Strategic Plan

Mission 

The Center for the Advancement of Teaching (CAT) aims to advance passionate, reflective, and evidence-informed teaching. We contribute to Wake Forest’s distinctive mission by encouraging the development of teacher-student relationships that prepare all students to live examined, purposeful lives. 

We strive for continuous improvement by conducting qualitative and quantitative evaluations of our programs on a yearly basis.  CAT efforts are directed by a strategic plan with three main areas of effort: 1) Advancing teaching; 2) Cultivating systems; and 3) Contributing knowledge. 

Goals and Objectives

GOAL 1: ADVANCE TEACHING*
Prepare educators to teach in ways that align with the university’s educational mission.

  • Objective 1.1: Serve educators from all demographics and develop relationships that enhance teaching
  • Objective 1.2: Increase knowledge of teaching and learning and integrate knowledge with practice
  • Objective 1.3: Increase motivation to improve teaching and change teaching
  • Objective 1.4: Change teaching
  • Objective 1.5: Increase reflective growth as teachers 

*Teaching refers to all activities (inside and outside of the classroom) that support student learning through the creation of learning experiences

GOAL 2: CULTIVATE SYSTEMS
Facilitate structural support for teaching.

  • Objective 2.1: Contribute to improvements in curricula, assessments, educational structures and policies
  • Objective 2.2: Foster culture that values teaching

GOAL 3: CONTRIBUTE KNOWLEDGE
Contribute to national conversations about higher education.

  • Objective 3.1: Increase faculty participation in scholarship of teaching and learning
  • Objective 3.2: Raise the teaching profile of Wake Forest University

GOAL 4: Increase Use of Practices that Support Equity and Inclusion (RIDE Plan)

  • Objective 4.1: Increase the extent to which CAT programs are inclusive
  • Objective 4.2: Engage more faculty in learning about factors that support equity and inclusion in the classroom
  • Objective 4.3: Engage more faculty in directly working to increase equity and belonging in their classes

Learning Outcomes

Participants in CAT programs will….

  1. Develop relationships that enhance teaching
  2. Increase knowledge 
  3. Feel motivation to improve teaching
  4. Design high-quality courses
  5. Use feedback to inform teaching
  6. Integrate knowledge with practice
  7. Experience reflective growth 
  8. Consider content in the institutional context
  9. Advance scholarly skills and output