1. Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CU-CIRTL)
Network of 43 research universities
Programs aimed at graduate students and postdoctoral scholars
Emphasizes science, technology, engineering & mathematics (STEM)
Prepares future academics to be effective teachers and mentors
Funded by the Graduate School and the National Science Foundation (DUE#: )
This presentation will describe the mission and programs of Cornell's Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning, or CU-CIRTL. The Center’s name reflects its mission to prepare the next generation of faculty to combine excellence in research with innovative teaching that addresses diverse learning needs. Cornell is one of 22 research universities participating in the national CIRTL effort, which is funded by the National Science Foundation, and coordinated along with schools such as University of Wisconsin-Madison, Washington University in St. Louis, and UC San Diego. CIRTL programs serve both graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, with a focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines, including social, behavioral, and economic sciences.
Faculty and staff play a key role in the academic training provided by CIRTL. Cornell faculty Susan Henry and Jed Sparks and Vice Provost and Graduate School Dean Barbara Knuth led the application process for Cornell to join the CIRTL Network in CU-CIRTL is housed in the Graduate School, where Program Director Colleen McLinn oversees day-to-day operations in close collaboration with Theresa Pettit, Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence. CU-CIRTL also has an Advisory Board of approximately 20 members, including graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and staff.
Principal Investigator: Barb Knuth
Co-PIs: Susan Henry & Jed Sparks
Program Director: Colleen McLinn

2. Key Ideas
Teaching as Research: Using a scholarly approach to answer discipline-specific questions about teaching
Learning through Diversity: Drawing on student and faculty experiences to enhance the learning of everyone
Effective Mentoring: Creating inclusive and respectful environments for research and career exploration
CIRTL activities rely on Learning Communities of faculty, staff, and students learning from and with each other.
CU-CIRTL activities are guided by the principles of Teaching as Research, Learning through Diversity, and Effective Mentoring. Teaching as Research may be familiar from the new graduate course of this name, which takes a scholarly, evidence-based approach to answering the question, “What have my students learned?” (ALS 6016: Teaching as Research)
Learning through Diversity emphasizes the benefits that a diverse research group or classroom can bring to all participants. Each CIRTL institution has its own emphasis, and a major focus for Cornell is Effective Mentoring strategies that support undergraduate research and graduate student and postdoc career development. CIRTL activities create functional relationships and opportunities for mutual exchange of ideas between faculty, staff, and students through use of Learning Communities.

3. CU-CIRTL Programs
Building Mentoring Skills for a Career in Academia workshops
Academic Job Search Series
Group webinar viewings
Visiting speakers and special events
In partnership with the Center for Teaching Excellence:
Workshops and fellowship opportunities on Assessing Student Learning in STEM fields and the humanities
ALS 6016: Teaching as Research
Classroom Research and Teaching Symposium
Cornell’s Center provides a variety of professional development and networking opportunities for graduate students and postdocs to improve their teaching and to learn more about academic careers at various types of institutions. Courses and seminars on the Ithaca campus include a lunchtime workshop series called “Building Mentoring Skills for a Career in Academia,” which discusses how to mentor undergraduates in research, and how to navigate the transition to leading your own research team. CU-CIRTL also supports a new graduate/undergraduate course in ecological research and mentoring, and hosts group viewings of one-hour webinar presentations by faculty from around the CIRTL Network. Although these presentations are also available online, we encourage graduate students and postdocs to attend group viewings, which often produce interesting discussions over coffee and snacks. CU-CIRTL also has a budget to bring in visiting experts to address various topics relating to advancement of STEM higher education.
Through partnership with the Center for Teaching Excellence, CU-CIRTL supports campus-wide initiatives preparing TAs and other future faculty to use active learning techniques and high-impact teaching practices, effectively assess what students are learning, and design and present results from research on teaching.

4. Online Training and Resources
Graduate-level courses:
Research Mentor Training
Scholarly Teaching Practices
Universal Design for Learning
New Technologies for Active Learning
CIRTLCast series
Teaching as Research Capstone Seminar
Career Development for Postdocs and Graduate Students
Forum for International Teaching Assistants
Online discussion groups
Customizable training manuals
Online, graduate students and postdocs can enroll in semester-long courses on teaching instructed by faculty and staff from across the 22 CIRTL Network institutions. Anyone with an interest can attend CIRTL webinars, including the “Teaching as Research Capstone Seminar Series,” which brings together graduate students through faculty to share resources, ask questions and offer suggestions about measuring student learning, assessing effective teaching, and framing good research questions. For faculty and directors of graduate studies, CIRTL makes available training materials on a variety of STEM professional development topics, which include agendas, case studies, handouts, and discussion questions.

5. Additional Programming
CU-CIRTL Certificates:
Three levels of engagement
Competencies relating to Teaching as Research, Learning through Diversity, and Mentoring
Network Exchange Program:
A funded two-day visit to another CIRTL university
Meet faculty and students with similar interests 
Present a research and a teaching talk
Practice for the academic job interview process
Scholar
Practitioner
Associate
In the near future, CU-CIRTL will offer three levels of certification related to its core ideas. The Fellow level recognizes demonstrated understanding of best practices for teaching and mentorship. The Practitioner level involves seeking evidence of teaching success and refining your techniques. Finally, the Scholar level is granted to those who design research on classroom teaching or mentorship, and share the results to inform practice in their discipline. These certificates will be modular, meaning graduate students and postdocs can gradually document competency at various levels through flexible qualifying in-person and online activities.
Students at the highest levels of certification will be eligible to apply to the CIRTL Network Exchange Program. If accepted, participants take a fully-funded trip to another CIRTL university, where they will have the opportunity to give talks about their disciplinary research and their teaching over the course of a two-day visit, which will mimic an academic job interview. The Network Exchange Program will also benefit Cornell by bringing visiting academics here at no cost to us. If you are interested in joining the list of potential faculty hosts for emerging scholars from other CIRTL schools, please contact CU-CIRTL leaders.
(OPTIONAL, NO IMAGE) Also on the horizon are creation of mentoring video case studies with Cornell Interactive Theater Ensemble, opportunities for postdocs to design and teach summer courses, and a graduate student institute on inclusive teaching and mentoring.

6. Dr. Colleen McLinn 125 Caldwell Hall cu-cirtl@cornell.edu
Learn More:
Contact:
Dr. Colleen McLinn 125 Caldwell Hall
We invite you to share information about CU-CIRTL and these programs with your graduate students and postdocs who are interested in pursuing academic careers. For more information, visit the Center's website or contact its Program Director, Colleen McLinn.

7. The National CIRTL Network
OPTIONAL