The Appalachian College Association’s Center for Teaching & Learning serves as a forum for faculty and staff members to learn about and share innovative practices in pedagogy, student development, and student support with their colleagues across the ACA. The Center aspires to cultivate student-centered, evidence-based, innovative, and inclusive approaches to teaching and learning and to foster a culture of excellence in the scholarship of teaching and learning among the consortium’s faculty and staff.
The CTL functions as a “co-op” for ACA educators to share and learn from one another. Our work is dependent on members of the ACA actively contributing to this resource for others to then use. Submitting to these various areas is simple, as all contributions are templated and easy to use. In addition to these website resources, the Center hosts webinars and other webcasts (normally presented/facilitated by faculty and staff from member institutions) on important topics or themes related to our work as educators in the context of Appalachia.
Call for Proposals for Spring 2026 Series:
Teaching Exchange: Brown-Bag Conversations to Spark Practice
The ACA”s Center for Teaching & Learning seeks proposals from faculty and staff to facilitate sessions in the spring semester 
for its new initiative, Teaching Exchange: Brown-Bag Conversations to Spark Practice.
These 50-minute sessions are designed as collaborative spaces rather than formal presentations. Each online meeting invites faculty into a structured, interactive conversation about core issues in teaching and learning - and we encourage campus colleagues to join together "on-ground' with a meal, drink, or snack at their schools to participate in these discussions together.
Please submit your proposal by Friday, December 5, 2026.
CTL Fall 2025 Webinar Series
The ACA's Center for Teaching & Learning has completed its Fall 2025 Webinar Series. As always, we hope these diverse presentations provide our ACA colleagues opportunities to develop new and/or more effective approaches to teaching and learning. You may view these recorded session by clicking the links below.
Wednesday, October 22, at 12:00 - 1:00 pm (eastern)
Guiding First-Year Students in AI: A Traffic Light Approach
Rae Leonard, Assistant Professor of Online Education, Point University
This presentation introduces Point University’s Traffic Light system, a practical framework for guiding first-year students in the responsible use of generative AI. After a brief overview of commonly used AI tools, the session will explain why the system was introduced in the First-Year Experience course and how it supports students new to both college and AI. Designed for faculty, instructional staff, and administrators, the session provides a framework to help first-year students adopt responsible AI use in college.
Tuesday, October 28, at 12:00 - 1:00 pm (eastern)
Finding the Light: Building Resilience to Navigate Burnout and Support Student Well-Being and Success
Robert Cabin, Professor Emeritus of Environmental Studies, Brevard College
Building resilience is essential for navigating burnout and fostering deeper student learning, engagement, and well-being. Drawing on the latest research and my experience as a professor, coach, and consultant, we will explore how and why to cultivate resilience both in and out of the classroom. By the end of the session, participants will be able to 1) evaluate the importance of resilience in teaching, learning, and well-being, and 2) apply evidence-based resilience-building practices to enhance and maintain both their own and their students' well-being and success. This webinar is designed for all faculty and staff involved with student well-being, learning, and engagement.
Thursday, November 6, at 10:00 - 11:00 am (eastern)
The First Job Problem: Preparing College Graduates for Professional Success
Tara Kenyon, Assistant Professor of Business Administration, Montreat College
Employers consistently report that recent college graduates often fall short in areas such as motivation, professionalism, and communication—competencies that can determine whether new hires succeed or struggle in their first jobs. This webinar will explore what faculty can do to better prepare students for the transition from college to the workplace. Drawing on recent survey data and employer feedback, we will examine the readiness gap and highlight practical, adaptable strategies that can be integrated into existing courses. Participants will leave with concrete examples of assignments and activities that strengthen students’ workplace readiness, along with a framework for making small, intentional changes in their teaching that yield lasting benefits for graduates.
Wednesday, November 12, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm (eastern)
Strategies and Tools for Improving Your Online Teaching
Franklin Thomas, Associate Professor of Education, Campbellsville University
After many years of face-to-face teaching, this presenter moved to almost entirely online courses. Utilizing recent research and instructor experience, this session will share some simple strategies designed to cultivate connection and interaction (in and beyond class) between instructor and students as well as among students, and to enhance greater course engagement in the online setting. Strategies for optimizing basic Zoom tools (e.g., the chat feature, students’ video presence, best uses of breakout rooms, and the instructor’s “teaching studio”) will be explored. The session will share approaches used to “flip the script” on online discussion forums designed (among other goals) to take student thinking beyond the course texts and class discussions; to encourage students’ engagement with all initial responses (rather than just the ones to which they respond); to cultivate higher-order thinking; and to involve the instructor most effectively. This session will be most valuable to online faculty or instructors who make use of online components in their courses.
CTL Announces Its Summer Program Designed to Support New ACA Faculty
The Center for Center & Learning is pleased to announce for summer 2025 programming to support ACA faculty - especially new faculty (many of whom are joining our schools after extensive professional careers outside of traditional higher education) - as they prepare for fall semester.
We have collected and curated resources designed to support instructional preparation for the upcoming term. We hope these carefully chosen materials will provide you the needed supports to make your teaching experiences both rewarding and effective. These resources focus on the "fundamentals:" Syllabus design and development; assignment selection and formation; and tools for effective classroom teaching.
