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 who are skilled in applying UDL approaches to teaching and learning contexts in various academic discipline and committed to raise awareness of UDL among faculty and staff across the university community.
- Develop a range of strategies and resources that will expand support for accessibility within university practices and courses, promoting a more inclusive learning environment for all.
View the full Teaching and Learning Enhancement Funding (TLEF) description of this program.
Nomination Process (From CTLT)
The 2026 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 participating in a series of UDL Fellows Program events including workshops and studios (online and in-person) as well as an online UDL Course between May and August 2026. During this period, the teams will collaborate to develop and put into action UDL strategies in their course design and teaching and learning practices, with a focus on courses and projects that will be offered during the 2026/27 academic year (i.e., Winter Session 1 starting September 2026 or Winter Session 2 starting January 2027).
Due Date For Nominations from Faculties
January 29, 2025
For questions and inquiries, please contact Dr. Natasha Boškić.