The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at OU

The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at OU Welcome to CETL, where we connect faculty and cultivate a culture of teaching and learning excellence

05/20/2026

May 8, 2026 Teaching & Learning Symposium

🎥 Recordings from the 2026 Teaching & Learning Symposium are now available! This year’s symposium was such a bright spo...
05/20/2026

🎥 Recordings from the 2026 Teaching & Learning Symposium are now available!

This year’s symposium was such a bright spot — full of good energy, thoughtful conversations, and genuinely positive feedback from faculty across campus. People really valued the chance to reconnect, share ideas, and learn from one another.

You can now revisit every session on our YouTube channel, and presenter materials are posted on the symposium website oakland.edu/cetl/teaching-symposium/

👉 Watch the session recordings https://bit.ly/4dCvhno
👉 Review presenter materials https://bit.ly/4dVynUY
👉 Explore the symposium site https://bit.ly/4b9ndJM

A heartfelt thank‑you to our 2026 sponsors for helping make this event possible and meaningful for our teaching community.

Oakland University School of Business
Oakland University College of Arts and Sciences
Oakland University e-Learning and Instructional Support
Oakland University School of Nursing
Oakland University School of Education and Human Services
Oakland University Graduate School

Teaching Tip Monday: Incorporating Authentic Voice and Clear Expectations into Writing Assignments (Daniel Brengel)Many ...
05/18/2026

Teaching Tip Monday: Incorporating Authentic Voice and Clear Expectations into Writing Assignments (Daniel Brengel)

Many instructors assume students inherently understand "academic voice," but students from diverse linguistic backgrounds often struggle when these expectations are left unstated. This week’s teaching tip explores how to redesign writing assignments for better transparency and authenticity. By incorporating "bridge" or transitional assignments, such as literacy narratives in authentic multicultural voices or "I-search" reports, instructors can help students navigate the similarities and differences between their own authentic voices and common academic expectations. The tip outlines five steps to redesign your assignments, including identifying learning bottlenecks and working backward to provide the necessary instructional support.

👉 Read full tip: https://bit.ly/3PikuH4

Teaching Tip Monday: Class-Sourcing Interaction: Online Agendas, Notes, DiscussionsIn this teaching tip, an instructor s...
05/11/2026

Teaching Tip Monday: Class-Sourcing Interaction: Online Agendas, Notes, Discussions

In this teaching tip, an instructor shares an interactive weekly handout for her class that structures the week's content and activies, organizes live class note-taking, and facilitates asynchronous class discussion. She shares a template that anyone can adapt in their own classes. Heading styles help students navigate the growing document. View the full teaching tip for the template and explanation of how to use an adapt it.

Read full tip https://bit.ly/4ne09PG

SYMPOSIUM COUNTDOWN!Our 2026 Teaching & Learning Symposium is just three days away.On event day, you’ll find our registr...
05/05/2026

SYMPOSIUM COUNTDOWN!

Our 2026 Teaching & Learning Symposium is just three days away.

On event day, you’ll find our registration table right outside the Gold Rooms — your first stop before diving into a full day of learning and connection.

As you get ready, take a few minutes to browse the agenda. It’s the best way to get oriented: event location, session schedule, presenters, WiFi details — everything you need to feel grounded and ready for a great day.
We can’t wait to welcome you for a day filled with ideas, conversation, and inspiration.
👉 View full agenda: https://bit.ly/4cRPPrG

Thank you to our sponsors for contributing to the shared experience that makes this symposium such a meaningful day for our teaching community.

Oakland University School of Business
Oakland University School of Nursing
Oakland University College of Arts and Sciences
Oakland University e-Learning and Instructional Support
Oakland University School of Education and Human Services
Oakland University Graduate School

Your 2026 Symposium Day Starts Here — explore the agenda and plan your day.The 2026 Teaching & Learning Symposium websit...
04/28/2026

Your 2026 Symposium Day Starts Here — explore the agenda and plan your day.

The 2026 Teaching & Learning Symposium website and full interactive agenda are now fully updated. This year’s program features sessions on active pedagogies, AI and mini‑grant work, assessment as partnership, inclusive learning communities, reflective creative practice, student strengths, connection, and technology‑enhanced teaching.

Take a look at what’s planned, browse presenter bios, and start mapping out your day. Registration is open for both in‑person and Zoom.

👉 View full agenda: https://bit.ly/4cRPPrG
👉 Register: https://bit.ly/4cKToRX

We’re looking forward to a day of ideas, connection, and inspiration.

Teaching Tip Monday: Making Your Course Files Accessible: Progress Over Perfection (Chad Bousley)When we talk about acce...
04/27/2026

Teaching Tip Monday: Making Your Course Files Accessible: Progress Over Perfection (Chad Bousley)

When we talk about accessibility, the goal is simple: make sure all students can access and engage with your course materials, such as Word documents, PowerPoint slides, and PDFs. While ensuring accessibility of our course materials has always been important, it is particularly pressing from an ADA Title II regulation perspective. The good news is that improving accessibility usually doesn’t require rebuilding your materials from scratch. In most cases, it just means making a few small adjustments when creating or editing your files like organizing content with headings, adding alternative text to images, and structuring tables properly. This teaching tip offers a simple workflow you can use when creating and remediating course files.

Read full tip https://bit.ly/4tsJOce

2026 Teaching & Learning Symposium: Speaker Highlight: Dr. Claire Howell MajorWe’re excited to welcome Dr. Claire Howell...
04/21/2026

2026 Teaching & Learning Symposium: Speaker Highlight: Dr. Claire Howell Major

We’re excited to welcome Dr. Claire Howell Major as the keynote speaker for this year’s Teaching & Learning Symposium! Dr. Major is a Distinguished Teaching Professor at The University of Alabama and an accomplished scholar in instructional approaches and instructional technology. She has written eleven books, published dozens of articles, and shared her expertise with institutions around the world.

Keynote Address:
The New Terms of Student Engagement
She’ll explore why student engagement feels more challenging today and offer a fresh model that supports both students and instructors.

Read more about the symposium and REGISTER NOW: https://bit.ly/4b9ndJM

Teaching Tip Monday: Rethinking Your Attendance Policy and How It Affects Students (Reilly Bisoski)Attendance policies h...
04/20/2026

Teaching Tip Monday: Rethinking Your Attendance Policy and How It Affects Students (Reilly Bisoski)

Attendance policies have continuously proven to be useful in numerous ways if used right, but they can also be a source of unnecessary harm and stress to students. This student perspective piece offers insights into why students may be missing class when the policies enforce compliance over real engagement, and how these strict policies can negatively impact students motivation, autonomy, and overall learning experience. Rethinking attendance policies so that they reflect engagement, empathy, and collaboration instead of punishments and fear can lead to a healthier classroom environment that entices students to attend class on their own terms and get the most out of their learning.

Read full tip https://bit.ly/4mDSolW

Please join us in congratulating Sarah Abbey Hosch on being named April Employee of the Month!Sarah was recognized for ...
04/14/2026

Please join us in congratulating Sarah Abbey Hosch on being named April Employee of the Month!
Sarah was recognized for her exceptional leadership, collaborative spirit, and deep commitment to student success. In her roles as CETL Faculty Director and Special Instructor in Biological Sciences, she has been a vital partner in advancing First-Generation Student Success and Gateway Course initiatives across campus. We’re proud to celebrate this well-deserved honor.

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