Celebrating a blossoming SoTL culture with “Transformative Dialogues” partnership

Auburn University marked a milestone in its Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) community on April 8, with a special reception at the Brown-Kopel Engineering Student Achievement Center Grand Hall.

The event celebrated the release of a groundbreaking all-Auburn issue of “Transformative Dialogues,” a premier peer-reviewed SoTL journal published by Penn State University. Titled “A Blossoming SoTL Culture,” this special edition highlights Auburn's innovative teaching and learning scholarship, featuring contributions from 61 faculty, staff and student authors across nearly every college.

“It was great to come together with people I know from different settings and areas — to celebrate, spend time with those I’m not usually with and honor them,” said Sara Seals, economics lecturer in the College of Liberal Arts.

The “A Blossoming SoTL Culture” edition marks the first time “Transformative Dialogues” has devoted an entire issue to a single institution. The collection of articles reflects Auburn’s dynamic academic environment, where faculty and staff are actively engaged in advancing pedagogy through scholarly inquiry.

“Collaborations begin with simple conversations that become transformative dialogues,” said Melinda Camus, associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Veterinary Medicine. “These meaningful conversations are shared in the journal to allow their impact to expand exponentially.”

The reception, hosted by the Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, offered a vibrant space to celebrate and connect with Auburn’s SoTL scholars. Faculty, staff and students from across the university came together to recognize the authors' contributions and engage in meaningful discussions, highlighting Auburn’s ever-expanding dedication to evidence-based teaching and learning.

“I am happy to celebrate their success and very pleased and proud that faculty from our college were well represented in the journal because SoTL is very important to our teaching mission,” said Salisa Westrick, department head of Health Outcomes Research and Policy and Sterling Professor for the Harrison College of Pharmacy.

The reception underscored the university’s dedication to fostering a reflective and research-informed teaching culture. With continued support from the Biggio Center, the university aims to expand its SoTL initiatives and further enhance the educational experiences of both educators and students.

The journal in its entirety can be viewed online and those interested in SoTL can email biggio1@auburn.edu for more information.