The University of Guelph Teaching and Learning Network

In the Fall of 2022, the Office of the Provost launched the University of Guelph Teaching and Learning Network. The University of Guelph's Teaching and Learning Network (TLN) will build educational leadership capacity, and recognize, value, and celebrate teaching and learning. It will foster collaboration, knowledge exchange, and resource sharing across Ccolleges, Campuses and institutional units at UofG. Through strategic projects that focus on innovative and scholarly practices, the TLN addresses instructor needs and priorities and supports the university's goals of fostering excellence in teaching and learning. A key outcome of the TLN is to increase efficiency and access, and decrease duplication across Colleges and other units at U of G.

This initiative from the Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) furthers the goals of the 2019 University of Guelph Teaching and Learning Plan (Goal 2: Advance and Further Develop Our Leadership in Teaching and Learning) and responds to recommendations from the 2021 Provost’s Task Force on Pedagogical Innovation to create infrastructures that promote cross-college and cross-campus communications and collaborations about teaching. 

The goals of the Teaching and Learning Network are to:  

1. Build educational leadership capacity and recognition across and within Colleges, Campuses and institutional units.

2. Collaborate on cross-College and institutional teaching and learning projects involving knowledge inventorying, creation, and mobilization. The Network also initiates and plans strategic projects each year, reflective of the goals of the institution and members.  

3. Identify or collect information about faculty, instructors and instructional team needs and priorities related to teaching and learning to inform the creation of programming/resources and institutional planning.  

4. Exchange ideas and resources to encourage, support and promote evidence-based, innovative, experimental and/or promising teaching and learning practices.  

5. Facilitate and coordinate communication and marketing of teaching and learning events and resources. 

Note: This Network will focus on teaching and learning initiatives outside of curriculum or program-level conversations.  

UofG Teaching and Learning Initiatives and Activities Inventory 

One of the first activities the TLN engaged in 2023 was capturing a complete inventory of key teaching, learning and educational leadership initiatives and activities across represented units that are currently underway, planned for 2023 or are offered on a regular, ongoing basis. Many folks across campus contributed to providing information to create this inventory. To learn about the multiple purposes this activity served and to view all the UofG 

 Teaching and Learning initiatives and activities captured in this first inventory, such as teaching and learning related courses, events, workshops, awards, resources, and committees, click here. This inventory will be updated annually. 

2023-2025 Core Members 

The network includes representatives from the following U of G colleges, campuses, units, as well as a graduate student and an undergraduate student representative:

• Janet Beeler-Marfisi (OVC)
• Ruben Burga (Lang)
• Carolyn Creighton (OpenEd)
• Bawneet Singh (Undergraduate student/CSA VP Academic)  
• Laura MacDiarmid (Guelph-Humber)
• Steve Loewen (Ridgetown)
• Mavis Morton (CSAHS)
• Mary McCaffery (acting) Melanie Parlette-Stewart (on leave) (McLaughlin Library) 
• Shauna Kechego-Nichols (COA)
• Nabhan Refaie (Graduate student/GSA VP Internal)
• Kerry Ritchie (CBS)
• Andy Robinson (OAC)
• Christie Stewart (TLN Chair/Office of Teaching and Learning)
• Julie Vale (CEPS) 

For more information please visit Teaching and Learning Network website.