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 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

  • Facilitate learning experiences for faculty to engage with innovative, evidence-based teaching practices.

  • Create opportunities for faculty to engage with one another to share teaching experiences and expertise.

  • Provide orientation and instructional support for new faculty.

  • Strengthen connections, as they relate to teaching, between faculty, administrators, and co-curricular offices.

Cornerstones

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

A. Instructional Design

  1. Alignment

  2. Active and Experiential Learning

  3. Learning Outcomes Assessment

B. Student Engagement

  1. Classroom Participation

  2. Learning Environment

  3. Individual Student Support

C. Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity

  1. Culturally Responsive Teaching

  2. Access

D. Career Development

  1. Tenure

  2. Job Materials

  3. Professional Life

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

People

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 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.

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.

CETAL Advisory Committee

The CETAL Advisory Committee, comprised of faculty and administrators, meets monthly 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 2022)

  • Terri Birch, Art Unit Adjunct Faculty

  • Kris Campbell, Associate Professor II of Mathematics

  • Nancy Chahino, Perkins Grant Administrator

  • Soma Chattopadhyay, Assistant Professor I of Engineering

  • Tim Moore, Associate Dean of Instructional Improvement and Distance Learning

  • Mary Perkins, Dean of Liberal, Visual, & Performing Arts

  • Tammy Ray, Instructional Technology and Distance Learning Coordinator IV

  • Annamarie Schopen, Assistant Vice President of Teaching, Learning, and Student Development

  • Stacey Shah, Library Professor I and Distance Learning Librarian

  • Colleen Stribling, Professor I of English as a Second Language

  • Lisa Wiehle, Manager of Outcomes Assessment