CATE Catalog

Spring 2025

These are the events, services, and programs offered in Spring 2025 to UIC instructors.

We welcome full and part-time faculty, staff, graduate students, and postdocs to join CATE at any of our offerings.

EVENTS

  • Weekly Workshops – CATE hosts weekly workshops on timely, evidence-supported teaching practices. For Spring, workshops will be offered either online or face-to-face in our Teaching Excellence Building workshop space. Find a Spring workshop here.
  • Short Course – CATE is offering a new short course on “Growth Mindset,” which will be delivered in April 2025. Short courses are three consecutive 50-minute sessions on a teaching and learning topic. Enroll in the short course by March 14, 2025.

SERVICES

  • Consultations – Reach out to our staff for a consultation. Our team provides high-quality, confidential consultations and follows the Ethical Guidelines for Educational Developers in support of our UIC teaching community. Complete a consultation request form here.
  • Department/College Requests – We can work with departments or colleges directly to create workshops or consult on the unique needs of units. Email us at teaching@uic.edu to connect CATE to your college’s or department’s needs.
  • Teaching Guides – These guides are an introduction to evidence-based teaching practices, providing practical guidance on how to implement techniques in different disciplines, course sizes, and course modalities. Find a CATE teaching guide here.
A participant in CATE's programs gives information to another interested instructor.

A participant in CATE’s programs gives information to another interested instructor.

PROGRAMS

  • Inclusive Education Scholars Certificate Program (IESCP) -Developed in collaboration with the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Engagement, this semester-long program helps UIC instructors support student success and well-being through the development of an inclusive classroom. Learn more about the IESCP and complete the registration form by January 8, 2025 to join the IESCP cohort for Spring.
  • Equity-Minded Course Design – CATE is offering a new, fully-online course design program in Blackboard, which faculty can complete on their timeline. Based on the principles of the Norton Guide to Equity-Minded Teaching, the course will guide faculty through the processes of designing a course that centers equity and engages faculty in creating significant learning experiences for students. There is no enrollment deadline. The course site will open for faculty in March 2025. Learn more about Equity-Minded Course Design here and enroll.

GRADUATE STUDENT AND POSTDOC OFFERINGS

  • Workshops and Events – Each semester CATE offers workshops and events designed for graduate students and postdocs, although all members of the UIC teaching community are welcome to attend. Find a Spring graduate student and postdoc workshop or event here.
  • Consultations – Request a one-on-one consultation for yourself, or request training or support on behalf of TAs in your department or program. Use this form to request a TA Consultation.
  • Teaching Assistant Resources and Guides –We have resources to help support TAs in their teaching at UIC, including a series of Getting Started as a TA Guides, which were developed in collaboration with experienced TAs. Check out our TA Resources.
  • Tea and Teaching Series for Graduate TAs – Monthly meetings for graduate students to connect with peers, sip warm beverages, and discuss key aspects of teaching and life as a graduate teaching assistant. Topics will include community building, wellness, time management, professional development and reflective teaching. Meetings occur on Thursdays from 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM at the Teaching Excellence Building room 201, except for the month of March, when we will meet online via Zoom. All UIC graduate students and teaching assistants are welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be provided at the session. Learn more about the Tea and Teaching Series for Graduate TAs.
  • GC 591: Introduction to College-Level Teaching for Graduate TAs – Offered in partnership with the Graduate College, this 2-credit course provides essential training for new and returning graduate TAs to lead, engage, and support their students with confidence. Grad students will learn student-centered, evidence-based teaching strategies, discuss troubleshooting classroom scenarios, reflect on their teaching practices, and cultivate a supportive community to share their successes. The course meets on-campus Tuesdays from 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm. To register, search for CRN: 48011. Learn more about how this course can impact your TA experience.
  • Inclusive Education Scholars Certificate Program (IESCP) – Developed in collaboration with the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Engagement, this semester-long program helps UIC instructors support student success and well-being through the development of an inclusive classroom. Graduate students are encouraged to join one of our Spring 2025 cohorts. Learn more about IESCP and complete the IESCP registration form by January 8, 2025 to join a graduate student and postdoc cohort.
  • Foundations of College Instruction (FOCI) – This three-course campus certificate is offered through the Graduate College in partnership with CATE and can appear on an official transcript. Students learn foundational knowledge in education research that supports effective, equity-minded college teaching, and they develop a teaching statement, course syllabus, and teaching portfolio they can use in their teaching at UIC and on the job market. The first course in the series, GC 592: Foundations of College Instruction is offered this Spring, and meets on-campus Mondays from 3-5pm. To register, search for CRN: 45675. Learn more about the campus certificate in the Foundations of College Instruction.
  • CIRTL at UIC –UIC is a member institution of the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning Network, which provides professional development – certificate opportunities and national online programming – for graduate students and postdocs that prepares them to implement effective teaching practices for diverse audiences. Participation in most of the programs in this catalog, opportunities online through the CIRTL Network, and UIC departmental teaching courses count towards certification. Read more here about CIRTL opportunities for our graduate students and postdocs.