/Office of the Provost
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching

CELT Programs and Initiatives

CELT hosts many programs and events throughout the year to support faculty and share best practices in teaching and learning. Take a look at the descriptions below and view our Events Calendar for current offerings.

Custom Workshops:  We are happy to work with departments to create custom workshops for your faculty. If you have an idea for an event or wish to collaborate with us, please email celt@stonybrook.edu 

View CELT Events Calendar

 

Workshop Descriptions

In these workshops, we discuss strategies to create inclusive and accessible learning environments focusing on development of syllabi, assessments and instructional content, Universal Design for Learning and digital accessibility.

Active Learning Community and Classroom Training at Stony Brook University aims to transform your teaching approach. Start with a hands-on workshop that explores active learning strategies and classroom technologies that foster student engagement and participation. You'll experience activities like think-pair-share, jigsaw, and fishbowl, and receive training on leveraging active learning classroom features.

This can be followed by a field trip to an Active Learning Classroom(ALC) to test classroom technologies and brainstorm how to apply them to your class. Other workshops cover formative assessment techniques, VR/XR immersive learning, and group work integration to enhance collaboration and critical thinking among students. Equip yourself with innovative tools to create a dynamic and inclusive learning environment.

You can also join our Active Learning community group to stay updated with the latest technologies and teaching practices. Email us at celt@stonybrook.edu if you are interested in joining the ALC group.

The landscape of Generative AI is changing daily.  Keep up with the latest technologies, tips and strategies through our Generative AI in Higher Education Workshop Series, which includes the following topics:
  • Generative AI in Higher Education: A Crash Course for Faculty and Staff
  • Generative AI in Higher Education: A Deep Dive into Assessment Redesign
  • Generative AI Bootcamp: How Can AI Make Your Life as a Professor Easier
  • Generative AI in Higher Education: Solutions for Asynchronous Courses
We also offer two to three Generative AI panel discussions each semester on a range of topics such as ethics, academic integrity, and the student perspective. These events bring together our community to explore and learn about generative AI together.

Assessment-focused workshop topics offered to the SBU community at large rotate each semester. Topics offered include but are not limited to assessment fundamentals, designing and using rubrics, authentic and innovative assessment strategies, designing and delivering effective exams, and classroom assessment techniques. Custom workshops are also available upon request for specific departments or groups.

The Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) workshop is designed specifically for Stony Brook University faculty. This workshop will provide faculty with the tools and strategies to integrate global collaboration into the curriculum, enhancing student engagement and cross-cultural understanding.

Learn how to design and implement COIL projects, connect with international partners, create meaningful learning experiences that transcend borders, as well as assess student intercultural competence and academic learning objectives, ensuring that your COIL initiatives are both impactful and measurable.

Offered in partnership with the Center for Inclusive Education (CIE), the College Teaching Seminars is a bi-weekly series of 8 seminars designed for graduate students and postdocs, divided between Fall and Spring semesters.

In each 1.5 hour session you will explore relevant topics in college teaching such as inclusive pedagogy, student engagement, learning and teaching in STEM, and AI in the classroom. The sessions are a mix of interactive sessions, presentations, and panel discussions, facilitated by CELT staff and faculty guest speakers. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in activities that will help you apply the practices to your own discipline.

If you attend 6 or more sessions in one academic year, this can count as one piece of your College Teaching Basics badge.

CELT offers continued training in online teaching and learning. 

Online Teaching Course (OTC): The Online Teaching Course (OTC) is an introduction to teaching online. This training is designed to give you the experience of an online student while learning about evidence based strategies for effective and engaging online learning environments. Each training is faciliated by a member of the CELT team and is held in Brightspace.

Online Teaching Course Refresher (OTC-R): Need a refresher? Online education is constantly changing at a fast pace. This short self-paced course is designed to keep you up to date on the latest evidence based strategies for effective and engaging online learning environments. This course is for those who completed the OTC more than three years ago.

The CELT Teaching and Learning Symposium aims to bring together educators throughout campus to engage in meaningful discussions about innovative teaching and learning practices. This event is held every spring semester and features a distinguised keynote speakers and several breakout sessions throughout the day. To learn more visit the CELT Symposium webpage for the most up to date information.

CELT has launched an initiative that aims to investigate and promote the use of virtual reality (VR) to support teaching and learning at SBU and beyond. As part of this effort, CELT has organized several VR workshops both within SBU and at SUNY CIT conference to introduce VR and relevant VR learning tools situated in different disciplines within  higher education.Additionally, we are also collaborating with interested faculty members on research projects that shed light on the effectiveness of VR learning.

 

SUNY Trainings and Workshops 

 

SUNY Trainings and Workshops

SUNY Professional Development Opportunites
SUNY has many workshops and events around a variety of topics in Teaching and Learning including

  • Universal Design for Learning Self Paced Online Course
  • Project Management Fundamentals
  • Grants and Proposals
  • Inclusive Teaching

And many more! Check out their Program and Events Calendar

SUNY CPD Points

Stony Brook University is a member of the SUNY Center for Professional Development (CPD). As an active member Stony Brook receives a number of professional development "points" that may be used by Stony Brook employees to pay for the cost of registration to SUNY CPD-sponsored academic program events.

We have a limited number of points to share with the SBU community. Please email celt@stonybrook.edu if you are intested. 

 

CELT Celebrates!

CELT is dedicated to celebrating and recognizing Stony Brook University faculty for their exceptional teaching practices and passion for higher education. Each year, we honor outstanding educators through our Celebration of Teaching awards and invite students to share their gratitude through our campus‑wide Thank‑a‑Teacher initiative.

 

Celebration of Teaching Awards

The CELT Celebration of Teaching honors Stony Brook University faculty, instructors, and teaching assistants who have demonstrated excellence in teaching. Nominated by peers, students, and staff, recipients represent excellence across eight award categories. Since its launch in 2017, the program has recognized more than 40 instructors whose dedication has transformed the student experience and strengthened our academic community.

Learn More About the Celebration of Teaching 

Thank-a-Teacher

Every year, CELT invites students to celebrate the educators who have truly made a difference in their learning journey. Across the university, students share heartfelt messages of appreciation for the instructors who have inspired, supported, and empowered them. To all the educators who spark curiosity and transform lives, thank you for everything you do!

Learn More About Thank-a-Teacher