Skip to content
Office of the Provost

Future of Teaching & Learning

Help define teaching excellence at the UW

The Instructional Quality working group is seeking feedback this autumn from tri-campus instructors of all ranks on its draft set of common core elements of good teaching.

The draft emerged from a review of the existing UW faculty code, a study of similar efforts at peer institutions, and discussions with UW faculty, staff, and administrators. It articulates five core elements of good teaching.

Broad faculty feedback and insights are needed to further refine the draft  and to begin discussions about how units might build on them in locally-specific ways.

Instructors can share feedback this autumn quarter through:

  • Academic unit feedback sessions: Departments and other groups are invited to host a feedback session at a faculty retreat or another meeting. To host a feedback session, please contact mnickle@uw.edu for facilitator guidelines and materials.
  • UW-wide Zoom feedback sessions: The working group will host feedback sessions via Zoom for instructors on all three campuses. Register by clicking on one of the two sessions below.
  •  Feedback form: Provide input asynchronously after watching a short video.

Overview of the initiative

In spring 2022, the president and provost convened a group of faculty, staff and students to informally and collectively identify key questions regarding the future of teaching and learning at the UW, as well as related issues that we should address on behalf of our students as we emerge from the pandemic. They looked at national trends and incorporated what we learned during the pandemic about using instructional technologies and the importance of ensuring equitable learning outcomes in the face of great societal upheaval. This initial group prioritized key areas for the UW to address.

Based on their recommendations, the provost launched two working groups in autumn 2022, one focused on course and program access and the other on instructional quality.

Each group included tri-campus tenured faculty, tri-campus teaching faculty, members from the Faculty Council on Teaching and the Faculty Council on Academic Standards, student leaders, associate deans for academics, and instructional support staff experts.

The UW’s new provost is currently reviewing the recommendations from these working groups.

Course and Program Access Working Group (Autumn 22-Spring 23)

Addresses questions related to providing better access to courses and programs, including more flexible options for students. Details and membership can be found in the following documents:

Instructional Quality Working Group (Autumn 22-Spring 23)

Addresses ways to enhance the quality of instruction at the UW. Details and membership can be found in the following documents:

Initial Brainstorming Group (Spring 2022)

Identified key dimensions of the future of teaching and learning and related questions. Prioritized those and presented recommendations to the provost for future working group effort. Details and membership can be found in the final report to the provost.

For questions related to the Future of Teaching & Learning initiative, please contact Marisa Nickle, Sr. Director of Strategy & Academic Initiatives, at mnickle@uw.edu.