Initiatives

The following initiatives are campus-wide endeavors supported by the Center for Teaching and Learning in partnership with university administration and other campus agencies.

Investments Needed for Undergraduate Success and Equity (INFUSE) Initiative

The INFUSE initiative supports departments and faculty across the institution in making teaching improvements to increase student success and achieve equitable student outcomes while enhancing the teaching culture.

In support of Boise State’s Strategic Plan, proposed projects must focus on improving educational access and student success. Specifically, projects should be designed to cultivate a commitment to high-quality, new and innovative learning experiences in all courses, curricula and co-curricula. Projects funded through INFUSE must connect to this strategy by focusing on increasing student success through pedagogical interventions by creating or modifying individual courses to improve student equity. In addition, projects need to have a plan for engaging colleagues in dialogue around the teaching practices used and improvements in student success or educational access.

Implementing a Framework for Assessing Teaching Effectiveness (IFATE)

To improve teaching, Implementing a Framework for Assessing Teaching Effectiveness (IFATE) seeks to introduce a new strategy for assessing teaching and to explore challenges to its adoption with the intent to inform policy, practice, and future development/implementation of the framework. We envision a university educational system in which inclusive, learner-centered teaching is appropriately assessed, recognized, and rewarded. Therefore, we will lay the groundwork for institutional improvement and change across disciplines while enhancing the effectiveness of undergraduate education via effective assessment of teaching, professional development for instructors, and effective pedagogical techniques.

Promoting Educational Reform through Strategic Investments in Systemic Transformation (PERSIST)

Promoting Educational Reform through Strategic Investments in Systemic Transformation (PERSIST) was a Boise State project in the National Science Foundation WIDER program, which stands for Widening Implementation and Dissemination of Evidence-Based Reforms. WIDER aims to substantially scale up evidence-based instructional practices. WIDER’s ultimate goals are improved student learning and retention and increased number and graduation of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) majors, including under-represented students. Boise State PERSIST extends WIDER’s goal across the university.