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Teaching + Learning Commons
Teaching + Learning Commons
The Commons provides numerous services and programs for graduate students throughout the year, including workshops on becoming an effective teacher, developing a scholarly voice, and cultivating strong writing skills.
Teaching Consultation
Contact us to schedule a confidential one-on-one consultation about topics related to teaching and student learning. Learn more here.
Classroom Observation
Classroom observations provide educators with measurement tools to self-evaluate their level of effective teaching. Learn more here.
Educator Workshops
View a list of workshops, studios, and non-credit course offerings available to UC San Diego educators. Learn more here.
Writing Consultations
We hire and train a team of Graduate Writing Consultants to provide you with personalized and specific feedback on your writing projects. Graduate students can make up to 2 60-minute appointments per week. Bring in your project at any stage (from brainstorming to final revisions) – no draft necessary! Learn more here.
Grad Writing Retreats
Retreats give students time, space, and strategies to make progress on a draft and develop positive writing practices. Through a combination of mini workshops and structured writing time, writing retreats help you make progress and feel happier. Learn more about our approach.
Writing Workshops
We host graduate student writing workshops every Friday morning. Facilitated by professional staff and our team of Gradate Writing Consultants, our workshops explore a variety of topics relevant to graduate-level writing. Every workshop also features time to work on your writing, so that you can practice the principles you learn! See our workshops.
Writing Room and Writing Group
Making steady progress requires graduate students to set aside time to write and get regular feedback on your drafts, and the Writing Hub has got you covered! The Grad Writing Room is a daily time and space (with free coffee) for graduate students to write together. Peer Review Groups provide weekly facilitated review and discussions of your drafts in progress. Learn more and sign up.
The Teaching + Learning Commons is the Executive Vice Chancellor's executive branch for advancing teaching and learning excellence via two synergistic programmatic strands: instructional development for educators and student academic support.
The establishment of the Commons is a direct outcome of the UC San Diego Strategic Plan and the UC San Diego’s Education Initiative.
The Commons is the foundation for achieving the university’s goal to be a student-centered university. Its programs and services create a contiguous, multi-layered network of support that jointly enhance learning and increase academic success. The Commons consists of six hubs:
- Academic Achievement
- Digital Learning
- Education Research + Assessment
- Engaged Teaching
- Experiential Learning
- Writing + Critical Expression
The hubs closely interact, inform, and mutually reinforce the goals of each unit. Together, they function as a single entity embodying the intertwined relationship of teaching and learning. Through its wide range of programs, services, and research, the Commons assists all members of the UC San Diego community in developing learning environments and experiences for their students that encourage engagement and foster student success.