While this time of year is full of new things—backpacks, pencils, and notebooks—we’re especially excited about a new division: TIPS, or The Division for Teaching Innovation and Program Strategy.
This division collaborates with faculty, staff, and administrators on educational credit and noncredit programs, whether they are on-campus, online, or hybrid. TIPS officially launched in June so that it would be ready for the fall semester and brings together the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, program development, microcredentials, and Academic Technology and Training.
The four areas are co-housed on the third floor of the Learning Commons. “TIPS consolidates services from a number of places,” says Katie Linder, Associate Vice Chancellor for Digital Strategy and Learning. “Now these services are all in one area and we can proactively support faculty, staff, and administrators.”
The timing is right for this one-stop-shop approach because it supports CU Denver’s commitment, as outlined in the 2030 strategic plan, to be a university for life, as well as the goals established by the Digital Strategy Task Force report for pedagogical support and a hybrid campus model. “It is aligned with our areas of growth,” Linder says. “When we talk about a hybrid-campus model, this is what it looks like because we can support teaching in all modalities in one place.”
The knowledge gained during the past three academic years will help CU Denver implement these goals, expand knowledge, and grow. Linder hopes the streamlined model also helps encourage creativity for faculty as they develop new classes, implement inclusive pedological strategies, and improve student learning experiences. “I think that one of the best ways to care for our students is to care for our faculty,” Linder says. “You’re going to be able to come to TIPS and get what you need.”