Teaching Documentation Program
In recent years, the United States has become increasingly invested in the ability of its colleges and universities to provide a high quality and accessible undergraduate education to a wide variety of students, as evident by the release of the "Engage to Excel" report to President Obama by the President's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology (PCAST).1 The ability to teach well, in turn, has become a particularly sought-after skill and is, in addition to research skills, an increasingly valued factor in how faculty members are both hired and evaluated.
The Teaching Documentation Program (TDP) offered through the Office for Teaching and Learning enhances the excellence in undergraduate education at Wayne State, as well as strengthens the overall breadth of graduate student education. The TDP was developed with a focus on graduate students, however we also encourage the participation of postdoctoral fellows, lecturers, and part-time faculty in the TDP as a means of support for their future teaching-related career goals. The TDP offers formalized documentation of an individual's teaching development efforts.
In order to complete the TDP, each participant must satisfy requirements in four areas: theory, assessment, teaching improvement practices, and diversity in higher education. The TDP is designed to be a self-paced, flexible program that can be completed over the course of your graduate studies. Each component of the program emphasizes learning via active participation, developmental feedback, and critical self-reflection.
More information is available on the Teaching Documentation Program website.