What are the Certificate Levels?

CIRTL members advance through three certificate levels on their journeys toward becoming teacher-scholars. All three levels are valuable and designed to improve your teaching practice and ability to reflect on your teaching. You can go as far as you like! Within each level, there are least two pathways to choose from. Click on the drop-down menus below to read about the criteria required to meet each level.

How Do I Sign Up & Keep Track of Activities?

Once you sign up for CIRTL, our program coordinator will add you to the CIRTL D2L non-term course site. Once added, you can sign-up for activities, keep track of your participation, and compile a portfolio for certification--all in one place, all at your own pace!

How Do I Apply for Certification?

To complete each level, you will be required to upload documentation of participation for each activity and then prepare a portfolio that includes examples of work and a reflection (see Learning Portfolio page). The D2L site will walk you through the steps once you are enrolled in the program.

Can I Count Something I Did Before Joining CIRTL?

Yes! Just fill out this form to count a prior learning experience and we'll confirm if you can use it toward your CIRTL certificate. Typically, members can substitute one prior learning experience per certificate level (please contact us if you would like to discuss your unique needs/goals).

Participation at this level focuses on establishing a strong foundation in teaching & learning. By the end of this level, our members can talk more elegantly about their teaching, recognize themes from the field of SoTL (scholarship of teaching and learning), and bring tips and insights back to their classroom(s). Reaching this level typically takes 1-2 semesters. To achieve the Associate Level, participants must take a pedagogy course, participate in a learning community, and take at least one teaching workshop. Options are:

Option A: 

  1. Complete IA 697a Learner-Centered Teaching, the introductory 2-credit course in UArizona's Graduate Certificate in College Teaching (CCT). This course, offered every year through the Office of Instruction and Assessment (OIA), provides a foundation in learner-centered teaching, approaches to course/lesson design and assessment, and reflective teaching practices.
  2. Participate in a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) at UArizona. These informal gatherings (5-6 sessions a semester) focus on topics related to pedagogy (such as hybrid learning, teaching writing, or online writing instruction) and provide rich opportunities for dialogue and learning. They are offered every semester as well as the summer.
  3. Participate in a CIRTL workshop or additional course (*if you'd like a local workshop to count, please submit this form for approval).

 

Option B:

  1. Complete a CIRTL course on evidence-based teaching methods, such as the 8-week asynchronous "Introduction to Evidence-Based STEM Teaching" MOOC. Offered every semester, this MOOC has been co-designed by CIRTL faculty all across the country and will train you in evidence-based teaching. Other CIRTL pedagogy courses you may select typically run for 8-9 weeks and can be either asynchronous or synchronous.
  2. Participate in a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) at UArizona. These informal gatherings (5-6 sessions a semester) focus on topics related to pedagogy (such as hybrid learning, teaching writing, or online writing instruction) and provide rich opportunities for dialogue and learning. They are offered every semester as well as the summer.
  3. Participate in a CIRTL workshop or additional course (*if you'd like a local workshop to count, please submit this form for approval).

Participation at this level involves a deeper investigation into topics of interest related to teaching and learning. Completing this level takes an additional 2 semesters. To achieve the Practitioner Level, participants will have to successfully complete the Associate Level (or equivalent) and one of the following pathways (Option A, B, or C):

Option A: Continuing Education

  1. Complete the remaining 4 courses in the Certificate in College Teaching.
  2. Participate in an additional Faculty Learning Community (FLC), CIRTL course, or CIRTL workshop

Option B: Teaching-as-Research (TAR)

  1. Complete a TAR project (6 workshops in fall*; implementation in spring) & present at annual showcase
  2. Participate in an additional Faculty Learning Community (FLC), CIRTL course, or CIRTL workshop

Option C: Co-Teaching

  1. Co-Teach part of a course with a skilled faculty mentor (course may be in an area of interest or related discipline)
  2. Participate in an additional Faculty Learning Community (FLC), CIRTL course, or CIRTL workshop

*If you already have a background in education research & research methods, you can complete the TAR project on your own by simply sending in your project proposal & participating in the showcase. Email us if this is something you're considering.

Participation at this level requires participants to present at a national or regional conference or publish a scholarly article on their CIRTL engagement activit(ies). Scholars typically complete this level in 1-2 semesters, depending on the conference schedule or publication timeline. To achieve the Scholar Level, participants will successfully complete the Practitioner Level and one of the following two (2) pathways:

Option A: Conference Presentation

  1. Present a poster, workshop, or paper at a national or regional meeting on the CIRTL engagement activity performed for the Scholar Level

Option B: Scholarship/Publication

  1. Publish a scholarly paper for publication in a STEM education journal or for publication on the CIRTL Learning Community website (forthcoming).