Services and Programs
The Center for Faculty Development at University of Houston-Clear Lake provides a range of opportunities for faculty to enrich their teaching and research roles on campus.
For information about any of our programs, please contact us at facultydevelopment@uhcl.edu. We're also happy to set up a consultation session with your team or department to assess your needs.
Early submission for 2026-27 Communities of Practice is May 15.
* The final deadline to propose a Community of Practice for 2026-2027 will be August
31.
Faculty Communities of Practice
Purpose
Communities of Practice sponsored by the Center for Faculty Development assist all
faculty at UHCL with the opportunity to exchange and pursue knowledge on a specific
faculty development topic, including but not
limited to topics in teaching and learning, scholarship, career advancement, leadership,
and/or work-life balance. Staff members can propose to lead a community of practice,
as long as the topic is faculty development
focused.
Criteria
- The Community of Practice must assist with faculty development.
- Be open to all full-time and part-time faculty.
- Have a scheduled set of meetings.
- Have least 6 faculty members, including the coordinator, sign up for the community in the initial sign-up period.
Submission Guidelines
* The final deadline to propose a Community of Practice for 2026-2027 will be August 31, 2026.
Proposals Include
- Community of Practice Leader’s Name, Title, and Department/College, and email address
- Proposed Title of Community of Practice
- A clear, well-written, 2-3 sentence description that will be used to promote the CoP during the sign-up period
- A short paragraph that demonstrates the impact of the community on faculty development
- Meeting dates and times (Note: Based on our experience it is important to have a set of scheduled times and dates before sign-ups begin.) Meetings typically begin in October.
- Materials you will need for your group (pending budget)
- Maximum number of faculty (Note: 12 is a recommended maximum)
Selection Process
- In September, the CFD Newsletter will announce open enrollment for all CoPs. Prospective CoP leaders are encouraged to market their communities to increase faculty interest.
- Using the criteria above, the CFD will select sponsored communities after the initial sign-up period has ended.
Coordinator Duties
CoP Coordinators may receive a small stipend depending on final CFD budget (with funds split for co-leaders).The coordinator(s) of the Community of Practice is/are responsible for the following:
- propose the community, including meeting times
- attend Community of Practice orientation meeting in early fall
- coordinate the activities of the Community of Practice
- take attendance at the meetings
- complete monthly check-ins, which include attendance and a brief update.
- write a brief report at the end of the academic year.
If you have any questions or would like to brainstorm ideas for a CoP,
please contact Dr. Kay L. Colley at facultydevelopment@uhcl.edu.
proposal submission
Learning Innovators
The original faculty development activity at UHCL. Faculty are invited each month for an open discussion of all faculty development issues. Check out the CFD Calendar for times and locations.
Writing Challenges and Retreats
In October and February, we host a 4-week writing challenge of writing at least 30 minutes on research and scholarship 5 days out of each of the 4 weeks. Faculty are placed in accountability groups to help keep everybody on track. In December and May, we have a 2-day writing retreat when participants set aside time to focus on writing and research for those two days. Check out the CFD Calendar for times and locations.
Faculty Development Day
A one-day face-to-face internal conference on everything related to faculty development. This event has recently expanded to a one week conference. Check out the CFD Calendar for times and locations.
Faculty Fellows
CFD Faculty Fellows help the individual and university in an area of faculty development (e.g., writing across the curriculum, scholarship of teaching and learning, anti-racism pedagogy). Faculty Fellows receive a course release a year and funds for materials and travel. Faculty Fellows journey from gaining expertise in the topic area (Year 1) to teaching and informing UHCL faculty (Year 2) to making systemic changes at the university (Year 3). Proposals are due in the Spring. Here is the link to the latest Call for Proposals.
Consultations
The Center for Faculty Development can provide a wide array of consultations on different areas of faculty development. These include:
Midterm Feedback
We provide an online formative midterm feedback tool for your course. The assessment from your students is followed by a report for you and one-on-one consultation to determine next steps.
Classroom Observation
We can observe your class and provide a formative evaluation on teaching areas that are of concern to you. Typically, this includes an initial meeting, the observation, and a post-meeting.
Online Course Review
In coordination with the Instructional Design and Technology team, we can review your course on Canvas and provide a formative evaluation as well as suggestions for how to align your course with best practices for online course design.
Promotion & Tenure Documents
We examine narratives for 3rd Year Review and Promotion & Tenure. We are also happy to provide feedback on Annual Reviews.
Other Consultations
We are happy to consult with you on any other Faculty Development topic. If we can't help you, we consult with you to find someone who can.