-ranging experiences to enhance students’...

Connecting K-12 and Higher Ed Conference

Friday, April 25 4:00pm to Saturday, April 26, 2025 3:00pm
Kirkwood Regional Center at the University of Iowa
The second annual Connecting K-12 and Higher Education Conference will take place April 25-26 at the Kirkwood Regional Center at the University of Iowa.  This free conference aims to bring together local stakeholders from K-12 education, the University of Iowa, and other educators from the state of Iowa to share knowledge related to student learning, effective teaching, and innovative educational practices. Day one of the event will take place from 4 - 8 p.m. on Friday, April 25. Day two is...
2025 Course Design Institute promotional image

2025 Course Design Institute

Monday, May 19 to Friday, May 23, 2025 (all day)
Applications for the Center for Teaching's Course Design Institute are due by Friday, March 28. Apply online. The Course Design Institute is a multi-day, in-person workshop for instructors who wish to design, redesign, or revise a course.  Instructors accepted into the institute will use evidence-based strategies to create equitable and integrated courses, align course learning goals with assessments and activities, and be able to demonstrate their course structure through their syllabus...
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