Faculty Learning Communities >>Who is eligible?
Any faculty member or staff at the University of Miami School of Medicine is eligible.
What is a Faculty Learning Community?
A faculty learning community is a group of 5 to 8 faculty members or staff who engage in regular meetings for the purpose of increasing their knowledge about teaching, their motivation to pursue innovations, and to become more reflective and scholarly in their approach to teaching. The learning communities are expected to maintain their engagement for a year, although they may dissolve when they have met their objectives.
There are two categories of Learning Communities. One category comprises the cohort-based communities. These are aimed at enhancing the individual growth of the members in teaching, learning, career or personal development. Examples of cohort-based learning communities at the UMSM are: Departmental Chairs for Enhancing Leadership, Orientation for Junior Faculty, Faculty Interested in Education as a Career Path. The Second category, topic-based communities, are aimed at specific teaching and learning need, issue, or opportunity. Examples of topic-based learning communities suggested at the UMSM are problem-based tutoring, portfolio development, geriatric education and small group learning.
What resources support the communities?
The Educational Development office has a modest amount of funds, up to $1000 per learning community, to buy books, food for meetings, or defray other expenses that may be incurred by the learning community. In addition, the resource persons of the Educational Development Office, Dr. Richard Tiberius and other members, will help coordinate and facilitate the learning communities and help the communities locate appropriate information resources and consultants. Our office will handle room scheduling, meals, publicity and budget items.
What do you gain from joining a learning community?
Members of the communities will emerge with a tangible outcome: a paper presented at a conference, a publication, evidence of the success of a new skill measured with appropriate measures, new resources, connections with other teachers who have similar interests, friendships, and skill in the scholarship of teaching.
What does the School of Medicine gain from your joining a learning community?
Members of learning communities often become peer consultants, present seminars to other faculty and consult with other faculty in areas in which they have developed expertise.
How can you join a Learning Community?
Ask for one of the specific applications or suggest a learning community of your own. Applications are available here on the Educational Development Office Website as either a PDF file or a Microsoft Word Document. You may also contact Richard Tiberius at rtiberius@med.miami.edu.
FLCs that are currently meeting:
The EDO is currently sponsoring four faculty learning communities:
FLCs that are developing:
Several other learning communities are currently forming. If you have any interest in these please contact the relevant person.
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