Services
Consultations
The Center for Faculty Excellence consults with faculty members on any aspect of their professional work: teaching, scholarship, service, community engagement, managing professional relationships, work-life balance, and professional growth.
All individual consultations with the CFE are strictly confidential. We do not disclose any information from our consultations to anyone, including department chairs, deans, and other university administrators, unless the faculty member requests that we do so and authorizes the release of the information in writing. This includes the identities of those with whom we work, the information they share with us, and data we gather on their behalf through classroom observations, interactions with students, and other work.
Faculty preparing for retention, tenure, or promotion are invited to meet with a Center for Faculty Excellence staff member to review their portfolios and discuss their broader career trajectory. Consultations may include feedback on how well the portfolio aligns with institutional expectations, as well as suggestions for organization, clarity, and emphasis. These conversations also offer an opportunity to reflect on long-term goals, identify areas for growth, and consider next steps.
Follow-up consultations are available after reappointment decisions to help interpret feedback and plan meaningful revisions for future submissions.
Faculty may seek support for a range of topics, such as debriefing an exam, designing an in-class activity, addressing the use of AI, or navigating a classroom challenge. These sessions can be one-time or ongoing, depending on the need.
For those interested in a more in-depth process, we can look at a specific course over the course of a semester. The process starts with an initial interview to determine the specific areas of focus, followed by a classroom observation, administration, and analysis of a detailed student evaluation of teaching, and videotaping of a class session. Each stage is accompanied by consultation with a CFE staff member, who helps the faculty member design an action plan in response to the findings and provides continued support the following semester, as the faculty member implements changes to the course and assesses their effectiveness. All work products are the property of the faculty member, who retains them at the conclusion of the consultation process.
Topics may include envisioning a new area of research, setting goals, time management, and support for writing.
Any new course that has been developed for online or blended delivery must go through the following process, including consultation with a member of the CFE. (See policy and application).