The Center for Instructional Technology in Education has expanded its resources to the LRC.

The new center has a strong emphasis on assisting in all areas of instruction and enhanced support for faculty to help them in offering high quality instructions for all students.

After being approved by the Provost and Academic Cabinet last fall, CTL has made notable strides in order to get the office off the ground including program planning and events for this semester and reconfiguration of Room 128 in the LRC to better the workflow and activities envisioned for the CTL.

With the office’s main emphasis on faculty resources, it plans to expand on the areas of how classes are actually designed and what goes on in them on a daily basis, as well as continued help with technology related services such as EduCat.

Biology professor Jill Leonard said while the office mainly specializes on faculty, they still have services available for students and other professionals.

“The Center will offer a variety of support services to instructional faculty on campus ranging from one-on-one consultations to workshops and other events, including speakers from off campus,” Leonard said. “It will also serve as a central location for information about teaching on campus and will assist in providing grants for enhanced instruction.”

One student-focused program the office is holding this semester will be “Ask the Students: Building Rapport.”

The office will be bringing together a panel of students to give them the opportunity to talk with an audience of faculty to find out the difficulties of building a rapport with students, especially those classes dealing with a large number of students.

Leonard said that while the office just opened, they already have immediate goals they would like to meet in order to accommodate upcoming changes to the university.

“The Center is just getting started, but our immediate goals are to assist faculty in getting ready for the new Jamrich, which will include many new learning spaces that will enhance the student experience here at NMU,” Leonard said. “We are also working on a new program for new faculty development to help newly hired instructors get started at NMU as well as figuring out what the long-term plans for the Center should be.”

Sophomore secondary education mathematics major Carter Murray said it is important that resources are furthered, especially down the line as future employment closes in.

“From a pre-professional standpoint, the opportunities and second-hand benefits that are available from the office could really help make a candidate stand out,” Murray said. “I think it’s a great opportunity to provide constructive feedback to educators, especially young professors and also the importance to establish healthy relationships between them and the students.”

With office hours ranging from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, they’re making office resources and services ready and available to both faculty and students.

To find out more information about the CTL or more on upcoming student workshops, visit the Center for Teaching and Learning office in Room 128 of the lower level of the LRC.