The Dr. Sandra J. Finley Teacher Scholar Certificate is designed to encourage instructors to become scholars of teaching by providing a structured process for the exploration of pedagogy from a discipline-based perspective. It also helps teaching assistants (TAs) develop a deeper understanding of the scholarly duties required in an academic position.

When you decide to work on the Teacher Scholar Certificate, contact CITL to be matched with a Specialist in Education who will be your consultant for the process. There is no time limit for completion of the requirements.

Certificate prerequisites

• For TAs: Complete the Graduate Teacher Certificate. 
• For other instructors: Complete the teaching, observation, student feedback, and workshop requirements described in the Teacher Scholar Certificate Application.

Certificate requirements

1. Teaching experience: Document your formal teaching activities for a minimum of three semesters at the University of Illinois. Formal teaching is defined as having regularly scheduled teaching duties with students in a classroom, studio, lab, or online. You must achieve a minimum of 4.0 on Instructor and Course Evaluation System (ICES) item #1 in at least one class.
2. Original work and its assessment: Submit an example of your original work (lesson, activity, major assignment, project, or lab) that has been assessed by your students or peers. Write a reflective essay about this work and its assessment.
3. Exploration of pedagogy: Complete one of the following activities. 
   • Write a review of pedagogical literature in your discipline that is based on five to six articles
   • Take a college teaching course
   • Participate in a regularly scheduled reading group or seminar series on teaching
4. Discipline-based service: Engage in a minimum of five hours of service service and write a reflective essay about what you learned from your experience. Options include teaching other instructors, performing committee work on campus or in a professional society, and engaging in discipline-based community or professional service.
5. Teaching philosophy statement: Write or revise your teaching philosophy statement It should be based on your teaching experiences in the discipline and connect to what you learned from participating in CITL’s Certificate Program.

Get started

All certificate requirements must be documented using the Teacher Scholar Certificate Application in consultation with your CITL consultant and/or a faculty member. The application contains more details for completing the certificate. The completed application must be submitted to CITL for review by your consultant. The submission deadline is April 15.