Professional Development

At the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Academic Leadership, we’re here to support you and your professional growth. Whether it’s through faculty development grants, our media library, or resources to help with promotion and tenure, we’re committed to providing the tools and services you need to succeed.

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Faculty Development Grants

CETAL administers the awarding of competitive instructional improvement grants which are reviewed by the Faculty Development Committee. Funding for these grants are from two different sources, but the qualification requirements and application process are the same for both grants.

For more information, including the process and deadlines for FDGs, go to the Faculty Development Grants page.


Faculty Media Library

All CETAL books are listed in Torreyson Library’s regular catalog. Search by topic, author or title. Contact CETAL at cetal@uca.edu or 450-5240 to check out a book. You are also welcome to browse through our available selection of books at Torreyson West 319.

Following is a list of a few of the most recent titles added to our collection:

  • How Humans Learn: The Science and Stories Behind Effective College Teaching, Joshua R. Eyler
  • Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, Elizabeth Gilbert
  • High-Impact Practices in Online Education: Research and Best Practices, Kathryn Linder and Chrysanthemum Mattison Hayes
  • Teaching Students How to Learn, Saundra McGuire
  • Positive Academic Leadership: How to Stop Putting Out Fires and Start Making a Difference, Jeffrey L. Buller
  • Cheating Lessons: Learning from Academic Dishonesty, James Lang
  • Teaching Community: A Pedagogy of Hope, Bell Hooks

Promotion & Tenure

As our Mission Statement indicates, being responsive to faculty needs and interests is the driving force behind CETAL’s programs and services. Few academic procedures inspire as much interest as the high-risk decisions involved in promotion and tenure. The resources on this page are intended to aid faculty and administrators as they work their way through this important process.

The following materials have been provided through a joint project of The American Council on Education (ACE), The American Association of University Professors (AAUP), and United Educators Insurance.

Good Practice in Tenure Evaluation – Advice for Tenured Faculty, Department Chairs, and Academic Administrators

Overview of the Law on Tenure Appendix A

Checklist for Tenure Policies Appendix B

Faculty Promotion and Tenure – Eight Ways to improve the Tenure Review Process at Your Institution

Philosophy of Teaching Statements – Examples and Tips on How to Write a Teaching Philosophy Statement

Sample Promotion and Tenure Portfolios

In addition to the above online resources for promotion and tenure, the CETAL has a set of successful advancement and promotion/tenure portfolios available for review. Faculty seeking advancement or promotion and/or tenure may look at these successful portfolios and take notes on their contents. Items in these portfolios may not be reproduced (i.e., copied, photographed, etc.) or removed from the CETAL conference room. For more information, contact the CETAL at 450-5240 or cetal@uca.edu.