SoTL History

History of SoTL at Georgia Southern

In 2024, the Faculty Center at Georgia Southern University (GS) commemorates seventeen years of its university-wide initiative: SoTL at Southern! Here is a quick look at our rewarding journey with SoTL:

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SoTL at Southern!

“The years of rugged individualism in the classroom, of grasping for ways to help students learn, of never talking with colleagues about how I was teaching and with what results were over. It was the dawning of the age of SoTL.”

-Dr.. Alan Altany

Under the leadership of Dr. Alan Altany and to meet the pressing need for better training in teaching and learning methodology, the initiative SoTL at Southern began in 2007. Extrapolating from his own experience in graduate school, Dr. Altany knew that most faculty began their academic careers without proper pedagogical training and based solely on trial and error and observation. As the then new director of the CTE (current Faculty Center) at Georgia Southern, Dr. Altany felt compelled to share his experience with the scholarship of teaching and learning, and to help GS faculty develop and implement SoTL in their work. 

Beginning with discussion groups and Faculty Learning Communities (FLC), the campus-wide initiative SoTL at Southern was raised on the foundation of a three-pillar system: the creation of an international academic journal for SoTL, which became the renowned International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (IJ-SoTL); the launch of an annual academic conference called SoTL Commons Conference; and the creation of Faculty Learning Communities (FLC) to support faculty on their SoTL journey. Together, peer-reviewed journal, conference, and FLC, these three elements raised Georgia Southern to national and international recognition as an institution of higher education committed to SoTL work.

IJ-SoTL : International and Peer-reviewed

“I would encourage GS faculty to consider how their disciplinary research aligns with SoTL intrinsically and develop a secondary line of scholarship. One thing that may help quell hesitancy is exploration of not only faculty involvement in SoTL at GS, but the broader, international SoTL community that continues to grow.”

– Dr. Nikki di Gregorio

The year of 2007 witnessed another important moment in the history of SoTL at Southern: the launch of an international, online, double-blind, peer reviewed journal in which Georgia Southern faculty could explore their SoTL questions and research, and participate on its international review board. For the journal’s founding members, IJ-SoTL was an important channel for communicating SoTL as a legitimate scholarly area of research, and provided GS greater institutional visibility. As submissions and readership grew, ij-SoTL carved a significant niche within the SoTL community. In numbers, this translates to 888,725 article downloads, and engagement from 22,407 different institutions worldwide (data from April 11, 2024).

SoTL Commons

“On behalf of the entire Georgia Southern University community, I welcome you to the inaugural SoTL Commons: A Conference for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning. You have come to our town and campus from all around the United States and from four continents. That indicates a personal commitment to your work with students and the profession of teaching.”

-Dr. Bruce Grube, President at Georgia Southern University, 2007.

As part of the campus-wide initiative SoTL at Southern, the first SoTL Commons Conference was held on November 1-2, 2007, on the Statesboro campus. With representation from ninety-six institutions, including twenty-four international universities, participants from Australia, Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, South Africa, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States gathered to discuss and explore SoTL topics. The conference was then moved to Savannah the following year, and has become an annual fixture ever since. 

SoTL Commons remains a fundamental part of the overall effort for SoTL at Southern, and as an inspiring space for intellectual and practical debates of SoTL research and results, the conference opens venues for inter-institutional cooperation, further growing the body of SoTL work through its many workshops, talks, and poster presentations. For those still new to the SoTL universe, attending a SoTL Commons Conference is eye-opening, professionally refreshing, and an important opportunity to network among the SoTL community.

Other ways to do SoTL

“(SoTL has made me) much more aware of the effectiveness of the teaching strategies I use.”

-Dr.. Adrienne Cohen

The SoTL at Southern initiative wasn’t limited to an annual conference and an international journal, but included the development of Faculty Learning Communities (FLC), SoTL Leadership Teams, SoTL fellows, SoTL awards, and SoTL grants. From this list, what stands out as a third foundation base to the campus-wide initiative is the FLC. 

In order to support faculty in their SoTL efforts, the Faculty Center created small groups organized around shared interests and availability in which faculty members engaged with a research topic or methodology. Building community while doing SoTL research, the FLC served as a starting point and launch pad for faculty to learn, explore, and expand their SoTL work.

SoTL and the Faculty Center Today

“I was not aware of SoTL before I started teaching at GS. I was introduced to the field by our Faculty Center, whose professionals provide great mentorship and continuous support in my development as a SoTL scholar.”

-Dr. Shainaz Landge

In line with  the University System of Georgia’s (USG) principles, and trailing the path set by programs such as SoTL at Southern, the Faculty Center is committed to supporting, recognizing, and rewarding faculty who participate in efforts to improve teaching and learning and the classroom environment. In this sense, the Faculty Center supports Georgia Southern by focusing on collaborations, communities of inquiry, faculty support, policy reinforcement, and culture of learning. 

Currently, the Faculty Center at Georgia Southern continues to support SoTL through the SoTL Commons Conference, ij-SoTL, and SoTL FLC, as well as with the SoTL Mentorship Program, Emerging SoTL Scholar Award, and GS Nominee for USG Regents’ SoTL Award, and SoTL Advisory Board.

Why SoTL? Faculty Testimonials

“Being an engineer with no formal training in teaching, SoTL played a pivotal role in developing and evolving my teaching skills, optimizing my students’ learning environment, and ultimately contributing back to my profession.” 

Dr. Rami Haddad

“I really like that I can use my classroom for my research and that my research has a direct effect on my teaching and on my students’ learning.”

Dr. Adrienne Cohen

“I would advise faculty to bring their curiosity on what works best and what doesn’t work in terms of their teaching methods, and have a researcher mindset, bringing your trained skills as scholars to examine those questions you had in the past.”

Dr. Jackie Kim

“SoTL has greatly influenced the heart of my instruction. Through professional development provided by the Faculty Center, I learned the importance of systemic inquiry and analysis of effective student learning.”

Dr. Cynthia Massey

Last updated: 4/17/2024