On May 24, 2016, Provost and Senior Vice President David Harris officially launched Teaching and Learning Engagements at Tufts (TALEs). As described in Tufts’ T10 Strategic Plan, TALEs reinforces the University’s commitment to teaching and learning as a strategic priority by connecting and enhancing many existing resources and activities across the University that support excellence in teaching. In so doing, TALEs will illuminate opportunities for the development of new programs to create impactful engagements with effective teaching throughout our campus.
T10 Strategic Plan, Theme 2, Initiative 1: “Provide faculty with the resources necessary to create a greater number and range of transformational classroom experiences. Through its faculty, Tufts is committed to providing students with evidence-based teaching and learning opportunities. Central to this commitment is promoting research about teaching and learning, and ensuring that faculty members have a range of stimulating opportunities to engage the latest research on teaching and learning, to experiment with new techniques, and to network with colleagues who are grappling with similar challenges. Most Tufts faculty already find ways to keep their teaching current through seminars and workshops offered by the Center for Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT), the Educational Technology Services (ETS), and many other Tufts-based and external opportunities. Given the rapid changes in technology, teaching and learning research, and student demographics, Tufts will develop a new program, Teaching and Learning Engagements (TALEs), which will focus on the effective use of technological innovations, lessons from recent research on pedagogy, and best practices for fostering an inclusive learning environment. Rather than a single seminar or training, TALEs will build on existing CELT, ESTS, and other resources to offer a broad array of engagement opportunities from which faculty will be encouraged to regularly select those that will best meet their individual needs. This initiative will ensure that the time and resources students, parents, and governments invest in Tufts result in transformational educational experiences.”
With support from Central Administration, the Center for Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT), the Educational Technology Services (ETS), Tufts schools, units, and departments, the University-wide Committee on Teaching and Faculty Development (UCTFD) and the Information Technology Governance Subcommittee on Teaching and Learning, TALEs aims to achieve the following objectives:
TALEs will be guided by the following principles:
More information about TALEs initiatives, opportunities, and affiliates can be found online: