Staff and Faculty Development
Our goal is to support the staff of Montanuniversität in performing their roles with professionalism and success. We view our programs as a vital contribution to lifelong learning, offering a variety of formats to ensure inclusive participation for everyone.
Our programs include:
- English Language Learning & Services
- Sustainability (in cooperation with RIC)
- Transferable Competencies
- Artificial Intelligence (in cooperation with CTL)
- Open Educational Resources (OER) (in cooperation with CTL)
- Accessibility and Inclusion (in cooperation with CTL)
- Learning How to Teach – Faculty Development
Participation is free of charge and is available exclusively to staff members of Montanuniversität.
Sustainability is a core objective of Montanuniversität: we are committed to sustainability not only in our degree programs but also in embedding sustainable practices among our colleagues.
Our Resources Innovation Center (RIC) [LINK] hosts three-hour workshops where you can explore interconnected issues in a collaborative, gamified environment. These sessions are designed to strengthen your awareness and build your competencies for sustainable action.
All sustainability "puzzles" are based on the latest scientific research.
The following puzzles are available:
Please register via MUonline.
Upon successful completion of all puzzles, you will receive a certificate of participation.
To work successfully, a wide variety of skills and abilities are required. As a staff member, you can learn how to communicate effectively, navigate difficult situations, and collaborate within a structured team—free of charge—in the following courses:
- 641.155: Communication and Conversation Skills
- 641.157: High Performance Teams – Tools for Effective Collaboration
To register, please contact our office directly.
Our AI courses are officially recognized as mandatory training in compliance with the EU AI Act.
In our blended learning course, you will learn how AI works, how to navigate legal and ethical considerations, how to craft effective prompts, and how to critically evaluate AI-generated output.
AI in Higher Education
How do we address Artificial Intelligence in teaching? Few developments have impacted universities as profoundly as the rise of AI. Our blended learning course, "AI for Higher Education," explores practical ways to integrate AI into the classroom to support meaningful and effective learning.
Open Educational Resources (OER) offer numerous advantages: they foster innovation and collaboration while promoting greater equity within the education system. Our OER blended learning program covers the essential aspects of working with these materials, from finding and adapting existing resources to creating your own OER.
Promoting accessibility and inclusion at Montanuniversität and beyond is a priority for us. To reflect this commitment, these topics are integrated as cross-cutting themes throughout our faculty development seminars, University Teaching and Learning I + II.
Additionally, the CTL offers a self-paced course focused on creating accessible teaching and learning materials.
Teaching often receives less recognition than research. Montanuniversität is committed to changing this by prioritizing the enhancement and appreciation of high-quality teaching.
Our programs include:
- Learning How to Teach – Faculty Development: University Teaching and Learning I + II
- Teaching Portfolio
- Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
- AI in Higher Education
- Open Educational Resources (OER)
- Accessibility and Inclusion
- Teaching Brunch
Our fundamental faculty development consists of two seminars, offered several times a year in either German or English:
- University Teaching and Learning I (STEM I):* Focuses on the psychology of learning, lesson planning, active learning methods, and Moodle.
- University Teaching and Learning II (STEM II): Focuses on assessment and feedback, motivation, problem-based learning (PBL), and sustainability.
These seminars are based on scientific findings from higher education research. We go beyond general aspects of teaching and learning at university by specifically addressing the unique requirements of individual disciplines.
The seminars were further developed through a research project supervised by the Center for University Teaching and Learning at the University of Hamburg and are subject to ongoing critical evaluation.
*STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (equivalent to the German MINT).
English for University Support Staff
These courses are primarily designed for our administrative and support staff. Our goal is to empower you to navigate daily professional life at an internationally oriented university with confidence and ease in communication.
Courses are offered at various proficiency levels:
- Refresher
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Please register via MUonline.
Schmoozing
Join Jennifer Fink, our instructor from the USA, once a week for a chat in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.
Upcoming Dates:
Please register via MUonline.
We are pleased to offer the following services to Montanuniversität staff:
- Proofreading: Professional review of publications, academic articles, and other professional texts.
- Coaching: Individual language coaching tailored to your needs—for example, in preparation for an academic conference or for conducting courses in English.
- Helpdesk: Feel free to contact us spontaneously with any linguistic questions or challenges you are unable to resolve on your own.
Contact: Jennifer Fink
jennifer.fink(at)unileoben.ac.at | +4338424026406 | Visiting address: Peter-Tunner-Straße 15, A-8700 Leoben
Please note: Services such as proofreading and coaching are time-intensive and must be integrated into our daily schedule. We kindly ask that you submit your requests for these services well in advance.
We take a student-centered approach to teaching and view teaching and research, in line with the Humboldtian ideal, as a unified whole rather opposing tasks.
Our seminars are designed around experiential learning: instructors experience and develop teaching-learning approaches firsthand, critically reflecting on the conditions for success within learning scenarios and their application to their specific fields. Beyond providing practical tools for course design, the seminars incorporate the development of the instructor's academic identity and build the reflective capacity necessary for future instructional design.
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
Although firmly established in universities throughout the English-speaking world for decades, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is still in its early stages in many European countries. In SoTL, instructors research their own teaching practices and their students' learning processes—often involving students as active collaborators (Students as Partners).
This intensive reflection and research-oriented engagement typically leads to significant improvements in teaching quality. By sharing results, valuable insights are gained that extend beyond one’s own classroom. SoTL provides evidence-based, practical findings for instructional design, directly derived from your specific disciplinary context.
SoTL is highly effective when conducted in teams or in cooperation with faculty development experts. In the spirit of democratic, grassroots processes, we are deeply committed to involving students as equal partners.
How can we support you?
We assist instructors in carrying out their SoTL research projects by providing a Community of Practice (CoP) and helping to build Significant Networks. Additionally, we offer specialized workshops to help you prepare for your SoTL journey.
What do you need to bring?
Prerequisites for participating in the SoTL Community of Practice:
- Solid foundational knowledge of teaching and learning in higher education (University Teaching and Learning I + II or equivalent prior knowledge).
- Several years of experience in independent instructional design.
- Openness toward research methodologies that may differ from those common in your own discipline.
- Curiosity and a willingness to scientifically explore questions regarding teaching and learning.
Teaching Portfolio
In a teaching portfolio, you outline your personal teaching philosophy while documenting and critically reflecting on your teaching achievements using a scholarly, pedagogically grounded approach. We support you in developing your teaching portfolio and provide you with the necessary networking opportunities.
Teaching Brunch
Our teaching brunch is an informal gathering designed for connection: over a cold buffet, we engage in structured discussions about challenges and questions from your daily teaching practice. You are welcome to suggest specific topics in advance. The teaching brunch typically takes place twice per semester.