Belmont University
PA-7: Support for Future Faculty Diversity

Belmont University has helped several faculty members in underrepresented groups complete terminal degrees with release time and/or financial support. Belmont University’s Teaching Center is dedicated to improving the teaching skills of faculty. Established in 1994, Belmont’s Teaching Center grew out of the belief that teaching is a craft requiring much effort and reflection. The goals of the center are to:  Create an atmosphere where teaching is valued  Promote teaching as a primary form of scholarship  Encourage, assist and support faculty in their efforts to improve as teachers, to become active learners and to foster active student learning To work toward these goals, the center sponsors a variety of activities and programs throughout the academic year and during the summer. For example, the center sponsors or supports:  Luncheon discussion groups  A newsletter called The Art of Teaching, published approximately four times a year  A year long orientation for new faculty, including the faculty mentor program for new faculty and a new faculty seminar  Individual teaching consultations  Midcourse formative feedback from students  Teaching time-out grants  Travel grants to attend conferences relevant to teaching  The use of instructional technology  A peer mentoring program  The use of teaching portfolios  Teaching workshops in  Faculty retreats  National faculty teaching and learning award nominations  Faculty Interest Groups, affectionately known as FIGs.  Book discussion groups