
History of the TLI
The Teaching and Learning Institute (TLI) emerged out of years of growth and development supported by grants from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation totaling over $1 million between 2006 and 2012. Through providing forums where students and faculty can reflect and engage in dialogue prior to the start of each fall semester (in the summer syllabus development workshops) and throughout the academic year (through the Students as Learners and Teachers program, the Faculty Pedagogy Seminar, Pedagogical Workshops, Ad hoc Consultations with Students, and the Pedagogy Circles for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), the TLI supports faculty and students in thinking about and developing approaches to the creation of standards for themselves, their classrooms, their learning, and their perceptions of and commitment to social justice.
Artwork by Lauren Lattimore, Bryn Mawr College ’21
Students as Learners and Teachers (SaLT) Program
WHO: Student consultants, faculty members, and departments in the Bi-Co
WHEN: Length varies*
WHAT: Partnerships between faculty or departments and undergraduate students who are not currently enrolled in faculty members’ course(s); can be linked to Faculty Pedagogy Seminars or be free standing
GET INVOLVED: For more information about the program, click here. Students interested in becoming a consultant can find more information here. Faculty interested in working partnership should contact Alison Cook-Sather (acooksat@brynmawr.edu). Please contact Alison Cook-Sather, as well, with any questions.
*One iteration of the SaLT program was the Summer Pedagogical Partnership Program in 2020. More information can be found here.
Through this [TLI] work I have come to feel more connected to Bryn Mawr, my peers and the faculty. My involvement has been a period of great personal growth and prompted self reflection I don’t think I would have been able to do otherwise or on my own.
Student Consultant
Pedagogy Circles for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

WHO: Students, faculty, staff, and/or administrators
WHEN: Sign up once or multiple times to attend an hour-long conversation
WHAT: Weekly, student-led, semi-structured conversations designed to support cross-constituency dialogue around developing inclusive, equitable, and anti-racist approaches to teaching and learning across campus contexts (within and beyond classrooms)
GET INVOLVED: Those interested can find more information here. Please contact Alison Cook-Sather (acooksat@brynmawr.edu) with any questions.
Faculty Pedagogy Seminars
WHO: New faculty members in the Bi-Co (more information can be found here)
WHEN: Weekly seminar (along with SaLT partnerships)
WHAT: Semester-long seminars offered as an option to all incoming faculty members in exchange for a reduced teaching load in the first year
PUBLICATIONS BY PARTICIPATING FACULTY:
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Cook-Sather, A. (2016). Creating brave spaces within and through student-faculty pedagogical partnerships. Teaching and Learning Together in Higher Education, 18.
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Cook-Sather, A., Hong, E., Moss, T., & Williamson, A. (2021). Developing new faculty voice and agency through trustful, overlapping, faculty-faculty and student-faculty conversations. International Journal for Academic Development, 1–13.
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Oh, S.-Y. (2014). Learning to navigate quickly and successfully: The benefits of working with a student consultant. Teaching and Learning Together in Higher Education, 11.
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The TLI seminar was a transformative experience; re-connected me with my love of, and investment in teaching; recharged my understanding of the connections between the classroom, my scholarship, and my work as a member of my college community; reawakened my faith in the potential academic institutions have to be sites of innovative and vital work for all who are part of the community.
Faculty Partner
Ad hoc, One-Time Consultations with Students
WHO: Faculty, student consultants
WHEN: Sign up once or multiple times for a 30-60 minute consultation
WHAT: Faculty can sign up to discuss their syllabus, an assignment, a classroom issue, etc. as a way to develop inclusive pedagogical strategies. Discussions are intended to serve as a collaborative space and can be about a past, present, or future course, or a general discussion. Consultations remain confidential and are intended to provide support to faculty as they work to develop more equitable and accessible classrooms.
GET INVOLVED: Please contact Nicole Litvitskiy (nlitvitski@haverford.edu) or click on this form to sign up for a consultation.
Pedagogical Workshops
WHO: Graduate students
WHEN: Weekly, two-hour sessions
WHAT: Sessions work as stand-alone workshops or can be taken as a course for credit
GET INVOLVED: Graduate students interested in learning more can find information here.