Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence

The Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence (SITE) is Penn State’s university-wide teaching center. We work with instructors, graduate students, and academic administrators to enact teaching excellence in their courses and academic units. Schreyer Institute faculty and graduate consultants Links to an external site. collaborate with you to address any aspect of teaching and learning. We do this through meetings with individuals or groups, workshops, short courses, and scholarly collaborations. When you work one-on-one with our consultants, the work is collaborative and confidential. This means we do not tell you how to teach and we never report to anyone about our work with you.

The Schreyer Institute supports Teaching Communities Links to an external site. at many campuses. All teaching communities are open to new members. Faculty can also apply for grants Links to an external site. to support  teaching scholarship, teaching communities, and curriculum and instruction renewal projects. We also support Teaching and Learning Scholarship (TLS: also known as Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, SoTL or Discipline-Based Educational Research, DBER). Our TLS faculty expert is ready to discuss research questions, study design, IRB approvals, analyses and methods, students as partners, data analysis, and presentation or publication opportunities. SITE also offers programs for graduate student instructors and TAs and administers Penn State's CIRTL Teaching Certificate Program Links to an external site..   

The Schreyer Institute also oversees the Pollock Testing Center, which includes in-person, computer-based exams using Canvas and exam scanning services (bubble-sheet processing). The Schreyer Institute manages the university’s midsemester and end-of-course student feedback surveys Links to an external site..

Meet our faculty!

Click on a picture to contact any of the Faculty Instructional Consultants to schedule a meeting.
Beate Brunow Larkin Hood Chas Brua Laura Cruz
Faculty Consultants
Cindy Decker Raynak

The Faculty Instructional Consultants and Researchers include: (top row, from left to right) Beate Brunow, Associate Director, Associate Research Professor; Larkin Hood, Associate Director, Associate Research Professor; Chas Brua, Associate Research Professor; Laura Cruz, Research Professor; (bottom row, from left to right) Deena Levy, Associate Research Professor; Cindy Decker Raynak, Sr Instructional Consultant & Designer; Mary Ann Tobin, Associate Research Professor

 

Primary Strategic Goals

Our mission is to advance teaching excellence. One of the Schreyer Institute’s strategic goals focuses on advancing equity and inclusion in teaching and learning. We offer resources and workshops and facilitate sustained conversations around inclusive and ethical pedagogy, as outlined in the Elements of Effective Teaching Links to an external site..

New and incoming faculty may want to contact the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence (SITE) to:

  • Design or plan a course 
  • Ask questions about teaching at Penn State
  • Discuss your syllabus or course design, develop assignments or exams and grading
  • Create an inclusive learning environment and encourage class participation
  • Request a course observation or a mid-semester class interview with your students
  • Interpret and respond to midsemester or end-of-course student feedback
  • Connect with other instructors through Teaching Communities or Teaching & Learning Scholarship
  • Design AI-conscious assignments

 

Top 5 Items Faculty Should Know About SITE

Top Items faculty should know about SITE

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We offer confidential coaching

We support you as you develop your teaching, we do not direct or evaluate your teaching. Your work with our faculty consultants is confidential. 

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We are personalized and present

We work with all faculty and instructors at all Penn State campuses. Schedule a one-on-one conversation with consultants in person or online to discuss any teaching topic or concern. 

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Our services are free and flexible

All of our services are free to anyone who teaches Penn State students, regardless of rank, title, or position.

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We work with beginners and beyond

Effective teaching is a moving target for everyone. We work with you if you’re new to teaching—or not.

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We offer customized connections

Instructors in each department, school, division, college, and campus have a dedicated Schreyer Institute unit liaison. Liaisons can connect you with colleagues in related fields across the university.

 

Relevant Programming for New Faculty

Teaching Communities and Events

New Faculty are welcome to join any Teaching Community Links to an external site., or participate in any event listed on our Events webpage Links to an external site.. 

 

SITE Fun Facts

SITE offered 250 teaching workshops, short courses, and events to Penn State Instructors.

SITE supported 15 Teaching Communities with more than 200 participating faculty. 

More than 1100 people from 21 Penn State campuses and every University Park College consulted with SITE about teaching. 

SITE awarded $60,000 in grants to faculty and academic units in support of teaching innovation, inclusive and ethical pedagogy, and teaching and learning scholarship.

 

Additional Resources and Contact Information

Resources

Contact Information

Main Office: 814.865.8681
Events: 814.863.2599
301 Rider Building (at the corner of Beaver Ave. and Burrowes St.), University Park campus
site@psu.edu