Faculty Forums on Teaching are designed for all faculty who are in their first five years of teaching. The goal is for faculty to learn how to be more efficient and effective teachers while sharing and developing new ideas for use in their classrooms. The goal is accomplished through interdisciplinary workshops that are facilitated by experienced USC faculty.

Faculty Forums for 2008-2009 are currently being planned. Past topics included:

Grading
Effective grading can stimulate and encourage quality work by students. Effective grading should be considered when an assignment is designed, delivered, collected, evaluated and returned. This forum discussed strategies for improving effectiveness and efficiency in grading while minimizing student complaints, within the context of the USC grading system.

Student Feedback
Obtaining summative student feedback about teaching at the end of the semester is important. However, obtaining formative student feedback during the semester can significantly contribute to successful teaching. This forum explored ideas and methods for gathering and interpreting student opinions on teaching effectiveness.

Motivating Students
Student motivation can have a significant impact on the effectiveness and outcomes of the learning experience. This forum discussed factors that affect student motivation to work and to learn. Teaching strategies that encourage students to become self-motivated independent learners were also shared.

Research Supervision
Effective mentoring of graduate students is an important key to one-on-one research supervision and student success. This forum discussed establishing expectations, monitoring progress, providing feedback and maintaining motivation that result in successful development of student researchers.

Preparing a Course
Prior to preparing a syllabus, planning should include setting course goals & objectives, establishing evaluation policies, selecting teaching strategies, selecting & producing instructional materials, establishing administrative procedures and identifying a tentative schedule of course activities. This forum provided guidance in general course and syllabus development.