Communities of Practice (CoP) are small groups of trusted colleagues who share a passion for something they know how to do and who interact regularly to learn how to do it better..

The Center for Teaching and Learning is seeking participants for Communities of Practice (CoP) for the academic year 2024-2025.

Communities meet (at least) monthly and programming is determined by the group. Communities are interdisciplinary, and members support each other in implementing a targeted change in practice. Participants set individual goals as well as a goal for the group, and commit to producing a product at the end of the academic year (e.g., a revised assignment, a poster, a manuscript submission, evidence of increased effectiveness in teaching, etc.)

All CoPs are facilitated by a New York Tech staff or faculty member. Facilitators participate in an orientation meeting, coordinate meetings of the CoP (approximately every 3-4 weeks), create space for shared resources, and support CoP members in end-of-year presentations and reflections. CTL staff are available to provide support and resources, as requested.

Participants receive $500 in professional development funding that can be used to advance their own professional growth: conference attendance, membership in a professional society, participation in a webinar or short course, purchase of books or other materials, etc. Faculty members who serve as facilitators will earn a stipend of $1500 upon completion of the year's activities and submission of all deliverables. Access to these funds is contingent upon full participation in CoP meetings (1 absence per semester is permitted), completion of reflection activities, and submission of an individual “deliverable” to the CoP facilitator at the end of the academic year, before the CoP’s final meeting.

Submit a proposal!

Propose a CoP on a topic that interests you! Send your proposal to ctl@nyit.edu with a subject line of “Proposal: Community of Practice” by end-of-day Friday, May 24.

Your proposal should include:

• A statement of your interest in leading a CoP, and your capacity for committing to regular CoP meetings as well as communication and coordination with the CTL. You do not need to be an expert in the topic you propose. Rather, you must be willing and able to coordinate a group, organize meetings, and support CoP members in end-of-year presentations and reflections.
• A working title for the group,
• A one-paragraph description, to be used in recruiting participants,
• A brief statement identifying connections to New York Tech’s strategic action plan: either strategic priorities and / or cross-cutting themes, and
• A statement of support from your supervisor or your department chair and dean, or your supervisor, if you are staff (an email is fine).

The entire application should be no more than three pages. You will be notified within 1 week, at which time calls for participants will be advertised. 

Sample Topics

Communities can be based on specific practices (collaborative student projects, mindfulness in the classroom, adaptive learning courseware, inclusive pedagogy) or common experiences (teaching as a non-tenure- track faculty member, supervising clinical or experiential student learning, exploring opportunities available to mid-career faculty).

Topics might include:

• Grant writing strategies
• Using emerging technologies, e.g., generative AI or virtual and augmented realities
• Inclusive pedagogy
• Course coordinators
• Encouraging undergraduate research
• Adaptive learning courseware
• Reviewing one another’s manuscripts
• Student faculty interaction, in and out of class
• Co-writing groups
• Incorporation of open educational resources (OER)
• Mid-career faculty: what happens after tenure?
• Advising students
• New department chairs
• Developing microcredential programs

You are only limited by your imagination! If it's something you are passionate about, and you want a community of colleagues with whom to grow, then consider submitting a proposal.

If you have any questions, or if you are interested in starting a new staff- or faculty-led community of practice in an area of interest, please contact Fran Glazer to discuss your ideas.