Attend a CIT Workshop
Who: Everyone
Deadline: By the end of the fall quarter
Estimated time: 1 hour
What is CIT?
The Certificate in Inclusive Teaching (CIT) is designed for UCSB graduate students and postdocs, to help them foster inclusive classrooms, effectively mentor a diverse student body, and enhance their professional development. The CIT program offers a series of workshops in each academic quarter. Each workshop is typically 1 hour long, and you can attend any one of them to fulfill this assignment.
Note that for CS 501, you only need to attend 1 workshop from any area in the fall quarter. However, if you want to receive the actual CIT certificate, you need to attend 4 workshops (1 from each area). You're more than welcome, but are not required, to attend more workshops to work towards the full certificate if you find the workshops useful! Descriptions of CIT program can be found on their website.
Why Junrui wants you to do this
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The short-term goal is just to get you started on thinking about inclusive teaching practices, and help you work towards the CIT certificate: you'll have 1 out of 4 completed!
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The long-term goal is to prepare you for your future teaching assignments and potentially for a career in academia, which almost always involves teaching in some form or another.1 The CIT workshops are a great entry point to UCSB's outstanding teaching resources.
Even if you just do research, you'll likely have to mentor people more junior than you, which is a form of teaching!
How do I attest that I attended a workshop?
Junrui will create a Canvas assignment where you will submit the name of the workshop you attended, the date you attended it, and a brief reflection (1-2 sentences) on what you learned from the workshop.
What workshops are offered, and how do I sign up?
Please find the list of workshops offered in Fall 2025 below. Locations are on Zoom unless otherwise noted. Please register for a workshop through the Shoreline links provided in the table below.
Area 1: Course Design
| Title | Date & Time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Make your Course More Accessible with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) | Thur, Oct 9, 12:30–2 pm | Learn about Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and how TAs can recognize, critique, and minimize barriers to learning. Explore the many ways educators can customize and adjust teaching to maximize learning for all students. |
| Data Science by Design: Integrating data science skills into courses | Thu, Nov 6, 10–11:30 am | Explore how to incorporate quantitative literacy and data science into your course in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI). |
| A Faculty-Student Conversation about AI in Teaching and Learning | Mon, Nov 10, 12-1:15 pm (Student Resource Building) | A conversation bringing students and faculty together to explore shared challenges and strategies for navigating AI in teaching and learning at UCSB. |
| The Alternative Grading Buffet | Thur, Nov 13, 10–11:30 am | Learn about alternative grading approaches (standards, specifications, ungrading), their pros and cons, and flexible options for implementation. |
Area 2: Instruction
| Title | Date & Time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Nectir Chat: How Nectir can Increase Student Engagement | Fri, Oct 10, 11 am–12 pm | Learn how to use Nectir Chat to build digital communities that enhance student outcomes through engagement, collaboration, and belonging. |
| Exploring Library Services | Mon, Oct 13, 2–3:30 pm (Library 1312) | Meet UCSB library partners, learn about instructional resources and services, and tour key spaces like DREAM Lab, Special Research Collections, and Makerspace. |
| Active Teaching: Practical Strategies for International TAs | Fri, Oct 17, 10 am–12 pm (Student Resource Building) | Interactive workshop for international TAs on active learning strategies, grouping students, role-playing classroom interactions, and language support. |
| Think-Aloud as a Tool for Teaching and Learning Writing | Fri, Oct 24, 11 am–12 pm | Explore the think-aloud method as a tool for teaching writing, reading, coding, and more. Learn how it reveals cognitive strategies and supports academic integrity in the age of AI. |
Area 3: Mentorship and Student Support
| Title | Date & Time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Messaging Matters: Helping students “get” your course materials | Wed, Sept 24, 1–2:15 pm | Refine communication strategies with students using an asset-based framework to foster equitable and supportive learning. |
| Equitable Participation in Discussion Sections | Thur, Oct 2, 2–3 pm | Explore inclusive strategies for encouraging and evaluating diverse forms of participation, and draft clear, student-friendly syllabus language. |
| Use Structured Feedback to Support Students after a Difficult Academic Outcome | Thur, Oct 23, 1–2:15 pm | Learn to use asset-based language and structured feedback to support students after challenges, helping them set goals and build agency. |
Area 4: Professional Development
| Title | Date & Time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Motivational Interviewing: Supporting Students Through Empathetic Conversations | Thur, Oct 16, 10–11:30 am | Learn motivational interviewing techniques to engage in empathetic, collaborative conversations with students experiencing behavioral or academic challenges. |
| Crafting your Teaching Philosophy Statement | Fri, Nov 7, 10–11:15 am, OR Tues, Nov 18, 11 am–12:15 pm | Work through exercises to reflect on your teaching and draft a teaching philosophy statement required for job applications and awards. |
| Crafting Your Contribution to Inclusion/Belonging | Tues, Oct 28, 2–3 pm, OR Thur, Nov 20, 10–11 am (UCSB Library @ CITRAL 1576) | Guidance for graduate students on how to articulate contributions to inclusion and belonging in job applications. |