Mission CIRTL will develop a national faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) committed to implementing and advancing effective teaching practices for diverse student audiences as part of their professional careers.

Change Model Nearly 4000 institutions in the United States offer STEM undergraduate education. Their faculty come from graduate programs at only 100 research universities. These universities are leverage points for change in STEM undergraduate education.

Strategy CIRTL will create, implement, and transfer to national research universities a program of graduate-through-faculty development in STEM higher education, founded on teaching-as-research concepts implemented within learning communities.

Program The CIRTL Professional Development Program will embed within a learning community opportunities for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and faculty to develop teaching-as-research skills in:

· Classroom Teaching
· Instructional Materials
· Informal Education
· Teaching to Diverse Student Audiences
· Internships

Transfer to the Nation CIRTL will take a multi-step approach to disseminating the CIRTL Professional Development Program throughout the nation:

· Step One: University of Wisconsin as development laboratory
· Step Two: Michigan State and Penn State as participants in development
· Step Three: CIRTL Network of 7 institutions that span dimensions of research universities
· Step Four: All research universities in the United States

Participants CIRTL is a National Science Foundation Center for Learning and Teaching launched in January 2003. CIRTL is a collaboration of STEM and higher education researchers at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Michigan State University, and Pennsylvania State University.

Interested in joining CIRTL? There are a variety of opportunities for graduate students, post docs and faculty to get involved in CIRTL activities. If you are interested in learning more, contact us at info@cirtl.net or watch this site for announcements.