Program offers graduate students opportunities to hone professional skills
Virginia Tech is an institutional partner in the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning, which offers free professional development workshops and courses.
Virginia Tech graduate students often juggle multiple roles as learners and researchers, teachers and mentors, and leaders and team members in classes, labs, centers, programs, and organizations.
Most of these roles involve teaching and learning, and the university’s Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) offers graduate students and postdocs professional development programs to help them deepen their skills and succeed.
The center is part of a national partnership. At the university, it is a collaborative initiative led by the Graduate School and the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. It is part of a larger network of 45 universities that stretches across the United States and Canada and include an institution from the United Arab Emirates.
The program was founded with a focus on learning and teaching in higher education with a particular focus on graduate students and STEM fields. While the program continues to have a strong interest and support for those fields, it has since broadened its focus to disciplines beyond them.
Benefits for students
Catherine Amelink, director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, said the Graduate School and her center work together to provide graduate students who work with undergraduate students exposure to effective pedagogical practices.
“As an active member of the CIRTL network, Virginia Tech graduate students can also participate in workshops and professional development activities that will position them as leaders as they move into future careers,” Amelink said. “CIRTL provides an additional value-add as our graduate students can engage with peers and institutional leaders nationally who are dedicated to supporting teaching and learning across the educational enterprise.”
Graduate School Dean Aimee Surprenant, the institutional leader for CIRTL at Virginia Tech, said the program offers a wide range of opportunities to develop skills in addition to their degree courses and research. “Virginia Tech’s partnership with CIRTL underscores our commitment to providing holistic education for our students that goes beyond their academic disciplines,” Surprenant said. “These opportunities allow our graduates to be highly competitive for careers in academia, industry, or whatever path they choose to take.”
Free courses and broad network
Tiffany Shoop, the administrative co-leader for the center, said Virginia Tech joined the network in 2022 and participates by developing local programming and making network workshops, non-credit courses, and programs available to students. Shoop said the network offers courses and workshops focused on teaching-related knowledge that can be used in academic and educational environments as well as nonacademic contexts, such as industry or government.
“The CIRTL network regularly offers programming focused on various aspects of evidence-based teaching as well as career exploration and preparation,” Shoop said. “Our students have access to these offerings, which are facilitated by experts from institutions in the CIRTL network.”
All the center's workshops and courses are available online and at no cost for Virginia Tech graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, regardless of program or campus. Shoop said the workshops, events, and courses offer opportunities to network with counterparts across the network.
Associate Teaching Program and badges
The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning also offers the Associate Teaching Program for current graduate students and postdocs that began in 2023. Participants don't need teaching experience or responsibilities but must go through the application process, which is not difficult, she said. The program is administered on Canvas, and she sends out regular notices about program information and requirements each semester. When students complete the program, they receive a digital badge, which they can use on resumes and social sites such as LinkedIn.
Shoop said participants have multiple options for completing the program requirements. “Participants can choose from four options to engage in programming focused on foundational knowledge about teaching and learning,” she said. “All participants will also complete a teaching philosophy activity, which gives them a start on developing a teaching portfolio.”
The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning plans to launch the next level of its local programming, the Practitioner Teaching Program, during the 2025-26 academic year. For more information, visit the CIRTL website, or email cirtl@vt.edu.
