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Message from Jeffrey Herbst, Provost
Dear Miami Faculty,
Miami has a renowned tradition of excellence in teaching. Your commitment to our students' intellectual development is one of the distinguishing features of this institution. There are certainly few public or private universities whose professors are as devoted to teaching.
However, while teaching is a natural part of what we do, it comes naturally to only a few of us. Presenting complex and nuanced ideas and information to students in a concise manner is always a challenge, no matter the discipline or profession. At the same time, all of us confront fields that are constantly changing. The technologies available to communicate information to students are also mutating at a dizzying rate. It would have been almost impossible to predict ten years ago what is available today on the Web and few of us have any confidence that we know exactly what the future holds other than that the rate of change in information available will continue to be phenomenal. Internet and multimedia resources can enhance our students learning experience but they require a significant investment in time and skill development in order to be used effectively.
This past year, Miami also rededicated itself to the highest standards of academic integrity. A task force led by University Librarian Dean Judith Sessions found that we had to do a better job in teaching our students how to use the information and creative work authored by others. In an age when "cutting and pasting" is extremely easy, many students come to college not knowing how to cite information correctly. Teaching students the importance of academic integrity in the age of the internet is one of our greatest challenges.
We are therefore extremely fortunate to have the Center for the Enhancement of Learning, Teaching, and University Assessment. CELTUA sponsors an exceptionally rich and diverse set of offerings for teachers at every point in an academic career. Both new faculty and those with many years of experience will find that the CELTUA office has a wealth of resources that will enable us to teach better. In addition, CELTUA sponsors seminars, Faculty Learning Communities, and many other events to enhance Miami's fundamental teaching mission. In recent years, many of the Center's activities have focused on how to use new information technology most effectively in the classroom. CELTUA will also be increasing its focus on methods to teach academic integrity. No one need face a problem in teaching alone: the Center provides a rich and friendly environment to help in solving even the most difficult pedagogical problem.
The Center also sponsors a variety of grant programs to enhance teaching in the classroom, to promote curriculum reform, and to allow faculty exchanges. I urge you to investigate these opportunities.
Finally, CELTUA is a national leader in promoting research on teacher effectiveness by sponsoring the Journal on Excellence in College Teaching and hosting annually the renowned Lilly Conference on College Teaching. The Center's commitment to research on teaching is yet another example of the intimate relationship between conveying and creating knowledge.
Dr. Jeffrey Herbst
Provost
Miami University