I work at the OU Center for Teaching Excellence (commonly referred to as CTE). We provide a service to faculty at the university through community events, faculty development workshops, and strategic initiatives such as course redesign, technology-enhanced learning, and an alternative textbook program.
CTE is a very project-based organization with a team of 10 focused on individual projects relevant to their expertise. For instance, an instructional designer with an emphasis on new faculty development is laser-focused on faculty development initiatives while one with a strength in online learning focuses on the design and development of online courses. The team is also very autonomous in nature due to how certain strengths lend better to different opportunity. This can lead to inadvertently not always being privy to what projects are being worked on or by whom. This autonomy is reinforced by the department structure. While the team of full-time employees hovers around 12, there is one executive director who everyone reports to directly.
Additionally, projects are diverse in nature and can have short timelines. These are consistently executed professionally and with a “can do” attitude, but there is a tendency to overlook opportunities to establish and document formal processes.
The team is also in its infancy stages as the longest tenure is still under two years. Several members of the team are going through an adjustment season for various reasons such as a geographic move or transition from academic to administrative.
Coupled with a lack of establish department history to fall back on, the nature of the projects can be amorphous. The Executive Director is a Provost direct (who is also early in his tenure) which affords CTE to have a voice in several academic conversations across campus: i.e. technology, classroom renovation, tenure and promotion, etc. Since such a wide net is cast within the office, there can be a difficulty in communicating 1.) concisely what CTE does and has to offer and 2.) the outcomes of completed projects and initiatives.
Because of an interest in technology and learning technology is consistent across the team members, there is a common willingness to try alternative tools and methods to increase student learning. There are frequent water cooler conversations around the latest Apple announcement, a new video game someone is playing, or the newest tablet device. There is a comradery that exists through technology. There is also an genuine passion for education and an optimistic view on its futures well as the role in which the department can play in shaping it.