Provost’s Committee on Pedagogical Practices (PCPP)

What is the PCPP?

The Provost’s Committee on Pedagogical Practices (PCPP) was initially formed as a result of recommendations arising out of the 2006 Academic Visioning Initiative Pedagogy. In 2013 the PCPP was reconstituted, areas of focus were identified and a survey was created. Faculty were surveyed in 2014 and as a result of what we heard six Action Groups with specific terms of reference were created: Experiential Learning, First Year Experience, Learning Outcomes, Instructional Technology, Regional Programs and Indigenization.

Terms of Reference for Action Groups for the Provost’s Committee on Pedagogical Practices (PCPP)

(February 5, 2015) Informed by the recommendations from the PCPP survey and drawing off of PCPP Survey themes it is proposed that six action groups created in the following areas:

  • Learning Outcomes
  • Experiential Learning
  • Instructional technologies
  • Indigenization
  • Regional Delivery
  • First Year Experience

The PCPP will design a coordinated framework for and timelines to address the following areas identified in the recommendations of the PCPP survey:

  • Gather existing training materials and share resources with university stakeholders
  • Identify exemplars/champions in each of the respective areas.
  • Document their practices and create spaces for them to share their experiences.
  • Deliver workshops in targeted areas for interested faculty members and graduate students
  • Create strategies for awareness, promotion and encouragement/engagement for their particular areas.
  • Work to create more detailed information on the areas note above.
  • Go directly to the college councils, departments, and individual faculty members for more depth of understanding of their practices.
  • Communicate results to the Provost, Senate, College Councils, and Deans Council.

General Terms of Reference for Action Groups

  • Chaired by members of the PCPP
  • Chairs responsible for organizing action groups meetings and reporting back to the PCPP
  • Appointments to the action groups are for two year terms
  • Membership (should reflect broad expertise and regional distribution):
  • Chair (member of the PCPP)
  • One additional member of the PCPP
  • One faculty member from each college appointed by college dean
  • One faculty member from each college appointed by the Provost
  • Undergraduate student representative appointed by NUGSS
  • Graduate student representative appointed by the GSS
  • University Senator
  • Additional committee members (staff, student or faculty) as determined by the action group.

Areas of Responsibility

As noted above, the PCPP will coordinate specific tasks for the committees to ensure that the committees are not working at cross purposes and to ensure that they build on each other’s work.

Tasks may include:

  • Identification of exemplars or champions in their respective areas
  • Identification of resources known in their respective areas
  • Identification of sets of questions that could be posed to academic departments in a coordinated fashion
  • Identification of strategies to enhance awareness, promotion and encouragement for their particular areas
  • Creation of workshops or panels related to their particular areas
  • Action group members may be asked to engage in cross-action group activities such as the gathering of more detailed information about practices on the ground
  • Action groups may be tasked with specific duties/projects by Senate and/or the Provost