In 1989, the concept for FACET was set into motion by then–Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculties Anya Peterson Royce at IU Bloomington, Associate Academic Advisor to the President Eileen Bender at IU South Bend, and President Thomas Ehrlich. Dr. Bender was FACET’s first director.
As the result of a 1995 presidential initiative, FACET’s statewide activities expanded to include teaching colloquia, workshops, institutes, consultation, and communication—the first steps in establishing an IU network for teaching excellence. FACET liaisons (renamed "associate directors")were selected for each campus to coordinate teaching excellence activities and to oversee the nomination process for FACET members.
FACET is a faculty-run grassroots community with statewide and campus steering committees and a rigorous statewide and campus selection process. Following up on our 2020 diversity task force, we've taken many steps including updating our strategic plan to reinforce, nurture, and sustain FACET's commitment to justice in teaching and learning. As of July 1, 2024, the FACET central office has been reorganized to include an Executive Director (formerly Director of FACET), Director of Diversity and Historian, Membership and Selection Director, Operations Director (formerly Assistant Director of FACET), Programs and Services Director, and SoTL and Mack Center Director. The goal of the reorganization was to enhance the innovativeness and potential outreach to the FACET community. This is also part of our strategic plan's diversity and equity focus to reach as many people as we can.
FACET’s community of scholars crosses campus and disciplinary boundaries to support scholarly teaching and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. FACET recognizes distinguished service on behalf of teaching with the P.A. Mack Award and has ramped up its leadership in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning through the Mack Center for Inquiry on Teaching and Learning. FACET also publishes the Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, the Quick Hits book series, which shares techniques and strategies from award-winning college teachers, and the Journal of Teaching and Learning with Technology.
FACET remains committed to promoting, nurturing, and recognizing excellence in teaching and learning within and across campuses, schools, and disciplines. In achieving this vision, FACET has led efforts in collaboration with faculty, staff, University Information Technology Services (UITS), and campus teaching centers to develop Teaching.IU and Teaching for Student Success in the IU Expand course catalog, as well as celebrated the Innovate Awards.
FACET is a dynamic, collaborative community of inducted faculty dedicated to and recognized for excellence in teaching and learning. FACET asserts that excellence in teaching and learning requires dedication to an inclusive community that promotes justice in higher education. This commitment infuses FACET’s advocacy for pedagogical innovation and student success, cultivation of the scholarship of teaching and learning, and advancement of professional and personal growth.
IU and FACET-affiliated campuses promote, nurture, and recognize excellence in teaching within and across campuses, schools, and disciplines in pursuit of equitable learning and student success.
FACET members believe in learning, innovation, community, collegiality, reflection, collaboration, and justice in higher education.
Be a collective faculty voice of teaching excellence, student learning, and inclusivity across FACET-affiliated campuses.
Advance the quality of teaching and learning through dissemination of evidence-based practices and the incorporation of social justice.
Nurture an equity-centered approach to research that transforms all teaching and learning.
In the summer of 2020, our university has felt compelled to respond to killings of and discrimination against many black and brown individuals across our nation. Vice President of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Multicultural AffairsJames Wimbush specifically calls on usto work diligently to be "a university where a diverse community of faculty, staff, and students can flourish and feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings."
As a community dedicated to high quality teaching and learning, FACET commits to social justice, in and out of the classroom. As such we pledge to actively identify and eliminate bigotry, be cognizant of the need to reflect on our own policies and practices, and make changes to constantly pursue and actualize our values.
We understand bias is often unintentional and racism may be implicit in policies and systems of higher education, even if it is not explicit. We will take action to intentionally address discrimination based on immutable differences or characteristics that are fundamental to identity or conscience. Our actions will include, but are not limited to:
Identifying and exploring systemic racism, bias, and oppression and related impacts in our policies and practices;
Educating ourselves, each other, and our communities on issues of racism, oppression, and bias; and,
Eliminating barriers and eradicating racism and oppression, intentional or unintentional, systemic and individual, throughout all areas of FACET.
Beginning in fall 2020, we will implement these action items by;
Establishing a diversity committee to make recommendations to the steering committee and ensure equity and anti-racism are immanent in FACET's values, mission, vision, and goals;
Creating a place on the FACET website to anonymously report racism and discrimination and make suggestions for action items;
Creating and implementing a diversity plan and an anti-racist policy for FACET and all FACET events;
Providing resources to help promote education on topics related to anti-racism, bystander intervention, and equity and inclusion;
Supporting research on anti-racist pedagogy;
Creating space and time to ensure visibility for scholars who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), Latinx and international faculty at FACET events;
Recruiting actively BIPOC, Latinx, LGBTQ, and International faculty for membership in FACET and assuring equitable access to FACET campus and statewide leadership roles; and,
