Intentional College Teaching
We are a small but mighty group of higher education teachers and scholars, dedicated to sharing best practice with our fellow colleagues.
Our Mission
To empower higher education professionals to use high-impact, evidence-based teaching methods through facilitated, supportive, and collegial professional development experiences.
Our Vision
To improve student learning and engagement by inspiring and supporting college educators in the development and use of intentional teaching practices.
Our Special Sauce/Core Values
The work of ICT is embedded in the values of:
- Learning – We take an evidence-based approach to everything we do, grounded in ongoing curiosity and continual improvement
- Quality – We pride ourselves in providing quality products and services, based on initiative, hard work, and decades of expertise
- Support – Our role is to enhance and nurture the practices of college educators using an empathetic and encouraging approach
- Happiness – We aim to build strong relationships and allow our work to provide a sense of joy and optimism
- Trust – Our empathetic approach, accountability for our actions, and focus on quality aims to build trust in all our relationships
Bridget Arend, Owner
Bridget Arend, PhD, has 20 years of experience supporting teaching and learning in higher education. She is currently the Associate Director of Teaching and Learning at Metropolitan State University of Denver and is the former Executive Director of the Office of Teaching and Learning at the University of Denver. She consults with faculty members, facilitates and oversees professional development programs, and organizes teaching-related initiatives for faculty across disciplines. She continues to teach at the University of Denver Morgridge College of Education. Bridget received her PhD in Higher Education and Adult Learning and continues to write and pursue research interests including teaching strategies in higher education, encouraging critical thinking in discussions, the role of reflection in learning, and alternative ways to evaluate teaching. She is co-author of a comprehensive book about instructional practices in higher education, Facilitating Seven Ways of Learning: A Resource for More Purposeful, Effective and Enjoyable College Teaching.
As the owner of Intentional College Teaching, I commit to working towards a just and equitable society. I commit to learning more about how equity, inclusion, and diversity goals are not enough, and are not synonymous with anti-racism. As Paulo Freire has long stated, education is not neutral, and all acts of education are political. I commit to learning how I can do more, to continually reviewing and updating the courses and facilitation practices offered through ICT, and to furthering my personal and professional actions with the intent of practicing and sharing anti-racist, inclusive pedagogy. – Bridget Arend
Teaching Professor Blog Post: Keep Calm and Redesign with Perspective
Our Authors
Dr. Saundra McGuire is the Director Emerita of the Center for Academic Success and retired Assistant Vice Chancellor and Professor of Chemistry at Louisiana State University. She has delivered keynote addresses or presented workshops on metacognitive learning strategies to help students succeed at over 300 institutions in 44 states and eight countries. Prior to joining LSU, she spent eleven years at Cornell University, where she received the coveted Clark Distinguished Teaching Award. Her best-selling book, Teach Students How to Learn, was published by Stylus in 2015. The student version of this book, Teach Yourself How to Learn, became available in January 2018.
Dr. L. Dee Fink was previously teaching faculty and the founding director of the Instructional Development Program at the University of Oklahoma, Dee currently leads numerous workshops at conferences and on campuses and serves as a consultant to faculty and institutions in higher education in the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. To learn more about Dee and his work, visit: https://www.deefinkandassociates.com
Dr. Christine Harrington is Associate Professor and Co-Coordinator for the Ed.D. in Community College Leadership program at New Jersey City University. She has served as the Executive Director of the Center for Student Success at the New Jersey Council of County Colleges and a professor of psychology, student success coordinator, director of the Center for Enrichment of Learning and Teaching, and counselor at Middlesex County College. Christine is the 2016 recipient of the Excellence in Teaching First-Year Seminars award. She has authored several books and holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Lehigh University.
Melissa Thomas works with colleges and universities to implement best practices in technology and learning assistance through her consulting work with Study Edge. She was previously a Lecturer for the College of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin for the TIP Scholars FYE program, adjunct FYE and academic recovery course instructor, Director of the Center for Student Learning at the College of Charleston, coordinator of an academic support program, and Past President of the College Reading and Learning Association. She has published several books and articles and holds a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from the University of Texas at Austin.
Kevin Kelly, EdD, teaches online courses as a Lecturer in the Department of Equity, Leadership Studies, and Instructional Technologies at San Francisco State University, where he previously served for 13 years as the Online Teaching and Learning Manager. He works with colleges and universities as a consultant to address distance education, educational technology, and organizational challenges. Kevin co-authored with Todd Zakrajsek the 2021 Stylus book, Advancing Online Teaching: Creating Equity-Based Digital Learning Environments.
Todd D. Zakrajsek, PhD, is associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at UNC – Chapel Hill and President of the International Teaching Learning Cooperative. Todd was a tenured associate professor of psychology and built faculty development efforts at three universities before joining UNC. Todd has served on many educationally related boards and work groups, has consulted many organizations and delivered keynote addresses and campus workshops at over 300 conferences and university campuses. Todd’s recently co-authored books include Advancing Online Teaching (2021); The New Science of Learning (2nd Ed) (2019); Dynamic Lecturing (2017); and Teaching for Learning (2015).
We are indebted to Linda Jacoby and Optimize Learning for the original design of these courses and for developing successful processes for online course delivery. Optimize Learning developed a loyal following after offering these and other courses to higher education professionals for nearly six years. We aim to continue this tradition of evidence-based practice combined with personalized expert feedback.