NYU Center for Teaching and Learning

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Winter Newsletter from the NYU CTL

by Tarun Charaipotra
CTL Holiday Card

A Season to be Grateful

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) team wishes you a joyous holiday season and a restful break. We also extend our sincere gratitude: The CTL has had a remarkably productive, collaborative, and energizing year, thanks to you and the incredible NYU community.

This fall, as part of the University’s How We Teach initiative, we launched many new programs and expanded others—leading to truly inspiring results. Through it all, we benefited from meaningful partnerships with faculty, administrators, and students from across the global NYU community. 

CTL Reads bookclub attendees chat about the book at the end of semester event.
Faculty Learning Community gathering

Semester in Review

This was a semester of firsts for the CTL. Not only was it our first full semester at 18 Washington Place, but the first time for:

  • Faculty Learning Communities (FLC): FLC grants were awarded to 20 faculty groups, on topics ranging from interdisciplinary team teaching to addressing GenAI in writing courses.
  • Student Activities Grants (SAG): Funding for experiential learning opportunities was awarded to 44 NYU faculty. Activities included Broadway plays, museum visits, guided historical tours of NYC neighborhoods, and much more. 
  • CTL Reads Book Club: Two enthusiastic cohorts discussed How Learning Works: Eight Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching. One participant described hearing what fellow faculty had to share as “empowering and instructive.”
  • Reaching All Learners Institute (RALI): 16 faculty completed the CTL’s first teaching institute. Look for similar (and more) opportunities this spring.
CTL Reads book club attendees show off their books at a bookclub meeting.
CTL Reads book club

Building on Success

In addition to new initiatives, the CTL’s existing programs continued to flourish:

  • 483 community members attended 7 TeachTalks (watch them all on the TeachTalks channel).
  • The Student Faculty Partners Program (SFPP) facilitated 10 faculty-student curriculum design partnerships, with one participant reporting that the program “had an immediate impact on my teaching.”

Application Deadlines

Students visit the Tenement Museum with the class.

The Student Activities Grant supports academically enriching activities outside the classroom—such as museum visits, cultural events, or other community-engaged experiences that take advantage of NYU’s vibrant connections to New York City.

Complete application form by Dec. 22.

Faculty Learning Communities meet to discuss student partnerships.

The Student Faculty Partners Progam invites full-time New York–based faculty to collaborate with a student partner during the spring 2026 term. Over the semester, pairs work together to share perspectives and deepen understanding of teaching and learning. 

Apply to SFPP by Jan. 5.

Two dental faculty members look at footage on a digital microscope.

The Teaching Advancement Grant aims to help NYU faculty members undertake projects that will enhance student learning and promote innovative teaching practice.

Submit project proposals by Jan. 23.

Learning Lens

Need some reading material this break? The Learning Lens—the official blog of the NYU CTL—published five posts this fall, most recently:

Have a teaching-related strategy, project, or experience to share with the NYU community? Pitch your Learning Lens ideas to teaching@nyu.edu.

*Please share this page with your faculty colleagues to help grow our community.

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