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Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL)

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a member of Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL), a network of research universities committed to preparing outstanding future faculty with the ultimate goal of improving undergraduate education across all disciplines. At UNC-Chapel Hill, this is inclusive of the arts, humanities, social sciences, education, STEM, etc. Our membership in this network enables graduate students and postdocs to take advantage of career development courses and workshops, offered locally and online, by other network member institutions, build their teaching portfolio and gain a competitive edge for the academic job market through evidence-based teaching approaches and engagement with teaching-related learning communities.

CIRTL Core Values:

Teaching Through Diversity

  • Capitalize on experiences, backgrounds, and skills to promote equal success for all learners.

Learning Communities

  • Bring participants together for collaborative discovery and learning to achieve specific goals.

Teaching as Research (TAR)

  • Deliberate, systematic, and reflective use of research methods to develop and implement effective teaching and learning practices.

Benefits to Participants:   

  • Enhance academic, communication, and research skills
  • Engage in training and mentoring to become effective educators
  • Gain competitive advantage in career searches
  • Earn nationally recognized credentials
  • Expand leadership skills and build relationships with peers and future colleagues
  • Acknowledgement of levels of accomplishment on transcript (graduate students)
  • Digital badges issued through Credly

Getting Started:

  1. Register as a participant for CIRTL@UNC-Chapel Hill
  2. Participate in CIRTL related offerings locally and through national cross-network events
  3. Record participation in CIRTL@UNC-Chapel Hill Sakai site for levels of accomplishment (access granted after registration above).

Levels of Accomplishment/Learning Outcomes

 Associate
Complete the following 4 requirements
Evidence of Completion to Obtain Associate Level
  • Documentation of completion of requirements above in Sakai
  • Submission of revised Teaching Philosophy Statement.
  • Submission of completed reflections
  • Anticipated timeline for completion: 1 semester

 

 Practitioner
Complete the following 6 requirements:
  • Completion of Associate’s level requirements (engagement with a TAR course or TAR cohort meetings can be concurrent with completion of requirements at Associate’s level)
  • Teaching experience (guest lecture series, instructor of record for 1 course)
  • 2 diversity-related workshops/trainings offered on-campus, at conferences, or via CIRTL network (e.g Inclusive STEM Teaching Project)
  • Completion of a TAR project in one of three tracks (evidence-based teaching, learning through community, or learning through diversity)
    • Submission of a TAR project plan
    • Submission of a TAR written report after implementation
    • (optional) Completion of TAR course or TAR related trainings will significantly support successful completion of a TAR project
  • Participate and/or facilitate/lead a learning community -or- serve on the CIRTL at UNC Chapel Hill Advisory Group
  • Revise and submit teaching statement
Evidence of Completion to Obtain Practitioner Level
  • Documentation of completion of requirements above in Sakai
  • Submission of revised Teaching Philosophy Statement.
  • Submission of completed reflections
  • Anticipated timeline for completion: 2 semesters

 

 Scholar
Complete the following requirements
  • Documentation of completion of requirements above in Sakai
  • Presented and/or published the results of rigorous, significant, well-developed Teaching-as-Research and/or education research efforts to national or international audiences of their peers (peer-reviewed projects presented at national conferences and publishing in journals). This level represents a high level of engagement in the pillars of CIRTL through their application and defense of work
  • Update Teaching Statement

 

Graduate students and postdoctoral scholars affiliated with other teaching-related UNC Chapel Hill programs can also fulfill many of these requirements concurrently. Please see links below for equivalencies:

Certificate in College Science Teaching (CCST)

Preparing International Teaching Assistants Program (PITAP)

Seeding Postdoctoral Innovators in Research and Education (SPIRE)