This framework establishes an aspirational set of expectations for effective teaching toward which all SLU instructors should strive. The Essential Practices are intentionally broad. Each instructor will animate the Essential Practices in different ways, at different times, based on a variety of contextual factors including: discipline, teaching philosophy, class sizes, course modalities, student populations, course levels, degree of teaching experience, and more. The Graphical Representation provides a high-level look at the interconnectedness of the framework's three dimensions.
The framework is also downloadable in this print-friendly PDF version.
The framework can inform many aspects of the teaching enterprise at SLU, including instructor self-reflection and professional development, evaluation of teaching as part of annual review and promotion/tenure review, and much more. This graphic articulates just some of the possible uses for the framework.
The framework was developed through an iterative and community-engaged process, during Phase 1 of the Teaching Effectiveness Project. To learn more about the framework and how it came to be, see the Final Framework: Background page on this website. The framework was approved in May 2025, after endorsement by Faculty Senate (with 95% of senators voting to endorse) and by the Council of Academic Deans and Directors (with 100% of members voting to endorse).
Placing learning at the center of course design, instructional choices, and assessment strategies
Align teaching and assessment methods with intended learning
Use evidence-based instructional methods that actively support learning
Create multiple opportunities for students to learn and to demonstrate their learning
Provide formative feedback that promotes student learning
Explain instructional choices and course expectations with transparency about the rationales
Engaging with students in ways that
support growth and foster belonging
Create inclusive learning environments that promote free and active intellectual inquiry
Promote an ethos of cura personalis in their teaching
Treat students as capable of developing their ability to learn
Provide equitable learning opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds and experiences
Connect course learning to a broader purpose or impact
Investing in teaching as a reflective
practice that evolves over time
Articulate their views on teaching and learning
Reflect on their choices as instructors and the impact of those choices on student learning and experience
Solicit and engage with feedback on their teaching
Revise course design in response to professional development, patterns in student learning, and/or changes in disciplinary knowledge
Adapt instruction (in real time and over time) in response to student learning needs
Basic Teaching Responsibilities: Instructors also are expected to follow all University, College/School, and Department/Program policies related to teaching. These basic teaching responsibilities include (but are not limited to): being present for all class meetings, holding consistent office hours, composing syllabi aligned with stated requirements, creating and communicating a course schedule, keeping course records, maintaining standards of academic integrity, adhering to ADA accommodations, and submitting grades on time. These expectations are documented on the Provost’s Office Policies web page and in the Faculty Manual.
Belonging and the Teaching Effectiveness Framework: identifies representative examples of the framework's Essential Practices that promote belonging.
Uses for the Teaching Effectiveness Framework: graphic representation of the various ways the TEF might be used.
Glossary: definitions for key terms in the framework.
Representative Examples of Essential Practices: a set of examples of some of the ways different instructors might demonstrate the Essential Practices in their own courses and instructional contexts.
Curated References: a set of resources that were particularly informative for the development of the framework. As the document explains, it is not possible to provide an exhaustive list of the wide array of published research that supports adoption of the Essential Practices.
Using the TEF to Reflect on Your Teaching: a downloadable MS Word document that can be used by individual instructors. It offers an adaptable tool to foster reflection on your teaching and your growth as a teacher. Note: This document is not appropriate for use by academic leaders to evaluate teaching.
The Reinert Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning: SLU's teaching center provides digital resources, in-person and virtual programs, and services for individual instructors to support adoption of all elements in the framework. Many of the Center's digital resources are tagged with elements from the framework.