Part-Time Lecturer Resources

New for Fall 2026! As a part-time lecturer, your time is limited and your schedule is full. We've created a set of 20 minute, focused virtual sessions to learn practical strategies you can apply immediately in your class.

• Building Rapport Quickly: Connection Strategies to Support Community
  Register for the August 28, 12-12:20 p.m. MS Teams session.

  In any learning environment, connection matters just as much as content. However, it can feel like you have a much shorter runway to build meaningful relationships with your students when time and contact hours are limited. This session offers simple, low-effort strategies for establishing trust and a sense of belonging from day one. We will explore how "small moves" can make a significant difference in student engagement.

   

• Quick Strategies to Refresh Any Course
  Register for the September 10, 6-6:20 p.m. MS Teams session. 

  You don't need a full course redesign to make a meaningful improvement. This session highlights fast, focused tweaks — to your syllabus, your first week, your discussion prompts, or your assignments — that can noticeably improve the student experience without adding to your workload.

   

• It Can Do That? A Look at Some of the Special Features in Blackboard Ultra
  Register for the September 23, 10-10:20 a.m. MS Teams session. 

  Blackboard Ultra has a lot more to offer than most of us have had time to explore. This session shines a light on a few features you may not know about that can save you time, improve communication with students, and make your course easier to navigate. No deep technical knowledge required, just a willingness to try something new.

   

• When Students Go Quiet: Practical Strategies for Re-Engaging Learners
  Register for the October 14, 12-12:20 p.m. MS Teams session. 

  It happens in every class. Participation drops, energy fades and suddenly you're doing all the talking. This quick session shares practical, ready-to-use strategies for reading the room and drawing students back into the learning.

   

• Grading Smarter, Not Harder: Efficient Feedback Strategies
  Register for the November 3, 6-6:20 p.m. MS Teams session. 

  This session introduces practical strategies for streamlining your feedback process so that grading doesn’t have to feel like one of the most time-consuming parts of teaching. We’ll talk through rubric shortcuts, reusable comment banks and approaches that give students more useful feedback in less time. Work smarter, not longer.

   

• Selecting Technology Tools for Your Class
  Register for the November 18, 10-10:20 a.m MS Teams session. 

  With so many technology options available, it can be hard to know what's actually worth adding to your course. This session offers a simple framework for evaluating and selecting tools that fit your teaching goals, your students' needs and your own comfort level. Leave feeling confident in your ability to select technology choices intentionally rather than chasing the latest trend.

We offer an array of services designed to support your teaching, including whether you’d like help preparing for a new teaching assignment, want to explore strategies for student engagement, or need support navigating instructional technologies. To schedule a consultation with an instructional designer, visit our Consultation Services page.

The Delphi Center also offers two teaching spaces that educators may reserve depending on the needs of your class. The Digital Media Suite is a computer lab and studio space designed to support the creation of digital works. The Teaching Innovation Learning Lab is an active learning space that is ideal for exploring new teaching strategies while working with students.

The University of Louisville is committed to ensuring that our online courses are grounded in best practice and reflective of the same high-quality experiences found in our in-person offerings. In support of this effort, the Office of the Provost moved to requiring that all faculty who teach in the online modality earn the online teaching credential. The Delphi Center has enacted a phased approach that will have all online faculty credentialed by Spring 2029. For more information on the specific timing for the online class(es) you are teaching, please reach out to your department chair.

There are multiple pathways to earn the online teaching credential. 

• Educators who successfully completed either DelphiU or the Digital Teaching Accelerator program since 2015 have already earned their credential.
• Educators who have extensive experience teaching and designing online courses may consider submitting a portfolio for review.
• Educators may also participate in the Foundations of Impactful Teaching program or in the Fundamentals of Effective Facilitation Program to earn their online teaching credential.

The Foundations of Impactful Teaching (FIT) program is most appropriate for educators who have responsibilities for online course design and facilitation. The Fundamentals of Effective Facilitation program is a shorter version of FIT that addresses only facilitation. If you are responsible for teaching an online course that was developed by someone else, we strongly suggest participation in the Fundamentals of Effective Facilitation program.

All UofL educators are encouraged to participate in any and all professional development programming, including workshops, book discussions and program series. We also welcome all, including part-time lecturers, to propose a session for our annual Celebration of Teaching and Learning Conference, where we highlight innovative and impactful teaching from across the university. In addition, you are eligible to submit a self-nomination for the TILL Teaching Innovation Award, which celebrates innovative approaches to teaching.