Educational Excellence in LAS

About

Our mission

LAS Educational Excellence works to advance our College’s efforts to redesign the student experience for today’s world by supporting and empowering our faculty and instructional staff in their teaching. With an incredibly diverse teaching staff comprised of over 50 units and disciplines and almost 2,000 teachers in a given semester, we have a wealth of perspectives, experience and expertise to draw from. As a new unit, we will strive to build a strong teaching community and serve all who teach courses in LAS, including tenure-stream faculty, specialized faculty, academic professionals, academic advisors, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate teaching assistants. 

Our goals

Connect.

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To establish an LAS teaching community with opportunities for support, development, and networking​.

Recognize.

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To elevate the visibility of the excellent instruction and transformative learning experiences that we offer in LAS.

Amplify.

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To increase the impact of our excellent LAS teachers by expanding opportunities for them to share their work and mentor others​.

Connect with us

View our directory to connect directly with individuals in LAS Educational Excellence, or subscribe to our email list for events and updates.

News

Read about Educational Excellence throughout LAS.

Group shares coffee
Coffee and chemistry: a unique global learning experience
Several years ago, a conversation with a young coffee farmer from Panama stirred in José Andino Martinez a deep curiosity about the chemistry of coffee. The farmer impressed upon Andino the significance of the coffee bean growing and roasting process in producing a wide variety of attributes...
Sloth in the Panamanian forest
The otherworldly journeys of Integrative Biology 496
There’s a lot to talk about after a study abroad trip in Panama, but for plant biology professor Jim Dalling, one of the most memorable experiences is riding on a construction crane 50 meters above the forest floor. Gliding across the...
A photo of the Main Quad
LAS announces teaching and advising award winners
The College of LAS has selected 16 professors, graduate students, lecturers, and advisors as the recipients of the 2025 teaching and advising rewards."We are honored and fortunate to have so many amazing teachers and advisors in the College of LAS,” said Venetria K. Patton, the Harry E. Preble Dean...
Iván Olivo (left) is recording the history of Marcelo Lepeley
Humanities Research Lab courses provide community-based research education
As an oral historian, Illinois history professor Yuridia “Yuri” Ramírez records the stories of people who have never been written about in history books. “These people have, in some ways, made the most impactful legacies in their communities, and people...