CT2 Faculty Scholars Testimonials

The Clemson Thinks² Faculty Institute is an effective faculty development program. Below are some testimonials from those who attended the Faculty Institute.

• I would like to acknowledge that this workshop was organized in a very professional way. There was a lot of attention to detail in materials to be used and resources. It is obvious that organizers worked very hard to provide a very rich learning experiences for us. All instructors were very well-prepared and engaging. Moreover, the teaching dynamics used gave us the opportunity to share ideas and opinions in a very respectful environment. I am sure that this learning experience will generate positive results for my development as a faculty, as well as a human being. Thanks so much for this wonderful opportunity. Great job!
• I really enjoyed all the presentations.  We had an excellent variety of perspectives, and I feel more grounded in the critical thinking approach.  I know that to really understand this pedagogy, I need to teach using the approach myself, but I feel prepared to try it.  I also enjoyed the fine group of people who were part of the conference.  I made several new contacts, and I am really excited about ways that we might network in the future.
• I think that you guys did a great job this year, and I really enjoyed the institute. I felt challenged and inspired throughout the week.
• I really enjoyed the Institute and I received a lot of extremely useful information.
• I learned much about critical thinking, including its conceptualization and operationalization. The institute was interactive, informative, and well-done overall. I'm much more excited and informed about deliberately emphasizing critical thinking in my classes.
• I really enjoyed all the presentations.  We had an excellent variety of perspectives, and I feel more grounded in the critical thinking approach.  I know that to really understand this pedagogy, I need to teach using the approach myself, but I feel prepared to try it.  I also enjoyed the fine group of people who were part of the conference.  I made several new contacts, and I am really excited about ways that we might network in the future.
• I think this is the most that I've had a space to think about course development since graduate school. And it was GREAT to be paid for that. I think you also did a great job of making things relevant across disciplines. I was skeptical about that but it was good. Many of the presentations included practical elements that I could incorporate into my class. The timing of things in terms of attending class turning things in etc. worked out. 
• I found almost all of the Institute to be very helpful and I came out of it even more enthusiastic (maybe even "evangelical") about the creation and dissemination of CT courses at CU.
• The information was presented in a way we can easily use to integrate into our course design/syllabus/etc. to enhance the students' overall understanding. It is immediately applicable. Also, I really enjoyed interacting with other faculty and graduate students.
• The space to reflect critically about my own teaching methodology. I learned many teaching techniques that I look forward to incorporating in the classroom. 
• I think that idea of the institute is wonderful. This is definitely something that all universities/colleges need. 
• The opportunity to examine my own thinking in a structured way, the chance to meet colleagues from other units and hear about their teaching, and the wealth of resources that I can take with me to keep working in my own teaching.
• The participating faculty seem very enthusiastic and cared about students learning.
• I came into this with a high degree of skepticism, especially for its relevance outside the humanities. I completely changed my mind, this was great.
• My most important takeaway from these presentations is that in order for my students to be higher level critical thinkers, I need to challenge myself to further educate myself in CT and be able to more effectively communicate and interact with students.