UW-System OPID Programming
The Office of Professional and Instructional Development (OPID) serves as a systemwide professional and instructional development resource for Universities of Wisconsin system institutions. Through OPID, the Universities of Wisconsin offers three signature teaching and learning professional development opportunities for faculty and instructional academic staff across all 13 campuses. CATLST manages the recruitment and application process for these programs at UW-Whiteater.
Faculty College provides a focused, retreat-style experience where faculty teams explore evidence-based teaching practices, reflect on their work, and build lasting cross-campus connections. The Wisconsin Teaching Fellows & Scholars (WTFS) program is a year-long, cohort-based experience centered on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, and the OPID Spring Conference on Teaching & Learning, is an energizing annual event that brings educators together to share ideas, showcase research, and learn from peers and national leaders.
UW-Whitewater faculty are encouraged to explore these opportunities to grow as teachers, scholars, and colleagues within a vibrant UW System community.
WISCONSIN TEACHING FELLOWS & SCHOLARS
Participate in a year-long community of practice as you develop a scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) project.
SPRING CONFERENCE ON TEACHING & LEARNING
Attend or present at OPID's spring conference on teaching and learning, hosted annually in Madison.
FACULTY COLLEGE
UW-Whitewater sends a team of ten instructor representatives to this late May institute and retreat every year.
Wisconsin Teaching Fellow & Scholars (WTFS)
The Wisconsin Teaching Fellows & Scholars program (WTFS) is a year long professional development opportunity focused on the scholarship of teaching and learning. The Scholarship of Teaching of Learning (SoTL) involves faculty (sometimes in partnership with their students) undertaking systematic inquiry about student learning. "The WTFS program offers UW faculty and teaching academic staff a unique opportunity to collaborate with other exceptional teachers from across the UW System and from various disciplines. Many participants have found that the experience re-energized their work and even transformed their approach to teaching and learning. Collaboration with colleagues from diverse perspectives lies at the heart of the program. In addition to discussing illuminating works from pedagogical literature, Fellows and Scholars are guided through the process of completing a SoTL project with input from fellow participants and the program co-directors." - OPID Program Description
Participation Requirements
WTFS is a provost-funded program for both "fellows" (early-career instructors) and "scholars" (seasoned educators). Full-time faculty and instructional academic staff of all experience levels and disciplines are welcome to apply. Participants must be willing to travel to select OPID-sponsored meetings and events throughout the year. Additionally, each WTFS participant engages in ongoing consultation about and documentation of their SoTL project’s progress throughout the year. At the program's conclusion, each participant submits a final abstract of their project to UW System.
Application Process
WTFS is a highly competitive program, with each campus in the system only allowed to select one fellow and one scholar to participate per year. Applications for the program open each fall for participation the following summer and academic year (typically starting with Faculty College in late May). A call for applications will go out to all members of the UW-Whitewater community in late October through the CATLST newsletter and blog. Application due dates vary by year, but are typically early November. Contact CATLST@uww.edu for more information, including a due dates and submission requirements for any given year.
UW-Whitewater 2025-26 WTFS Program Participants
Steven Girard
Lauren Zepp
Recent WTFS Participants
- 2024-25: Cody Marie Busch & Rocio Duchesne-Onoro
- 2023-24: Rashiqa Kamal & Courtney Wilt
- 2022-23: Ken Brosky & Narendra Regmi
- 2021-22: Nadine Kriska
Spring Conference on Teaching & Learning
OPID invites all UW educators to submit proposals about their teaching and learning experiences, ideas, insights, questions, challenges, and accomplishments! The OPID spring conference is a peer-reviewed opportunity to present teaching and learning work and see the work of colleagues from across the Universities of Wisconsin. The conference also serves as the culminating event for the WTFS program in which participants present their SoTL projects from the past year.
The OPID spring conference is held annually and dates, theme, and plenary speakers vary each year. Unlike WTFS and Faculty College, funding to attend or present at the OPID spring conference is not guaranteed and may come from a variety of sources including possible CATLST support, department RDF and PDF, and Teaching and Learning grants.
Faculty College
Each year, teaching professionals from across the Universities of Wisconsin gather for Faculty College, an institute and retreat led by OPID. Each UW institution is invited to bring a team of instructors, led by their center for teaching and learning, to attend. Over the course of the event (three to four days), each university's team engages in a series of structured workshops, activities, and social events.
Participation Requirements
Faculty College is an OPID-funded program. Currently each university gets to nominate up to 10 team members, which includes two OPID Advisory Council members, two WTFS participants for the upcoming academic year, and six additional faculty, instructors, or lecturers. Preference will be given to applicants who have never attended before. Participants must be willing to travel and commit to attending for the duration of the retreat.
For More Information...
In partnership with the Provost's Office, CATLST assembles a team in January. Interested instructors can email CATLST@uww.edu.