The Center for Teaching Innovation (CTI) is excited to announce the expansion of our existing graduate programming by offering the new Graduate Teaching Academy for Cornell graduate students interested in developing their teaching practice.

This is a flexible teaching development program designed to provide two levels of interaction, depending on your personal goals and your stage of teaching development. The two levels are designed to allow each person to decide the extent to which they would like to enhance their teaching skills, either for their current role at Cornell and/or their future faculty role.

Level 1: Foundations of Teaching

The Foundations of Teaching establishes a shared baseline for graduate students seeking to develop foundational teaching knowledge and skills at Cornell. This path is designed to support graduate students with diverse professional goals, from those focused on strengthening their effectiveness as teaching assistants to those exploring longer‑term teaching‑related careers, while maintaining flexibility and accessibility across disciplines.

The Teaching Foundations level is intentionally flexible, allowing graduate students to complete requirements over time and in ways that also align with their academic and teaching commitments. Participants could complete the required elements within one semester, or take longer, depending on their individual circumstances. However, they will need to complete the requirements within two years from signing up for the program.

Goals of the Foundations of Teaching Path

Completion of the Foundations of Teaching Path serves as the entry point and prerequisite for graduate students who wish to pursue participation in the Advanced Graduate Teaching Path. This level aims to:

• Provide an introduction to teaching at Cornell University.
• Offer opportunities to engage with the CTI and other resources at Cornell, beyond their introductory session.

Requirements for the Foundations of Teaching Path

• Enroll in the program in Canvas. Register here.
• Complete the Teaching Assistant Online Orientation (TAOO), download the Action Plan, and upload proof of completion.
• Register and attend a Graduate Teaching Academy orientation session. Note that you will need to have completed TAOO and bring your completed TAOO Action Plan to the session.  
• Upload your reflective statement to Canvas. Further details about this final step will be shared during the orientation session.

Expected Outcomes

As a result of participating in the Foundations of Teaching Path, participants will be able to:

• Explore evidence-based and inclusive teaching strategies.
• Develop an understanding of their role as a TA at Cornell.
• Discuss resources available at Cornell to support their continued teaching development.

Certificate of Completion

Upon completion of the Foundations of Teaching Path requirements, participants will receive a certificate of completion documenting their engagement in foundational teaching development at Cornell. The certificate of completion may be used to support their teaching portfolios, CV and future applications for academic or non-academic jobs.

Level 2: The Advanced Teaching Experience

Launching in Fall 2027, The Advanced Teaching Experience is for those participants who have completed “The Foundations of Teaching” and are interested in further expanding their pedagogical training. This level will provide a flexible program to deepen their understanding of teaching, culminating in creating a reflective teaching portfolio, which will certify a participant’s completion of the Graduate Teaching Academy. Details of this level will be announced at a later date.

Contact

For more information or if you have questions about the Graduate Teaching Academy, contact ctigradprogram@cornell.edu.