Developing Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) on a Regional Campus
Shawn Boyne (University of Minnesota, Crookston) and Rosemary Erickson Johnsen (University of Minnesota, Crookston)
The University of Minnesota Crookston (UMN Crookston), an undergraduate-only regional campus, launched a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) initiative to support faculty research on effective teaching practices. Prior to 2023, UMN Crookston had little to no engagement with SoTL, as their tenure system required research and dissemination to be placed on faculty who are required to fulfill a four-by-four teaching load. This expectation limited their ability to conduct research that informs and improves student learning. This initiative sought to address that challenge by forming a cohort that provided interdisciplinary collaboration, expert guidance, and institutional support for faculty research.
Led by Shawn Marie Boyne and Rosemary Erickson Johnsen, the initiative recruited 15 faculty members from various academic departments. The participants engaged in a structured research process led by Jeff Lindgren from the Center for Educational Innovation, with guest experts from the University of Minnesota branches of Duluth and Twin Cities. Through this meeting, the faculty defined research hypotheses, gained IRB approval for data collection, and created a cohort presentation and abstracts. They also submitted a manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal and developed a campus research day poster.
This program highlights a model for increasing faculty research engagement at regional institutions. By integrating SoTL into faculty development, UMN Crookston will create a culture of evidence-based teaching while addressing structural barriers to research. This initiative demonstrates how institutional support and cross-campus collaboration can enhance both faculty scholarship and student learning experiences.
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Note from the authors
How can academic affairs administrators foster robust Scholarship of Teaching and Learning practices on a regional baccalaureate campus? Fulfilling tenure-system faculty requirements for scholarly research at a teaching institution alongside 4-4 teaching loads is a challenge, but supporting faculty in SoTL engagement shows them how it draws on their expertise to yield meaningful benefits for themselves as teacher-scholars and for their students. To lay a solid foundation for a new programmatic emphasis on SoTL, academic leadership at the Crookston campus of the University of Minnesota harnessed system resources available through the Center for Educational Innovation to a supportive cohort model. The 15-participant 2024-25 pilot program drew on incentives for participation, clear deliverables, and campus recognition to generate enthusiasm and reward results.
