Welcome to CBU Teaching Faculty
The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is CBU’s faculty support department, with a mandate to foster and maintain teaching excellence. Whether you are a long-time professor, part-time sessional lecturer or lab instructor, the CTL is here to support your professional development with a comprehensive collection of training resources. Maybe you are seeking guidance on best practices in assessment, diversity and inclusion, student engagement, or online teaching. The CTL can help you overcome challenges and utilize innovative ideas in your teaching practice. The CTL creates and curates resources, provides an extensive video library and offers self-directed and peer learning opportunities. It also organizes an annual University Teaching Program. The CTL’s specialized podcast, Beyond the Class, is another signature program, produced in-house by the CTL team. It features conversations on decolonizing education, pedagogy of play, accessible classrooms and more.
If you are a member of the teaching community at CBU, you can login to MyCBU Intranet to access the CTL’s complete suite of teaching and learning resources.
A Message from the Academic Director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning
Everyone at the CTL is motivated by the principle expressed in CBU’s Academic Plan 2020-2025: It is important to ensure that all of our faculty have access to the best resources and support to fuel their curiosity in relation to their subject area, pedagogical approaches, and student needs.
CTL staff are always interacting with faculty, so when we advise CBU on investments in new teaching spaces and related educational technologies, it is as an advocate for the faculty and students who work within this teaching and learning environment. As the environment changes, we continue to provide hands-on and virtual assistance to help you both adapt and maximize pedagogical potential.
The CTL provides opportunities for professional development and peer learning on an ongoing basis. Whether you are a full-time member of CBU’s teaching community or a sessional instructor, a member of NSGEU or CBUFA, the CTL is here to help you meet your teaching responsibilities and continue to grow as university teachers.
Podcast: Beyond the Class
Beyond the Class is podcast series created by CTL, focussing on techniques, tools and research that drive innovative teaching and learning. With each half hour episode, teaching faculty at CBU and elsewhere will gain insights that will support positive teaching and learning experiences.
Beyond the Class is available on all major streaming services. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Soundcloud or wherever you listen to music and podcasts- and don’t forget to subscribe!
University Teaching Chairs and Peer Learning
CBU is pleased to introduce our current University Teaching Chairs, who work with the CTL to support professional development. The goals of Teaching Chairs are three-fold: to provide faculty leadership in the development of a community of practice in the area of teaching and learning; to provide peer support to faculty members who wish to develop their research and practice in the area of pedagogy; and to engage in and share scholarship of teaching and learning research and best-practices across the university community and beyond.
Dr. Bishakha Mazumdar, University Teaching Chair in Culturally Responsive Learning Design
Dr. Bishakha Mazumdar, Assistant Professor of Organizational Management in the Shannon School of Business, recognizes the importance and value in understanding the fabric of a community. Her primary research interest is in the areas of diversity and equity with special focus on healthy and active aging, leadership-gender intersection and career challenges of immigrant women. During her two-year term as Teaching Chair, Dr. Mazumdar will explore ways to contribute her expertise to examine culturally responsive learning design.
Dr. Heather Schmidt, University Teaching Chair in Allyship and Decolonizing Educational Practices
Dr. Heather Schmidt is Chair of the Psychology Department and Assistant Professor of Psychology in the School of Science and Technology. She is also Chair of CBU’s Faculty Association committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Indigenization. As a Community Psychologist, Dr. Schmidt uses collaborative, decolonializing approaches to facilitate empowerment, inclusion and social justice for historically-marginalized communities, such as L’nu / Indigenous peoples, LGBTQ+ post-secondary students, and individuals with mental health challenges. Dr. Schmidt looks forward to applying these approaches to inform educational practices and sharing her work through peer learning as Teaching Chair.
Dr. Jessica Whitehead, University Teaching Chair in Flexible Digital Instruction
Dr. Jessica Whitehead, Assistant Professor of Communication and Languages in the School of Arts and Social Sciences, is particularly interested in applying the principles of Universal Design for Learning within the realm of technology enhanced learning, whether that be online, hybrid, dual-mode, or more traditional on-campus courses. Through a commitment to student engagement and authentic assessment, Dr. Whitehead seeks to support the application of inclusive and accessible practices when considering digital teaching tools and methods.
Dr. Katherine Jones, University Teaching Chair in Digital Pedagogies
Dr. Katherine Jones, Associate Professor of Biology, School of Science & Technology, is building a knowledge base on the ways media intersect with effective teaching in her role as Teaching Chair in Digital Pedagogies (May 2022 – Present). This includes exploring how students can leverage digital platforms to build communication skills and how faculty can infuse digital media in assessment strategies. In this role, Dr. Jones is building on her previous experience in faculty development. In 2021, she created a training program for CBU educators and researchers focused on how to effectively communicate science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) concepts.
