Overview
Universal Design for Learning is a set of principles for course and curriculum development that supports a more inclusive and accessible learning environment for all learners. The UDL Fellows Program will support faculty and staff to develop expertise in UDL through a cohort-based professional development program. It will be comprised of a series of facilitated workshops, online modules, and a project-focused set of activities to help participants use UDL principles to redesign their courses to be more inclusive and accessible. Courses impacted by these projects will benefit students from all backgrounds, not just those with accessibility needs, by providing more options and flexibility through the design of resources, tools, and course delivery.
The goals of the UDL Fellows Program are to:
- Identify and address systemic barriers to equitable learning opportunities, to create and sustain equitable and inclusive campuses (supporting UBC Strategic Plan Strategy 4: Inclusive Excellence and enhancing the accessibility of physical and virtual spaces for students, staff, and faculty).
- Improve access and inclusion in on-campus, online and hybrid teaching and learning environments with a focus on barriers for students with disabilities or other accommodations.
- Cultivate a network of practitioners with expertise in applying UDL approaches in the design and delivery of courses across a range of disciplines and who will promote awareness of UDL amongst faculty and staff across UBC.
- Develop a range of strategies and resources to help increase support for accessibility in UBC courses and on its campuses.
View the full Teaching and Learning Enhancement Funding (TLEF) description of this program.
Nomination Process (From CTLT)
The 2025 Faculty Fellows Program is limited to 13 project teams from the UBC Vancouver campus. Nominations for the Program will be made by the Associate Dean (Academic or Students), Principal or their designate. Each Faculty will be asked to nominate a project team with a description of the course being proposed for redesign and a rationale for why the project team and the course have been nominated for the UDL Fellows Program.
Each faculty project team should consist of an instructor, who may be either a tenure-stream or contract faculty, responsible for teaching a course that forms the centerpiece of the project and a support staff member from a Faculty Instructional support unit or departmental support unit who will work alongside of the instructor on the redesign of the course.
All project teams who participate in the UDL Fellows Program will commit to implementing UDL approaches in the identified course during the 2025/26 academic year (i.e., Winter Session 1 starting September 2025 or Winter Session 2 starting January 2026).
Due Date For Nominations from Faculties
January 30th, 2025.
For questions and inquiries, please contact Dr. Natasha Boškić.