Center for Teaching & Learning

• Teaching and Learning
• Programs and Services
• Mission and History
• Funding Opportunities
• Extra Resources
• Meet our Faculty

Mission, History, and Annual Report

Mission

The Center for Teaching and Learning supports faculty in their roles as teachers, scholars, and lifelong learners through a broad range of professional opportunities. We assist faculty with their use of evidence-based instructional strategies, encourage the integration of innovative educational technologies, and foster the university’s commitment to academic rigor and student success (adopted July, 2017).

History

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) was founded as a result of a declaration by the UNC Board of Governors in 1993 that every state university “allocate a portion of its budget for faculty development,” targeting at least some of the funding “for the development of teachers and teaching.” Institutions that did not already have designated teaching and learning centers were advised to establish them. At UNC Asheville, Peg Downes, serving in the role of Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, helped form our present CTL in the 1994-1995 academic year.

The CTL was located in a single office in Ramsey Library for nearly ten years. In 2004, John Myers, Instructional Technology Consultant, officially joined the Center, and operations were moved to a larger space in Highsmith University Union. Four years later, the CTL was relocated to a suite on the second floor of Lipinsky Hall, and a separate unit directed by John Myers, Teaching and Learning with Technology Resources (TLTR), opened in Ramsey Library.

In January, 2015, the CTL returned to its original location in Ramsey Library, and in July, 2017, the TLTR staff joined the Center for Teaching and Learning, expanding the capacity of the CTL while continuing the programs already in place. The CTL is housed in a suite on the ground floor of Ramsey, with learning circles and programs held on the main floor in the Whitman Room. A faculty fellows program was added in 2018, with two faculty serving two-year terms selected each year, further broadening the scope and expertise of the CTL.

In January 2024, the CTL moved to the first floor of Zageir Hall (ZAG 134), sharing a computer lab space in ZAG 101 with the Department of Education to support teacher candidates and our own faculty in their use of instructional technologies. The CTL is looking forward to being part of the newly renovated Lipinsky, creating faculty gathering space for programming.

Eight faculty members have directed the CTL since its inception:

• Fall, 1995 – Fall, 1998: Merritt Moseley, Professor of Literature & Language
• Spring, 1999 – Spring, 2002: Chuck Bennett, Professor of Physics
• Fall, 2002 – Summer, 2004: Pat McClellan, Assistant Provost for Academic Administration
• Summer, 2004 – Summer, 2010: Bruce Larson, Professor of Economics
• July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2020: Melissa Himelein, Professor of Psychology
• July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021: Lyndi Hewitt, Associate Professor of Sociology & Anthropology
• July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2023: Evelyn Chiang, Professor of Psychology, and Karen Cole, Professor of Education
• July 1, 2023 – present: Katherine C. Zubko, Professor of Religious Studies and Anthropology

Annual Report

Each year the CTL compiles an annual report of activities: 2024 Annual Report; 2025 Annual Report.

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