About the ATL
On the second floor of Jones Library there's a "nature film narrator" zone where voices are low and the studying gets pretty intense. But at one end of that floor, in Room 206, you're more likely to hear the sounds of laughter, animated conversation and now and then an "ah-ha" or an "isn't that interesting." When you hear those sounds, you're entering a new zone, in fact the new home of the Baylor University Academy for Teaching and Learning (or ATL).The ATL began in a major strategic proposal involving faculty, staff and students from all across the BU community. Many colleges and universities have long had centers to support teaching excellence. Baylor's vision drew on those predecessors but went even farther. From its name to its nature, the ATL was designed to be a "school-within-a-school," a program that focused on the most precious resources in any learning community: shared inquiry and transformative conversations
Since Dr. Gardner Campbell's arrival last September, the ATL has worked to catalyze and support those goals. From undergraduate research, to strategies for active and inquiry-based learning, to learning space design, to the effective integration of information/communication technologies into teaching and learning-and many more areas of inquiry-the ATL serves Baylor's commitment to an education that is truly integrative.
The ATL's programs are wide-ranging and evolving. Graduate students and faculty members will partner with the Academy as Fellows. A podcast series, "Learning @ Baylor," will showcase Baylor's excellent teaching through interviews with faculty, staff and students. Seminars for Excellence in Teaching and faculty inquiry groups will continue to be offered.
The ATL will also develop opportunities for faculty, staff and students to connect with colleagues at other universities through professional organizations.
There's a "virtuous cycle" deep within the heart of the university and its work. From shared inquiry and transformative conversations emerge much-needed innovation, vital projects, fresh ideas and deeper connections. Those results then drive further shared inquiry, and catalyze even more intensely transformative conversations. Likewise, the Academy for Teaching and Learning works with partners all across the Baylor community to support and inspire a flourishing community of learning.
