Ideas to Action (i2a)

Faculty Learning Community on Critical Thinking (FLC-CT)

We are not currently offering an FLC-CT opportunity for faculty. Contact us to find out about other learning communities on campus.

Full-time & part-time UofL faculty are invited to…

  • Devise & try new tactics for promoting students' critical thinking
  • Learn innovative methods for fostering student engagement & learning
  • Meet & work with new colleagues & share teaching strategies & successes
  • Gain access to resources on designing assessment & assignments

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ideas to Action (i2a)?

The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is the recognized regional accrediting body in the eleven U.S. Southern states. Each institution applying for accreditation or renewal of accreditation is required to develop a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). At UofL, the QEP is titled Ideas to Action: Using Critical Thinking to Foster Student Learning and Community Engagement, also known as i2a.

Ideas to Action (i2a) is the University of Louisville's multi-year initiative to promote meaningful transformation of our undergraduate programs through intentionally connecting and sharing learning outcomes and curricular enhancements in order to foster students' critical thinking skills and promote community engagement in academic, co-curricular and real-world contexts.

What are the goals of the i2a Faculty Learning Community on Critical Thinking (FLC-CT)?

  • Provide an opportunity for a group of 10-12 faculty members to engage in cross-disciplinary ongoing dialogue, structured activities, and reflection related to implementation of individual or programmatic i2a goals and outcomes.
  • Participants will be part of a community of instructors who will be provided with sustained and scholarly support in deepening their understanding and use of the Paul-Elder critical thinking framework, instructional design, and assessment principles, both generally and in discipline-specific contexts.

Who is eligible to participate?

  • Any part-time, term, tenure track, or tenured faculty member who will be teaching an undergraduate face-to-face course in an immediate, upcoming semester may be nominated.
  • The i2a FLC-CT can include faculty members with and without prior experience with i2a and/or the Paul Elder critical thinking framework.

What are the i2a FLC-CT objectives?

FLC participants will experience opportunities to:

  • Increase and enhance engagement in i2a.
  • Increase and enhance expertise and application of the Paul-Elder critical thinking framework in a specific course (or courses).
  • Create a library of faculty and student artifacts related to i2a implementation.
  • Construct course-specific assessment instruments.
  • Dialogue and constructively discuss experiences across disciplines in an environment that supports & enhances learning.
  • Develop a cohort of FLC-CT graduates who can serve as i2a advocates after completing the program.
  • Nourish scholarly teaching (reading, using and reflecting on best practices) and the scholarship of teaching (public dissemination) and its application to i2a and student learning.

What is the submission and selection process?

Faculty must work cooperatively with their unit chairperson or department head to submit the Nomination Form. To be considered for selection, the nominee must complete Sections 1 – 6 of the separate Nomination Form. The nominee must provide a copy of their complete materials to the nominator to complete Sections 7 – 8 of the form. It is the responsibility of the nominee to submit a hard copy of the fully completed Nomination Form to the i2a FLC-CT Selection Committee located in the Delphi Center, Ekstrom Library, Room 244 on or before the stated deadline.

  • Participants will be selected by a Subcommittee of the i2a Task Group
  • Selection will be based upon commitment to quality teaching (as evidenced in the nomination materials), level of expressed interest in the program and strong support from the nominator.
  • Participants will be chosen to create a diverse group representing a variety of disciplines and experiences

What are the criteria for selecting participants?

The nomination process invites participants who:

  • Are scheduled to teach at least one face-to-face undergraduate course during the FLC-CT semester
  • Have demonstrated evidence of commitment to excellence in teaching
  • Have potential for i2a contributions to the FLC-CT cohort, your home department and/or the University community
  • Are available to attend FLC-CT meetings and meet deadlines
  • Are endorsed/nominated by unit heads regarding program expectations and time commitments (see expectations)

What are the rewards and recognition for participating in the FLC-CT?

  • Stipend: Upon the successful completion of the FLC-CT process (i.e. cohort activities, individual goals, final products), participants will receive a $1,000 stipend
  • Complimentary relevant books & publications
  • Customized teaching and learning documents/artifacts
  • Individual support and coaching
  • Certificate of completion
  • Letters of thanks and recognition from i2a Team to unit heads and administrators
  • Successful completion also includes completing all tasks and activities and attending the introductory lunch, opening retreat, and five out of the six scheduled semester meetings.
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