What is ATEP (Adjunct Teaching Excellence Program)?

Based on a model at Boise State University and DU’s University College, this program provides a pathway for DU’s adjunct faculty to demonstrate their teaching skills, develop and reflect on their practice, and earn a certification of their teaching excellence. This expands DUs commitment to investing in the professional development of our adjunct series faculty who play a significant role in the student experience and in the classroom. 

Part-time faculty offer their subject-matter expertise, pedagogical skills, and support for DU’s students, advancing our mission to be a private university devoted to the public good. We cannot sustain transformative education without recognizing and developing our adjunct faculty members. Often in R1 institutions the perception of the adjunct professorial series an as institutional outsiders increased as research TT are valued more. DU has a committed pool of adjuncts necessary to the teaching enterprise and to our overall workforce. Investing in their success is important to retaining a high-quality adjunct faculty pool and engaging experts and professionals in the learning experience to help train the next generation of practitioners.

The Adjunct Faculty Teaching Excellence program, designed by the Office of Teaching and Learning and the Office of Faculty Affairs, emerges from our commitment to investing in the professional development of our adjunct series faculty. This program promotes growth as a scholarly and reflective teacher and offers opportunities for community building and integrative reflection. 

Participation

The program provides both synchronous and asynchronous options in seven competency areas: 

Inclusive Teaching Practices

Teaching with Artificial Intelligence (AI)

This curated set of professional development opportunities is selected for part-time instructors. Faculty participants must complete five of these competences and will receive a Teaching Excellence Certificate upon completion of the program. 

If you already signed up, you should see the Adjunct Teaching Excellence Course appear in your Canvas. If you have questions about how to access the Canvas course, please reach out to the Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL) at otl@du.edu.