For the past ten years, the Provost’s Teaching Fellows (PTF) program has empowered faculty at the University of Texas at Austin to actively impact the culture of teaching and learning on campus.
Founded as a sustainable, faculty-driven organization to support educational experimentation and innovation leading to greater educational outcomes and success, the program provides faculty with community, resources, and mentorship projects that enhance the teaching and learning experience on campus, both within their departments and colleges and across the university.
Fellows have spearheaded individual initiatives within their colleges, schools, and departments, such as reevaluating degree programs, forming new minors and interdisciplinary programs, introducing wellness courses and modules into their courses and degree programs, and implementing experiential learning and internship opportunities for students. As a group, Fellows have also hosted campus-wide events, such as Texas Teach-Up and a Think Tanks series, as well as contributing to the community and culture of teaching and learning through monthly Teaching Tips, mentorship, and participation in committee and campus service.
“The Provost’s Teaching Fellows is the best campus-wide community about teaching at UT Austin,” remarked PTF alumni Ruth Buskirk, Ph.D., professor of instruction in the Department of Molecular Biosciences. “Best in the sense of actually being effective in changing teaching practices. Best in the sense of building community, trust, and support for trying new things. Best in consistent networking. Best in terms of collaboration and respect among faculty at different ranks and experiences.”
The population of the program, like its initiatives, represents all corners of campus. Of the 42 current Fellows, 22 are pursuing individual projects and 20 are considered “Senior Fellows” — those who have completed their individual initiatives and act as peer mentors to the newer members of the program. The cohorts represent 14 of the 16 colleges and schools across campus.
This year, current and new fellows networked with alumni of the program at the Provost’s Teaching Fellows Annual Showcase in the Perry-Castañeda Library. After the current cohort shared updates and action plans for their individual initiatives to Senior Fellows and alumni, the event moved into a celebration one decade in the making.
Keynote reflections highlighted the program’s living legacy and reiterated the vital role that Fellows will continue to play in years to come. Founding cohort member Carol Delville, Ph.D., Clinical Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, was appointed the status of PTF Emeritus, honoring her retirement and celebrating the conclusion of her decade-long individual initiative: developing the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at UT Austin. And, with the passing of the baton to a new PTF Chair, food and refreshments wrapped up the first ten years and paved the way for the next.
The credit for this 10-year success goes to each year’s cohort of Fellows that brought in commitment and fresh ideas…
Davis summarized in his remarks, “The credit for this 10-year success goes to each year’s cohort of Fellows that brought in commitment and fresh ideas, to Senior Fellows that stepped up to mentor the Fellows in their individual initiatives, to Fellows that stepped up as officers to provide structure and continuity, to the support from the Provost, and, again, the Center for Teaching and Learning for their expertise, collaboration, and administrative support.”