August 4, 2006 Source: :
http://newsrelease.uwaterloo.ca/news.php?id=4762 Carnegie recognizes UW, St. Jerome's University for leadership in teaching and learning The Carnegie Foundation has recognized the University of Waterloo's leadership in teaching and learning as well as St. Jerome's University's strong emphasis on the liberal arts, selecting both institutions to participate in the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) institutional leadership program. The program recognizes institutions with demonstrated commitment to and capacity for action, inquiry and leadership in the scholarship of teaching and learning. UW and St. Jerome's join other North American and British post-secondary institutions for a three-year program of collaboration and inquiry focused on improving student learning and promoting institutional change in the support of teaching and learning. UW was chosen for its commitment to supporting the improvement of student learning, promoting significant institutional change and demonstrating collaborative leadership, all recognized by the Carnegie academy as vital contributions to the scholarship of teaching and learning. It will be joining nine other research-intensive institutions to explore the theme of undergraduate research. "The University of Waterloo is strongly committed to the advancement of the scholarship of teaching and learning, to the integration of best practices in teaching, and the establishment of benchmarks to gauge the impact of new approaches to teaching and learning across the disciplines," said UW president David Johnston. UW has established a campus-wide core of faculty leaders and researchers in the scholarship of teaching and learning, who are committed to the continuing development of teaching excellence. "Our selection as an institutional leader significantly deepens and broadens opportunity for collaborative research in undergraduate learning with other North American and international research universities," said Gail Cuthbert Brandt, UW's associate vice-president, academic. St. Jerome's, federated with UW since 1960, was selected because of its long-standing commitment to liberal arts education as well as its current plans for innovation and enhancement in the delivery of higher education. It will be joining seven other institutions to explore the theme of core curriculum in liberal education. Myroslaw Tataryn, acting president as well as vice-president and academic dean, points to some specific elements in St. Jerome's educational plan as key to its recognition by CASTL. "This coming fall, St. Jerome's will launch a new mentoring program for first-year students, designed to help them with the transition to university," Tataryn said. "The concept of this program builds on the learning community which has long been at the heart of the St. Jerome's student experience." He said St. Jerome's plans to expand the program to include all aspects of the student experience and the establishment of educational benchmarks that chart a student's progress throughout their degree. St. Jerome's is also completing its inaugural year in the Intercordia program, an innovative service-learning opportunity that allows students to spend three months in a developing country after a year of study and preparation. Twelve St. Jerome's students are currently in the midst of their three-month placements in countries around the world. The Carnegie Foundation was founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905 with the aim of upholding and advancing the cause of higher education. Today, it is a North American leader in educational research, program development and policy initiatives. Other Canadian institutions participating in various themes of the CASTL program are Ryerson University, Queen's University, University of Alberta, University of British Columbia and University of Victoria.
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