We strive to foster and advance excellence in academic administration, teaching and learning in the College of Letters & Science, the home of liberal Art and Sciences, and first year experience.
Our mission is to
- Provide information and tools to support L&S departments, programs, and units to best meet their instructional and academic responsibilities.
- Shape the direction and decisions about L&S policy and administration governing instructional and curricular activities.
- Advocate for the interests of students, instructors, units, and the College in pursuit of teaching and learning excellence, securing resources needed, and removing impediments.
- Enrich the student learning experience in the liberal arts and sciences through collaborations with L&S instructors and departments.
Our values are grounded in the four pillars of the WI Experience: Empathy and Humility, Relentless Curiosity, Intellectual Confidence, and Purposeful Action adapted to an administrative perspective that supports teaching and learning excellence. We approach our work with intention and purpose.
- We Empathize: With humility and respect, we engage with our departments, instructors, and administrators in their pursuit of excellence. We appreciate the diversity of our L&S community and seek to understand their perspective and needs.
- We Learn: We actively learn with students, expert instructors, scholars, and peers. We integrate and synthesize knowledge across our different functional areas. We work collaboratively and creatively to advance our mission of excellence in academic administration and teaching.
- We Act: We purposefully act, apply knowledge, create, and advocate. We are partners in achieving results that are functional and make good sense. We apply our expertise and knowledge to problem solve, lead and promote excellence efforts.
TLA has a broad range of functional areas.
Academic Policy and Guidelines
We create, shape, interpret, and apply academic, curricular, and instructional policy and guidelines. We authorize appropriate exceptions to policies and guidelines. We coordinate, consult, and advocate regarding policies and guidelines that are at the intersection of instruction with other areas, such as HR, budget, and the Graduate School.
Examples of these policies and guidelines are:
- Curricular and academic policy such as course and program policies, governance procedures around course & program changes, program review
- Instructional policy such as instructional qualifications, teaching assistant workloads, and language proficiency
- Graduate academic affairs: cohort planning and funding commitments, support for academic progress evaluation and feedback, academic appeals
- Coordination, consultation, and advocacy regarding policies that are at the intersection of instruction with other areas, such as HR, budget, the Provost Office, the Registrar’s Office, and the Graduate School
Academic Planning and Instructional Administration
We support informed planning and decision-making related to academic programs, curricula, courses, and instruction in alignment with campus policies and guidelines. We shepherd the governance processes and coordinate program review. We support departments in the implementation of academic plans.
Academic planning and governance support
- Changing existing academic programs or courses
- Developing and creating new programs and courses,
- Working with L&S Academic Planning Council, L&S Curriculum Committee, and other campus governance bodies
- Guide updates
- Facilitate Academic program Review
- Coordinate transfer evaluations
Instructional Planning
- Instructional staffing and TA plans
- Course access planning
- Summer term
Data resources
We provide regular and ad hoc data to inform L&S and departments, typically at the intersection of instruction, HR, Curriculum, and budget.
Foster Teaching Excellence
Our team leads, plans, coordinates and implements the L&S teaching and learning support services and initiatives to help instructors and departments continually pursue teaching excellence. Examples include direct support of instructors through Instructional Design Collaborative and College wide TA Training
We also seek to foster and celebrate teaching excellence through featured instructor stories in our podcast, newsletters, and webpages, and by administering the following programs:
- The Teaching and Learning Advisory Council
- L&S Teaching and Learning Liaisons
- L&S Graduate Student Advisory Council
- Campus-Wide TA Awards
- L&S Instructional Academic Staff Teaching Excellence Awards