Nancy's Note (Feb 2026)

As enrollments increase in some courses, faculty are asking thoughtful questions about how some of their foundational teaching practices can evolve with scale: how can we facilitate meaningful participation in larger classes? What grading approaches allow us to provide timely, useful feedback? How might AI help with course prep and grading?

In response, the Faculty Commons will host a Teaching at Scale series in March, focused on practical approaches to supporting learning, engaging students, preparing for class, and grading efficiently as courses grow in size.

Our attention to this need is intentionally organized as a thematic series. When I worked at Vanderbilt's Center for Teaching, we found that series-based programming was especially effective for more complex issues.  Rather than compressing a range of questions into a single workshop or guide, a series allows us to take up related topics (here, class prep, participation, grading, and teaching larger classes across modalities) with greater focus and care.  It also gives faculty multiple entry points and the flexibility to engage with what they need most.