Working Group Members

Lindsey Ruiz (Faculty), Amy Tahani-Bidmeshki (Faculty), Suzanne Iwanicki (Faculty), Lauren Acker (Faculty), Eloy Zarate (Faculty), Lena Hicks (Faculty), Chris Rougier (Staff), Laura Ramirez (Administrator), Que Dang (Administrator), Jason Robinson (Administrator), Veronica Jaramillo (Administrator), and Solomon Cross (Administrator)

Working Group Meetings and Activities

June 18

A small group of faculty and administrators met to discuss the development of a Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at Pasadena City College (PCC). Time was spent reviewing sections of a report composed by Suzanne Iwanicki in Spring 2023, during her tenure as Faculty Coordinator for the Division of Institutional Equity, Diversity, and Justice (IEDJ). The report provides an overview of methodologies and principles related to creating and sustaining a CTL and preliminary feedback received from PCC faculty via a survey administered during Spring 2023. Those in attendance agreed to establishing a working group to draft a plan for developing a CTL at PCC. A retreat date was set for July.

July 23

The working group members read and discussed the article Starting a Center for Teaching and Learning (Dickens et al., 2019), published by the Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network. The group also identified additional faculty to invite to the working group: Suzanne Iwanicki (author of the 2023 report about CTLs) and Amy Tahani-Bidmeshki (Faculty Development Committee Chair). After reviewing additional sections of the report composed by Suzanne Iwanicki (2023), the working group drafted a timeline of activities to guide planning for a CTL at PCC.

August 22

The working group members reviewed and revised the draft timeline of activities to guide planning for a CTL at PCC. The group also affirmed the Academic Senate leadership’s decision to draft a resolution related to the planning and formation of a CTL at PCC. Group members agreed that prior to the next meeting, they each would research two CTLs of their choosing and make note of any aspects or programming that seemed particularly relevant or useful to PCC’s development of a CTL.   

September 10

Time was spent sharing out about the various CTLs that group members explored. The working group also reviewed a resolution for Academic Senate related to the planning and formation of a CTL at PCC. A discussion was facilitated about supporting faculty and administrators who may want to attend the POD Network Conference (November 2024). Prior to closing the meeting, the working group members received copies of the two books that were selected to inform discussions and planning for a CTL at PCC: (1) Centers for Teaching and Learning: The New Landscape in Higher Education – Mary C. Wright, 2023; and (2) Taking Flight: Making Your Center for Teaching and Learning Soar – Laura Cruz, Michele A. Parker, Brian Smentkowski, and Marina Smitherman, 2020.

September 17

The working group reviewed a new draft of the resolution for Academic Senate related to the planning and formation of a CTL at PCC, and an online form that faculty members can complete if interested in attending the POD Network Conference (November 2024). Time was then spent discussing Centers for Teaching and Learning: The New Landscape in Higher Education, Chapter 1: “What Are We Trying to Do? Key Aims of CTLs”.

September 24

The working group decided to expand its membership to include: (1) a student, and specifically a student currently engaged with the Pedagogical Advancement Through Collaboration of Teachers and Students (PACTS) program, and (2) a staff member from the Distance Education Office. The group members also reviewed the list of faculty members who expressed interest in the POD Network Conference (November 2024) and identified additional individuals who might be interested but perhaps had not yet heard about the opportunity. Time was then spent discussing Centers for Teaching and Learning: The New Landscape in Higher Education, Chapter 2: “How Do We Get There? CTL Theories of Change”.

October 1

Chris Rougier, Distance Education Technologist, joined the CTL working group and received a brief overview of the group’s prior activities/discussions. An update was provided about the POD Network Conference (November 2024) roster of attendees and a possible tool for documenting insights/learning at the conference. The working group also discussed the need for a physical space for the CTL and agreed that the center should be in a central and accessible location and should not impact student spaces. Time was then spent discussing Centers for Teaching and Learning: The New Landscape in Higher Education, Chapter 3: “What Tactics Do We Employ? Signature CTL Programs and Services”.

October 15

The CTL working group members discussed how the CTL’s focus will evolve across time and that for the first 3-5 years attention would likely be directed towards: (1) fostering faculty engagement, (2) establishing the Center as the hub for faculty learning and support, and (3) enhancing collaboration and coherence across faculty-focused projects and initiatives. With the above understanding in mind, the working group members reflected on and discussed Wright’s (2023) key aims of CTLs. Then, the group moved through a process to prioritize the aims that seem most important for the first 3-5 years of PCC’s CTL. The following five aims were identified as the top five: (1) student learning, (2) teaching effectiveness and excellence, (3) diversity, equity, and inclusion, (4) change or innovation, and (5) community building.

October 29

The working group discussed Taking Flight: Making Your Center for Teaching and Learning Soa, Chapter 6: “Prioritization: What will you do first?”. Members moved through a process of ranking the importance of different types of CTL programming/activities outlined in the chapter, from three different perspectives: faculty, student, and institution. The activity sparked some helpful conversation, and the group agreed to repeat the activity at a future meeting but with a list of programming/activities that more specifically reflects PCC’s context.

November 8 (Meeting with Faculty Chairs)

Jason and Que attended the Faculty Chairs meeting to present the top-line results of the Spring 2021 Professional Development Needs Survey. The group provided feedback about the extent to which those results reflect current faculty learning needs and shared some initial insights. Jason and Que agreed to distribute the full survey results to the group via email and return to a later meeting (possibly January 2025) to further discuss.

November 10-14 (POD Network Conference)

14 faculty and administrators attended the in-person or virtual POD Network Conference. All attendees documented their learnings, insights, and ideas via a Padlet. Conference attendees will meet with the CTL Working Group on December 12, 2024, to further discuss the results of their participation at the conference.

December 3

December 12 (Planning Retreat with POD Conference Attendees)

22.0 Resolution in Support of a Center for Teaching and Learning at PCC (Approved: 10/7/24)

Whereas the creation of a Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) ought to engage all stakeholders in developing a clear mission that aligns with institutional values and the needs of faculty; and

Whereas the creation of a CTL would align with Pasadena City College’s broader goals outlined in the Student Equity Plan 2022-25 and Strategic Plan 2023 aimed at ensuring an equity-minded learning community; 

Resolved that the Academic Senate of Pasadena City College supports the creation of a Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), stewarded by a working group of Faculty and District leaders.

Resources

Dickens, E., Cruz, L., Alderson, J., Atias, D., Graham, R., Hurney, C. A., Parker, M., Smentkowski, B., Smitherman, M. T., Troisi, J. D., Vincent-Layton, K., Wang, C. (2019). Starting a Center for Teaching and Learning. POD Speaks 3, 1-6.

Wright, M. C. (2023). Centers for Teaching and Learning: The New Landscape in Higher Education. John Hopkins University Press.

Cruz, L., Parker, M., Smentkowski, B., Smitherman, M. (2023). Taking Flight: Making Your Center for Teaching and Learning Soar. Routledge.

Iwanicki, S. (2023). Faculty Coordinator Report. Division of Institutional Equity, Diversity, and Justice. Pasadena City College.

Office of Professional and Organizational Development, (2023). Topline Faculty Professional Development Needs Surveys. Pasadena City College.

Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education (POD Network)