The Michigan State University Graduate Certification in College Teaching (CCT) is a collaborative program between the MSU Graduate School and colleges aimed at helping graduate students and postdocs grow in their teaching practice and communicate that practice to others via an e-portfolio. The certification is designed so that participants engage in professional development workshops and seminars, coursework, and a mentored teaching experience to develop their teaching capacity in five main competency areas: developing disciplinary teaching strategies; creating effective learning environments; incorporating technology in your teaching; understanding the university context; assessing student learning. Some colleges have additional requirements. The Certification in College Teaching Institute (CCTI) is an immersive two-day workshop that helps participants fulfill the workshop requirements from the Graduate School.
The CCTI includes activities that help participants understand each of the five competency areas. Cameron Michael Chase, instructor and MFA Acting Candidate in the Department of Theater spoke about the value of understanding the university context by aligning teaching with different types of institutional types and missions. “When I arrived I was curious how much of this experience would hit home for me, but I now also have an understanding of what priorities are at various institutions (community colleges, research institutions, liberal arts). This is helpful for my future- it’s really practical knowledge regardless of how I apply it,” he said. Chiwimbo Gwenambira is a graduate scholar from Zimbabwe, studying Crop and Soil Sciences in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences also attended this year’s Institute. What resonated with her most was the time dedicated to individuals developing their teaching philosophy statements. She admits to struggling in the past with balancing the creative side with the theoretical or technical side of teaching when she communicated her philosophy. Chiwimbo said the CCTI “talked about how to focus on that balance- putting the creative side in the middle of the philosophy statement, surrounded by the theory that most inform your work- and helps in identifying next steps in writing.” For Klara Scharnagl, a doctoral candidate in her final year in the Department of Plant Biology, the Institute provided a great refresher to a lot of work she had already done as a Future Academic Scholars in Teaching (FAST) Fellow. Her dedication to constant improvement in her teaching through various experiences led Klara to realize she had completed most of the Certification requirements throughout her graduate student tenure. Because this is her finishing year, and thus her last opportunity to participate, she jumped at the chance and said the format for talking about what she already knows or accomplished is really helpful. Klara said that the attention given to the learning environment provided the greatest insights for her. “We’re always thinking about the what, but rarely also incorporate the who and the where. Understanding this will help me be much more aware of the place, and that students have come to this institution for a particular kind of learning experience,” she said.
For more information on the Certification in College Teaching, you can visit https://grad.msu.edu/CCTP. The CCTI is sponsored annually by the Graduate School. If you’re interested in participating in the certificate program, your first step would be to contact your college-level certification coordinator who can answer any of your questions and get you started. For a list of all the College Coordinators click https://grad.msu.edu/certification-college-teaching-college-contacts.
