A large, general-purpose student computer laboratory in the center of the campus houses two computer classrooms. The faculty is relatively diverse with representation from many different ethnic backgrounds. While there is room for improvement, our affirmative action plan has been effective in improving the diversity of our faculty over the past several years The institution enhances the quality of teaching and encourages experimentation to improve instruction by providing technical support as well as faculty and staff development opportunities, including the expansion of library services to faculty and the opening of the Faculty Computing Center. Funding for individual and group projects to enhance teaching is provided on a regular basis. Individual faculty members are making the transition from 'traditional' lecture pedagogies to pedagogies that involve students in active learning.
Effective instruction is addressed in the collective bargaining agreement.
The University's strong emphasis on quality teaching is demonstrated in the variety of programs designed to support innovation and evaluation of instructional approaches. Several grant programs have been established to encourage faculty to expand and refine their approaches to teaching. Faculty Development grants are awarded for individual faculty or groups to enhance their personal teaching ability by attending conferences. The Summer Curriculum Development program provides support for faculty who want to work on development of curriculum that goes beyond their normal preparation. These programs may be cross-disciplinary.