New Instructor Guide
Where should I start when I have questions about teaching or need other support?
Your academic department is the first and best place to start when you have questions and need help. Your department chair, program directors, and faculty colleagues can provide guidance on department-specific teaching expectations, course content, and student populations. Many departments offer mentoring programs, teaching resources, and orientation sessions tailored to their specific disciplines. Connect with your respective department contact to learn about department-specific policies, procedures, and available resources to support your teaching.
How Do I...?
How can TIPS help me enhance my teaching and course design?
TIPS Academic Technology and Training
The TIPS Academic Technology and Training team supports faculty with integrating academic technologies into their teaching practices. CU Denver offers a suite of vetted tools to enhance teaching and learning experiences, including Canvas, Panopto, Anthology Ally, and Zoom. Faculty can attend trainings, access comprehensive guides, resources, and video tutorials for each tool through the TIPS website, or schedule a one-on-one consultation to get specific questions answered. Visit the Teaching with Technology page for more information!
TIPS Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETL)
The TIPS Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETL) provides essential support for faculty across all disciplines and career stages. CETL promotes evidence-based teaching strategies that enhance student learning, persistence, and success through structured professional development opportunities. Faculty can participate in fellow-led programming, communities of practice, and Lunch & Learn sessions designed to address various teaching contexts. CETL also offers “Teaching Tune-up” individualized consultations where faculty can discuss and refine their pedagogical approaches with CETL Director Kate Goodman.
TIPS Instructional Design
The TIPS Instructional Design Team provides faculty with specialized course design support through collaborative partnerships with instructional designers (IDs). Faculty can work with an ID to create or redesign individual courses with careful attention to flow, structure, alignment, and overall learning objectives. The ID team supports course development across all modalities using an appreciative approach that respects faculty expertise while enhancing instructional effectiveness. Faculty can schedule a one-on-one consultation to discuss specific questions about their course with an ID. Faculty seeking more comprehensive course design assistance can contact TIPS@ucdenver.edu to begin working with an instructional designer.
TIPS Resources
Design Your Course
This guide will help you plan and design your courses with intention.
Course Design Guide
Technology Guide for New Instructors
This guide will help you get started with all of the academic technology available at CU Denver.
Technology Guide
Get Started with Canvas
Canvas is a web-based learning management system, or LMS. It is used by instructors and students to access and manage online course learning materials. Whether your course is in-person, hybrid, or online you will have access to a Canvas course shell for that course.
Canvas Guide
Make Your Course Accessible
Digital accessibility refers to designing and developing digital content, applications, and services in a way that ensures equal access and usability for all individuals, including those with disabilities. This page, maintained and updated by TIPS, provides guidelines and resources to aid faculty and staff in making informed decisions about how to ensure their digital content is accessible.