Ignite

Are you interested in:

• learning how to create equitable, effective, and engaging courses?

• building a supportive, interdisciplinary teaching community?

• exploring your values as an educator in the context of a rapidly changing society and higher education landscape?

The Ignite program, with support from the Office of the Provost, provides new faculty (i.e., approximately four years or fewer at UVA) with the knowledge, skills, and supportive community they need to develop into exceptional and equity-minded teachers. The core program components include our Course Design Institute or c3Design and participation in learning community meetings for one semester.

Over the course of the program, Ignite Scholars will...

• build a supportive, interdisciplinary teaching network;

• use evidence-based practices to design equitable courses;

• begin to develop a teaching philosophy and practice that is aligned with their values and identities and cognizant of historic and societal context, institutional culture, and student needs; 

• implement approaches to teaching that foster vibrant, inclusive classroom communities and deep student engagement; 

• learn from experienced teachers; and

• prepare a teaching statement for performance reviews.

Ignite kicks off with an intensive course design experience where participants apply integrated, backward design principles and DEI frameworks to create rich, active, and inclusive classroom environments that support meaningful student learning. Scholars will then work in a small learning community twice per month in the fall or spring semester to support each other in implementing their courses, deepening their understanding of evidence-based practices, and developing their identities as equity-minded educators. They complete the program by drafting an evidence-based teaching statement in which they document and analyze their work with students.