The College offers various team-teaching opportunities, and the CGRS can provide additional resources to encourage collaborative forms of teaching. We encourage faculty to apply for team-teaching at the time of curricular innovation grants (typically in February), but also to discuss ideas and plans with us at other times during the academic year.
Note that the Dean has offered the CGRS one guaranteed team-teaching slot each year. Let’s put it to good use!
Because team-teaching is relatively rare on campus, let us clarify how it works on campus. Here are some general guidelines:
- Team-teaching usually consists of two professors coming together from different departments to teach a shared course. Usually, both instructors are present at all or most classes.
- Other models are possible. For instance, some courses have been taught by three professors or by a rotation of professors. (We’re happy to discuss options.)
- Because special funding is available for team-teaching, most team-taught courses do not need to draw twice the enrollment of usual courses. (Yes, team-teaching does cost more, but the College is willing to make this investment for selected projects.)
- Again, because of available funding, departments that allow a faculty member to team-teach a special course do not necessarily lose a course from their curriculum. With the Dean’s approval, funding may be provided to “cover” the course that faculty member would ordinarily have taught.
What are the advantages of team-teaching? Those who have done it know how exhilarating it can be. Learn more by reading this account of the experience Tim Raylor and Paul Petzschmann had in English 194.