Our Mission

Passionate

We believe that transformational learning depends on teachers who are devoted to the work they do with students. By creating opportunities to share and celebrate this work, we sustain the joy that is the foundation of successful teaching.

Relational

Understanding that learning occurs in and through relationships, Wake Forest has long prioritized one-on-one partnerships between teachers and students. We preserve this tradition by helping teachers foster meaningful relationships with their students.

Holistic

As a university grounded in the liberal arts, we are committed to educating the whole person. We support teaching that moves beyond the vocational, draws connections across disciplines, and helps students find their place in the world.

Inclusive

We are advocates for inclusive pedagogy, supporting Wake Forest’s work to extend access to educational opportunity. By helping teachers develop strategies that are respectful and supportive of all learners, we advance educational equity.

Reflective

We work to sustain a culture where reflective practice is considered an essential characteristic of teaching excellence. Reflective teachers are curious about student learning, eager to experiment, and willing to adapt in light of what they learn.

Evidence-Informed

As research on post-secondary teaching grows, we have a greater understanding of how students learn. We advance strategies informed by this work and empower teachers to answer their own questions by engaging the literature themselves.

Who We Serve

• Individual teachers, as they develop foundational teaching skills, adopt and evaluate new teaching strategies, and contribute to the scholarship of teaching and learning.

• Academic departments, as they assess student learning, redesign curriculum, and develop new processes to evaluate and support their teachers.

• University partners, as they build structures, set policies, and allocate resources to advance teaching priorities across the institution.

• The scholarly community, as it produces research to advance our understanding of teaching, learning, and educational development in higher education.

What We Do

• Provide targeted, evidence-informed guidance to individual teachers, departments, and university leaders.
• Host regular conferences, institutes, and workshops to both relay the latest research on teaching and facilitate the translation of theory into practice.
• Cultivate a supportive, interdisciplinary teaching community via reading groups, faculty learning communities, and informal networking opportunities.
• Offer financial support to teachers, departments, and researchers in the form of small-scale grants and awards.
• Advance national and international conversations about teaching through research, public scholarship, and professional service.
• Develop and sustain our expertise by consuming the latest research and experimenting within our own Wake Forest classrooms.