What is the Forum Network?
In December 2016, a task force met with the goal to reimagine how IUPUI can support advances in the work of the Center for Teaching and Learning while also expanding to a more holistic approach to the support of faculty and other educators to achieve their professional goals. Recommendations from the task force included the creation of a physical space to support learning, instruction, leadership, and innovation. The resulting outcome of this work is a coordinated "one-stop-shop" for faculty support known as the Forum Network.
The Forum Network at IUPUI is an integrated coordinating structure that supports faculty collaboration and creativity. It's mission is to foster community, create coherence across resources, and support development for educators of all ranks at IUPUI, IUPUC, and IU Fort Wayne.
The Forum Network achieves its goals through three interconnected strategies:
The Faculty Crossing
Located in University Library, the Faculty Forum is a technology-rich space that provides faculty members of all ranks with a place to meet for self-directed collaboration. While it will host some programming, the Faculty Forum’s primary goal is to be a resource for cooperative curricular development. Faculty members are encouraged to use the space to meet with collaborators, experiment with teaching technologies, or just get some work done while enjoying a cup of coffee. The Faculty Forum can be accessed during regular library hours using a Crimson Card.
The Virtual Forum
The Virtual Forum is the online home of the Forum. Its primary feature is the Repository, a collection of peer-reviewed teaching materials created by faculty members at IUPUI and IUPUC. Developed in collaboration with ScholarWorks, the Repository is a powerful tool for disseminating best practices in teaching and making connections with like-minded practitioners on campus. The Virtual Forum is always accepting submissions for the Repository. Find out more and submit your teaching materials.
The Forum Council
The Forum Council is comprised of leaders from various centers, divisions, and offices focused on faculty development, together with representatives from the IUPUI Faculty Council, FACET, and Faculty Fellows. The Forum Council meets monthly to set policy and establish long term goals for all aspects of the Forum. The Forum Council also oversees the Forum Fellows program.
What is the Forum Fellows program?
The mission of the Forum is carried out by the Forum Fellows, a group of faculty innovators dedicated to promoting scholarly teaching and the scholarship of teaching and learning. In addition to managing programming in the Faculty Forum, the Forum Fellows conduct and disseminate research on faculty development. The Forum supports fellows for a one-year term with the possibility of a one-year extension.
How does the Forum "fit" with other campus units?
The Forum was created in response to an assessment of IUPUI's teaching support resources that identified the need for “a place designated for collaboration and creativity” animated by faculty interest rather than institutional fiat. Its focus on teacher-to-teacher collaboration is what separates the Forum from instructional support offices like the Center for Teaching and Learning. Similarly, its focus on building community on campus at IUPUI and IUPUC differentiates it from statewide organizations like FACET. The Forum augments the work of these and other resources by addressing the previously underdressed need for faculty collaboration.