Philosophy of Instruction

This Philosophy of Instruction was developed in response to our Fall Faculty Forum, in which we sought to define what we, the Torrington Faculty, value as a culture. It is hoped that this document will continue to be refined as faculty respond to it.

UConn Torrington: Philosophy of Instruction

Although we, the faculty of UConn Torrington, represent a diverse group of instructors with widely varying personalities and teaching styles, there are certain goals and beliefs we hold in common.  The faculty and staff of this campus form a distinctive culture which is unique to this campus, but we are also part of the larger UConn culture.  The purpose of this “Philosophy of Instruction” is to identify the beliefs held by our local culture, and show how these beliefs work to further the goals of UConn as a whole.

At this campus, we emphasize challenging students in order to help them grow as students, thinkers, and citizens, and in providing individualized attention to encourage that growth.

UConn Torrington, with its small class size and accessible faculty, is well suited to carry out the university’s educational goals that emphasize student involvement.  UConn’s NEASC accreditation statement spells out three goals identified by the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education.  These are:

a.         An individualized experience for each undergraduate, with advising plans and curricula that meet the needs and interests of each undergraduate, including at least one form of experiential learning.
b.         A learning paradigm that shifts the focus from the teacher as instructor to the student as learner, with the ultimate goal of promoting lifelong learning. 
c.         An academic culture that promotes global citizenship.
(http://www.neasc.uconn.edu/std4.htm)

Faculty at Torrington are encouraged to do even more to make students involved participants in their classes.  We seek to actively enhance student involvement to give our undergraduates an even more “individualized experience,” with the “student as learner,” and to promote global citizenship. 

In short, we believe in challenging students to become more engaged as learners and citizens.  Faculty should ask students to examine the path they are taking and take responsibility for their own choices.

Students should also be challenged academically.  UConn is a Research One institution, which prides itself in being the top-ranked public university in New England.  As such, it expects high standards of its faculty and students, and faculty are encouraged to uphold that standard of excellence.