About

What is CETAL?

The Elgin Community College Center for the Enhancement of Teaching, Assessment, & Learning (CETAL) offers guidance, support, and resources on teaching and professional development to all faculty and administrators at ECC. 

Purpose

CETAL’s purpose is to support faculty in being an inquisitive and reflective community of educators dedicated to creating learner-centered education for all of our students. To fulfill that purpose, CETAL’s priorities are to 

In addition to providing programming and resources, CETAL offers one-on-one assistance on any aspect of teaching and faculty career development and can direct faculty to learn about instructional technologies through the Instructional Improvement and Distance Learning office.

Participants seating at tables at a Faculty Development workshop

Cornerstones 

Throughout CETAL’s programming and resources, the center seeks to support faculty in their knowledge and practice regarding 

Instructional Design

Student Engagement

Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity

Career Development

Office of Outcomes Assessment

The Office of Outcomes Assessment, a unit of CETAL, supports 

This includes the support of project planning and implementation, data collection and interpretation, and other measures related to learning outcomes assessment and program review. Additional information can be found on the Assessment section of the CETAL site. 

People

Tyler Roeger, Associate Dean of CETAL

Dr. Tyler Roeger has taught literature (including Antebellum Literature, Science Fiction, and other topics) and composition (including First-Year Writing, Developmental Writing, ESL Writing, Business and Professional Writing, Advanced Research Writing, and other topics) in a variety of college settings. Additionally, he has facilitated campus-wide assessment efforts and faculty development at varied institutions. He has published articles on topics such as gathering feedback from students, assessment in arts disciplines, Edgar Allan Poe, detective fiction, and contemporary haunted house movies.  His particular teaching interests include student reflection, experiential learning, and culturally sustaining pedagogies, among other topics.  

Heather Martin, Assistant Dean of CETAL

Dr. Heather Martin has been in education for over 15 years. She began her career in education as a middle school and high school music teacher. Since then, she has held instructional and administrative positions in adult education for the last 12 years. In addition to working in adult education programs, she has taught undergraduate education courses in assessment and learning theories. Heather has written and implemented adult education and faculty development curricula for various institutions and organizations across Illinois. She has presented at several state and national conferences including the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC), the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE), and the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE). She is particularly interested in assessment practices and the evolution of assessment and pedagogy as it relates to emerging technology. 

Lisa Wiehle, Manager of Outcomes Assessment

Lisa Wiehle began her career at ECC in 2004 as the Director of Institutional Research. Over time, assessment of student learning became a larger focus for the college, prompting a split into this separate role. She has a Master’s degree in Sociology and worked in patient satisfaction research and consulting prior to joining the college. She most enjoys her work assisting programs and faculty to clearly define what students are meant to learn and then devise means to measure and strengthen that learning. New areas of attention include assessment practices from an equity lens and expanding the study of student learning within co-curricular environments.

CETAL Advisory Committee

The CETAL Advisory Committee, comprised of faculty and administrators, regularly meets to discuss and provide feedback on CETAL initiatives and programming. The committee supports the overall success of faculty and the success of the teaching and learning community at ECC by listening to and representing their constituencies, establishing partnerships and organized support, and providing input to shape CETAL's vision and its implementation. 

Committee Members (Fall 2024)

Membership

The makeup of the CETAL Advisory Committee is 50% faculty nominated through ECCFA and 50% staff and administrators. Committee members commit to serving two year terms and then are given the chance to recommit to another two years or to cycle off. The exception on the admin and staff side is that the Associate Dean and Assistant Dean of CETAL and Manger of Outcomes assessment are considered standing members.