2025 Postdoctoral Short Course on College Teaching
in STEM

January 21 - April 7, 2025

Applications for 2025 are closed

The purpose of this 10-week professional development course is to prepare postdoctoral scholars from a variety of STEM disciplines to teach effectively as future faculty members. You will learn a research-based framework that describes how students learn best in STEM courses. The framework will address three major questions:

• What do cognitive-science and neurobiology tell us about how students learn best?
• How can we deliberately cultivate a learning environment where all students are treated equitably, have equal access to learning, and feel valued and supported in their learning?
• How do we incorporate principles for effective course and lesson design into our teaching?

Throughout this course, you'll discuss and apply learning theory and strategies, develop instructional skills, create classroom and job search materials, and interact with U-M postdoctoral colleagues across the STEM disciplines. You will demonstrate your acquired skills through three capstone experiences:

• A practice teaching session;
• A syllabus for a course you may teach;
• A statement of teaching philosophy.

Eligibility

• This course is open to current University of Michigan postdocs in STEM disciplines (e.g., biological/biomedical sciences, computer & information sciences, engineering, environmental & geosciences, health sciences, mathematics & statistics, physical sciences, psychology & neurosciences).
• The course requires no tuition or payment from participants or their advisors. 
• To be eligible, an applicant's faculty supervisor MUST verify their support for the applicant's full participation in the program by responding to the email sent by [email protected] after submission of the application. 
• For questions, please e-mail [email protected]

PSC Format & Time Commitment

The course will be offered in a blended format, combining in-person and online synchronous and asynchronous interactions. Learning and engagement activities are expected to take about 5-7 hours per week, on average. We will progress through the content and learning activities as a cohort.

The PSC is organized into 10 weekly learning modules plus a course orientation module (see Schedule at a Glance). Seven of the weekly learning modules will also have a synchronous meeting (online or in person). We ask that you commit to attending all 7 synchronous meetings and completing all weekly learning modules*. 

CRLT has an institutional commitment to ensuring that all of our programs and events are accessible to all individuals. Please reach out to [email protected] if you believe you may need an accommodation or have questions about accessibility.