There are many good reasons to register in, or support, the UTC Program. Among them are the following:
- The UTC Program is the first of its kind in North America. No other university on this continent has a teaching certificate program recognized by SEDA. No university in Canada has a teaching certificate program of scope and depth that is rigorous, long-term, systematic, scholarly, and internationally-recognized. The University of Windsor is is in a class of its own.
- Formal recognition. Faculty, sessional instructors, and graduate students are formally recognized for completing a practical, well-founded, innovative, and high-quality program accredited within SEDA’s internationally-recognized framework.
- Creation of a learning-centred culture. By facilitating the development of scholarly teachers who have the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to maximize student learning and lead educational initiatives in their own disciplinary or departmental contexts, the UTC Program is a large step toward realizing the ideal of a learning-centred culture at the University of Windsor.
- Strategic and systematic development of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values. Participants complete a carefully-designed program that is regularly reviewed and revised (internally and externally) to ensure that it meets participant needs. Through active-learning, mentoring, and frequent feedback, participants will complete with a broad range of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values and a depth that can only come from the integration of theory and practice.
- Better teaching and learning experiences for academics and students. As scholarly teachers of their disciplines, participants will be empowered to draw upon empirical and theoretical information to maximize student learning, resulting in better learning experiences for their students – and better teaching experiences for themselves!
- Educational leadership. Those who complete UTC certificates will be empowered to lead initiatives to enhance the teaching and learning cultures and practices of their own departments and faculties.
- Entry into a scholarly community of practice. By completing a UTC certificate, academics join an informal multi-departmental community of practice centred around scholarly teaching. This community provides opportunity for mutual support, resource-sharing, socializing, problem-solving, and collaboration.
- A competitive edge. At present, Canadian graduate students are at a disadvantage when they compete for academic jobs – not only internationally, but even at our own institutions. By becoming scholarly teachers through the completion of a SEDA-recognized certificate, they will have a competitive edge that other Canadian graduate students lack.
- Hiring, tenure and promotion. The CTL hopes that completion of UTC certificates will be taken into account in the hiring process for sessional instructors, and in the tenure and promotion process for faculty. This is a long-term goal that will require the support and cooperation of academics and administrators from across campus.
- Save time and effort. Learning effective pedagogical strategies means academics don’t have to waste time dealing with unnecessary problems and creating lessons and assignments that don’t achieve their goals. They will be better positioned to use their teaching time wisely, efficiently, and effectively.
- Reputation and prestige. By being the first and, at this point, best internationally recognized teaching certificate program in North America, the UTC Program has the potential to capture the attention of the higher education community in Canada, making the University of Windsor the first institution that comes to mind when one thinks of quality education. Eventually, the CTL plans to open registration in the UTC Program to faculty from other institutions.
- Create an excellent teaching dossier. Participants will receive support to create teaching dossiers that will impress their UTC evaluators – and, afterwards, hiring committees, tenure and promotion committees, and award committees.