Course Portfolio Working Group

About the Working Group

You are invited to participate in the Course Portfolio Working Group (CPWG) during the 2004-2005 academic year. Since 1997, more than 85 Xavier faculty members have developed course portfolios with support from the Center for the Advancement of Teaching.

A course portfolio is a scholarly project reflecting the choices an instructor makes in designing, implementing, and evaluating a course. More than just a collection of teaching materials, the course portfolio represents the exploration of an instructor's teaching practice through inquiry and reflection, with the ultimate focus on student learning. Therefore, all course portfolios are works in progress as the instructor continues to redesign and implement aspects of a course after examining results of both student and self-learning. Dr. Deborah Langsam from UNC-Charlotte, stated, "The purpose of the course portfolio is to provide a vehicle for inquiry and reflection into the teaching and learning process."

Faculty who have not written a course portfolio are strongly encouraged to participate in the "Benchmark Portfolio" group. This year-long project results in the production of a portfolio that focuses on a single course while reflecting on teaching philosophy, techniques, and learning assessment in a general way. The outcome of this work is a foundational document upon which the faculty member can build as he or she goes forward, innovating and experimenting with teaching.

Faculty who have previously written a course portfolio are encouraged to participate in the "Inquiry Portfolio" group. This year-long project produces an in-depth study of a learning issue or problem, usually but not always within the confines of a single course, making use of scientific methodology and rigorous assessment. The outcome of this work is a scholarship of teaching project that can be used for course improvement and, possibly, submitted for peer review and publication.

Support

A $500 stipend per semester is available to CPWG participants.

Proposal guidelines

Interested faculty should submit a one-page letter of interest to the Center by September 3, 2004. This letter need only indicate that you are interested in participating in the "Benchmark Portfolio" group or the "Inquiry Portfolio" group; you do not need to provide any documentation or rationale for your participation. You may send the letter via campus mail (P.O. Box 78) or e-mail cat@xula.edu. Applicants will be notified of the results by September 10, 2004.

Funded faculty must submit progress and final reports. If not published on the Web, a physical copy of the course portfolio will be filed in the Center for the Advancement of Teaching.

More information about course portfolios and the Course Portfolio Working Group may be found on the Center's website: http://cat.xula.edu/initiatives/cpwg/.

Deadline: September 23, 2004
Applicants will receive notification of the results by September 10, 2004.
A part of the August 2004 RFP Multipack.