Welcome to CIRTL!

The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (otherwise known as CIRTL, pronounced as sir-tuhl) is an internationally-recognized network of research institutions that helps prepare STEM graduate students and postdocs for future teaching positions in higher ed and introduces them to the field of teaching and learning. Founded in 2003 through the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Center for Teaching and Learning, CIRTL (pronounced as sir-tuhl) is now recognized as a leader in developing future faculty and has expanded to over 40 institutions across North America. The University of Arizona officially joined the network in Fall 2020. 

The CIRTL Network is committed to diversity and equity in teaching and bases all of its programming on three core values:

  1. Learning-through-Diversity: Learning-through-diversity draws on the rich experiences and backgrounds of all students to enhance everyone's learning experience.
  2. Teaching-as-Research (TAR): Teaching-as-research involves the deliberate and reflective use of research methods to explore classroom pedagogy and, ultimately, develop teaching practices that improve student learning.
  3. Learning Communities: Learning communities bring people together in the spirit of shared learning, discovery, and new knowledge.

What is CIRTL@UArizona?

CIRTL at UArizona is housed in Academic Affairs and is supported by the University Center for Assessment, Teaching, and Technology (UCATT), the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, the Graduate Center, and the Faculty Learning Communities program. The CIRTL Leadership Team also receives support from a campus-wide, interdisciplinary Steering Committee.

Our graduate students, postdocs, and faculty are a committed group of teacher-scholars who engage in reflective and evidence-based teaching approaches using strategies that leverage student and instructor diversity and shared learning experiences. Participants can earn Associate, Practitioner, and Scholar recognition by completing a variety of local and cross-network programming and using a D2L course site to track their progress and apply for certificate levels. Members can use these digital badges on CVs and in online career networking tools to showcase CIRTL accomplishments to prospective employers. Since joining the network in 2020, more than 100 STEM graduate students and postdocs have earned certification levels through the CIRTL program, and nearly 50 faculty members have served as teaching mentors. 

As part of the larger network, our members have full access to all programming offered both on the CIRTL network and locally (programs affiliated with CIRTL here at UArizona). We regularly announce upcoming program opportunities via the CIRTL @UArizona listserv and "X" account.

Benefits to Participants

  • Network with other graduate students, postdocs, and alumni across the CIRTL network
  • Attend local and cross-network events, workshops, and mini-courses
  • Learn evidence-based STEM teaching practices (and how to talk about them)
  • Develop teaching-as-research (TAR) projects that can turn into publications (or become a chapter in your dissertation)
  • Earn certificates that will enhance your online portfolio and/or CV
  • Develop valuable communication skills
  • Mentor a new CIRTL student or teach a class in the network in the future

What Makes CIRTL@UArizona Unique

One of the benefits of our local chapter is just that--we are local! By listening to our members, we can provide a variety of unique professional development opportunities specifically designed for the Wildcat community. You might notice, for instance, that unlike many other institutions, we offer multiple pathways to achieve Practitioner Level. This is because we believe that teaching-as-research (TAR) comes in many forms and is not a one-size-fits-all project.

Since joining the CIRTL Network in 2020, our team has also worked with graduate students and postdocs just like you to develop new faculty learning communities (designed with the CIRTL community in mind), create a teaching-as-research (TAR) program, and increase the number of electives in the 10-credit Certificate of College Teaching (CCT)). We also applied to become a facilitating institution for the NSF-funded Inclusive STEM Teaching Project MOOC and have led learning communities along with the course every semester since 2022. We also piloted a program specifically for postdocs and, with their input, designed a new pathway that enables them to complete Associate and Practitioner Level certification in just one year. Our postdoc pathway is the first of its kind on the network.

Publications

Just like in our classrooms, we value teaching-as-research and reflective practice and routinely study our programming. Here are some recent publications related to the CIRTL@UArizona program you might be interested in:

Ab Latif, F., and Winet, K. (2024). “Developing a learner-centered response to writing through a graduate course in writing-across-the-curriculum.” Journal of Response to Writing (accepted; forthcoming)

Winet, K., and Burd, G. D. (2024). “Mentoring relationships between faculty and postdoctoral scholars in a co-teaching program for future STEM faculty: A case study.” Journal on Excellence in College Teaching (accepted; forthcoming)

Gemein, M. N., Burd, G. D., Grace, S. E., Elfring, L. K., and Winet, K. (2024). “Empowering a coalition of the willing: How instructor-driven FLCs are expanding evidence-based teaching at a large research university,” In K. Rainville (Ed.), Faculty learning communities: Communities of practice that support, inspire, engage, and transform higher education classrooms. Information Age Publishing (IAP).

Winet, K., Carter, M., Hoit, J. D., and Burd, G. D. (2023). “Developing a ‘just-in-time, just enough’ co-teaching certificate program for postdoctoral scholars,” College Teaching. DOI: 10.1080/87567555.2023.2250044

Winet, K., and Burd, G. D. (2022) “Looking back on year one: joining a national teaching and learning network for future faculty.” National Teaching and Learning Forum, 31(3), 6-8. DOI: 10.1002/ntlf.30322

CIRTL@UArizona Steering Committee

Our local steering committee is a diverse group of faculty, staff, postdocs, and graduate students across campus who are committed to improving faculty development and student learning. Our steering committee is:

  • John Jewett, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry
  • Frans Tax, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Associate Dean of Student Affairs' Diversity and Inclusion
  • Paul Blowers, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering
  • Lisa Elfring, Ph.D., Vice Provost, Assessment, Teaching, and Technology, Specialist in Biology Education, and Associate Professor in BIO5 Institute 
  • Vicente Talanquer, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry
  • Jeannette Hoit, Ph.D., Professor of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and Director of Postdoctoral Affairs
  • Sanlyn Buxner, Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor in Teaching, Learning, and Sociocultural Studies
  • Aimee Mapes, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Rhetoric, Composition, and the Teaching of English and Director of Writing Across the Curriculum
  • Meg Lota Brown, Ph.D., Professor of English and Director of the Graduate Center
  • Amy Graham, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Practice in Chemistry and Biochemistry