Teaching Values and Commitments

Teaching is a critical, visible, and valued aspect of the mission of Kansas State University and the College of Arts and Sciences. The College mission includes serving as “the academic foundation of K-State” and preparing “students and learners at all levels for responsible citizenry, critical inquiry, and career success in a diverse and ever-changing world.” Our faculty bring their disciplinary and pedagogical expertise to work towards program and university goals, promote learning, and support positive student outcomes.

A college’s commitment to quality teaching cannot be maintained solely by individual faculty members, but must be reflected in how we value, reward, and evaluate teaching as a community.

In service of the preceding values, the College of Arts and Sciences is committed to teaching that:

  1. clearly articulates and communicates student learning objectives and expectations;
  2. employs student-centered, accessible instruction and materials to foster student success;
  3. implements fair and transparent assessment practices that provide constructive feedback to students;
  4. aligns student learning objectives, instruction and materials, and assessment across the course;
  5. is regularly refined based on disciplinary best practices and reflection on student outcomes.

These values and commitments are not exhaustive. Moreover, how they are instantiated may vary by discipline, instructor, and course as we work to promote learning as described in our mission statement and to foster environments that promote success for our students. The list of commitments is meant to represent core aspects of teaching to which the college expects all of its faculty to attend: identifying and communicating course, unit, and class objectives; designing their materials and instruction towards those objectives; creating an environment in which students can achieve the intended learning outcomes; and assessing student learning both to help students improve their own learning and to help the faculty adjust their instructional approaches as needed.