The University Teaching Council (UTC) at Kent State University is prepared and committed to provide Kent State’s second century of high-quality, lifelong learning. In conjunction with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), the UTC supports teaching and curriculum development to engage faculty and students in the learning process and provide excellence in scholarship.

Establishing the UTC

In 1992, Kent State University's Collective Bargaining agreement developed provisions for the support of teaching. Those provisions ultimately led to the establishment of the University Teaching Council (UTC). A contractually initiated committee to study faculty professional development (Faculty Professional Development Study Committee) wrote the enabling legislation for the UTC and guided it through the Faculty Senate. The study committee was composed of six people (two Faculty Senate representatives: Mary Lou Holly, Ph.D.; Jerry M. Lewis, Ph.D.; two administrators: Larry Andrews, Ph.D., and Thomas J. Barber, Ph.D., and two association members: Stephane Booth, Ph.D., and Michael Lee, Ph.D.).

The enabling legislation for the University Teaching Council was modeled on the structure of the University Research Council (URC). Parity with the URC in the form of financial support was sought. Although that parity was not obtained, provisions for additional kinds of grants (for travel, for learning and summer teaching projects among others) were designed. These included provisions for curriculum development as a key area for support as it relates to teaching and an annual conference to help build a community around the scholarship of teaching. Thus, the Celebrating College Teaching Conference was designed to identify, recognize, promote and celebrate the many positive teaching-related activities going on at Kent State.    

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If interested in more information about the UTC, please contact Vic Perera, UTC Chair.

Email Vic Perera

All full-time faculty are eligible for funding.  In addition, there are opportunities for part-time faculty to partner with full-time faculty on UTC grants. All grant requests must be submitted 30 days before the start date of the project or travel. Teaching Development Grants and Workshop Grants will only be reviewed during the academic year while Council is in session.

  • The annual UTC Celebrating College Teaching Conference is one among several opportunities to share and fulfill the main objectives of the teaching mission at Kent State University. This conference, which includes all eight campuses, takes place every year in the month of October.

  • Who was a really good teacher? The Kent State University Teaching Council wants to know.  Is there an instructor who motivated you to gain unique knowledge and insight or helped you to become engaged and responsible as a university student? Kent State teachers recognized by their students will be acknowledged at the university's Annual Celebrating College Teaching Conference. 

  • The Outstanding Teaching Award honors outstanding teaching by nontenure-track and part-time faculty at Kent State University. Every year, three Kent State faculty members are honored with awards of $1,500 each for their outstanding achievements in teaching. The Outstanding Teaching Award is the highest teaching award accorded to nontenure-track and part-time faculty at Kent State University. The award parallels the Distinguished Teaching Awards sponsored by the Kent Alumni Association.