Excellence in teaching is the hallmark of San Francisco State University. We take deep pride in our well-deserved reputation for providing our students with an unequaled education and our faculty with opportunities to enhance their talents and contributions at all stages of their careers. The Center for Teaching and Faculty Development promotes and supports teaching excellence by responding to the needs of the San Francisco State faculty in their multiple roles of teaching, engaging in the activities of professional achievement and growth, and working in and for an urban community defined, in great part, by its diversity.
History and Mission
In 1992 a resolution of the Academic Senate (#RS-92-106) recommended the establishment of a center for the enhancement of teaching, recognizing that "faculty professional development programs and activities encompass five broad areas:
- Research, scholarly activities, and creative endeavors
- Curriculum development
- Instructional skills development and pedagogy
- Community development
- Institutional development
In 2005, responding to increased demand for training and support in academic technology on our campus, the former CET was reorganized into two units: one unit merged AV/ITV with technology training and support and is now operating under the name Academic Technology. The second unit, now operating under the name The Center for Teaching and Faculty Development, has a renewed mission to support all faculty and continue the broad mission embraced by the original resolution of the Academic Senate. In early 2006, an associate dean was appointed to head the new department.
The Center is actively expanding its program of services offered to faculty to support classroom pedagogy and will continue to collaborate with other departments and units across campus to offer workshops, demonstrations, and forums related supporting faculty in their teaching, scholarship and service. In addition, the threefold mission of the Center- supporting all faculty at all stages of their careers in their roles as teachers, as scholars and professionals, and as persons- recognizes the wide diversity of opportunities, challenges and responsibilities those general areas imply.
Faculty Consultations
The Center has faculty/staff available to consult with you on topics related to teaching and professional development. We are happy to make individual appointments or to help with department-wide or group concerns in any way we can.
The Associate Dean and the instructional design staff of the Center are available to conduct observations of teaching and provide formative evaluations for individual faculty. While we do not evaluate course content or provide formal written evaluations for personnel files, we can provide constructive comments on the organization and presentation of materials, classroom dynamics, use of technology, and other pedagogical issues.
- To request a consultation, please call 338.6456 or email ctfd@sfsu.edu
Features and Highlights
New Faculty Orientation 2008 - 2009
Welcome New SF State Faculty!
Incoming faculty for the fall 2008 semester can register for New Faculty Orientation now. Additional details and resources are provided.
Accessibility Resources
Not sure how to create accessible Word or PDF documents?
The Center offers a number of guidelines for creating accessible instructional materials for your courses.
The Garden
Monthly Newsletter for SF State Faculty
The Center publishes a monthly newsletter highlighting a number of topics of interest to faculty of SF State.
Universal Design for Learning
Make your course concepts accessible for all your students
Find out how easy it is to implement UDL in all of your courses with these resources.
