About
To foster and sustain a culture that practices, values, and rewards teaching and learning as vital forms of scholarship at Lamar University, the Center for Teaching and Learning Enhancement has a mission to:
- Promote deep understanding of the scholarship of teaching and learning by assisting both individuals and groups of instructors to gather, analyze, and reflect on information about their own teaching and their students' learning.
- Cultivate dialogue about teaching pedagogies and learning theories through seminars, orientations, workshops, teaching and learning circles, and other programming.
- Foster the use of research-based best practices, models, and approaches to university teaching and learning, and facilitate access to resources that support them.
Our History
CTLE officially began on May 3, 2010 with the hiring of Dr. Todd Pourciau as the inaugural Director. The idea of a faculty development center had been proposed by the Faculty Senate and was envisioned to provide service for faculty development as well as oversee the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) developed in 2005.
In the fall of 2012, Dr. Steven J. Zani became the Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Enhancement and Dr. Melissa Hudler accepted the position of Director of the Quality Enhancement Plan: ACES Project. Upon the completion of the initial QEP, the ACES project was enhanced and expanded to become SMART (Support & Mentoring to Advance Research and Teaching), a faculty development project under the direction of Dr. Amy Smith, whose cohort groups receive support not only for innovative and sound teaching practice, but also mentoring and guidance for all aspects of academic life, including research and teaching, evaluation for tenure and promotion, university service, and more.
In Summer 2021, Dr. Ashley Dockens was selected to take the position of Director and Timothy Smith as Assistant Director. Together, they intend to continue and expand upon the efforts began by former directors and looks forward to serving the Lamar University community.
Our Team
Ashley L. Dockens, Ph.D., Au.D., CCC-A
CTLE Director
dept_CTLE@lamar.edu
Associate Dean of Policy and Procedure, College of Graduate Studies: lugradstudies@lamar.edu
Tenured Associate Professor (adjunct): adockens@lamar.edu
Wimberly Building, College of Graduate Studies - Office 219C
Timothy Smith, M.S.
Assistant Director Learning Technology & Instructional Design Support, CTLE
Blackboard Support Needs: blackboard@lamar.edu
Direct: tlsmith7@lamar.edu
Digital Learning Center - Office 103
Have Questions?
CTLE support is available 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. We are committed to the highest ideals of confidentiality in all matters.
Ashley L. Dockens | Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Enhancement
For questions about the CTLE: dept_CTLE@lamar.edu
For questions about Blackboard: blackboard@lamar.edu