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It was only a few years ago that centers for teaching and learning had their moment in the sun, lauded by many institutions for the support they gave to instructors during the pandemic switch to remote teaching and learning. CTLs rose to the occasion and were widely considered, at that time, to be indispensable.
Since 2021, however, the reality of enrollment shifts has hit all over the U.S., and with that, budgets have been squeezed in many different ways, especially at smaller, tuition-dependent colleges and universities. Institutions are looking for ways to cut costs, and CTLs are not immune to that pressure. But drastically slashing the CTL’s budget—or, worse to contemplate, eliminating a CTL entirely—would be an ill-considered and strategically dangerous move. Such an action would undercut an institution’s ability to fulfill its mission and serve its students well at a time when student retention rates assume even more of a critical importance. It would signal that leadership is unwilling to lend anything beyond rhetorical support for teaching and learning—work that is, of course, at the heart of any college or university’s reason for existence.
What can be done to continue to provide services to faculty and students in times of increasing financial pressure and to demonstrate an institutional commitment that goes beyond simply urging already-overloaded faculty and staff to do more with less? In this piece, we argue that CTLs can be flexible and adaptable to the changing times, remaining invaluable and mission-critical units on campus.
What needs to happen to ensure their survival is twofold: The center needs to clearly define its purpose, and the administration needs to make budgetary decisions to continue to provide what support is possible. The new financial realities we all face are not temporary; it is the responsibility of CTLs themselves to be strategic in their operations and use of limited resources and to maximize their value to their institutions.
As directors of faculty development and centers for teaching and learning on our own campuses, we certainly understand the need for CTLs to do their part in advancing this strategic work within the constraints dictated by the new landscape of higher education. Fortunately, CTLs have it within their very design and operations to be both proactive and reactive. Those of us working at CTLs proactively work with faculty to cultivate new ways of thinking about pedagogy, and to challenge them to reconsider assessment practices that create barriers to learning. CTLs also work effectively in reactive mode, most clearly demonstrated in their leadership in preparing professors for pandemic pedagogy. Presently, with the rapid rise of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, CTLs once again find themselves needing to react quickly and provide effective leadership in the face of dramatically changed circumstances.
Given that CTLs are flexible, we offer these pieces of advice for a center at an institution facing financial challenges:
- Focus on mission and work to ensure that, no matter what, the mission is central to all activities that the center runs. It’s easy to have other activities or issues take up time and space. Work to block that out and do the tasks that are most pressing.
- Continue to message the value of the center both by action and word. Do not be shy about sharing the effectiveness of the center, but back that up with programming and support that truly does improve learning on campus.
- Partner as much as possible with folks on campus who share your vision and mission. Do not shy away from co-sponsoring, co-facilitating or any other partnership that speaks to the mission of the center.
- Be frugal and strategic in budgeting. If the budget doesn’t cut it, when asking for additional funds, be sure to have the evidence that the money is necessary and will be used to advance the mission of the center.
- Finally, don’t be afraid to continue to evolve as a center. Be responsive to the institution, be responsive to the students and be an active advocate for the work being done.
As we move into uncertain times, we would call for this flexibility to be bi-directional. Administrators need to continue to recognize the value of CTLs in many ways: In terms of budget and staffing, where possible, and in terms of creating an institutional culture that supports the work of faculty in regards to teaching and student learning.
Centers need to be flexible and realize that old ways of doing things might not be entirely possible given the current climate in higher education. That doesn’t mean higher education can’t benefit from the work of teaching centers. The reconceptualization of what a center may be able to do relies on both the center and the administration readjusting goals and expectations and requires a touch of creativity to provide faculty and staff with the best possible opportunities to improve student learning outcomes. We are confident that the amazing folks who work in centers have this ability. We ask for open lines of communication so that teaching and learning centers can continue to survive and thrive.