Teaching and Learning Space Working Group
The purpose of the Teaching and Learning Space Working Group is to engage all classroom stakeholders across campus in identifying teaching and learning space needs at the university, establish standards for teaching and learning spaces, set priorities for the creation of new spaces and for renovating existing spaces. In order to do so, the Teaching and Learning Space Working Group has developed and regularly revises a comprehensive set of minimum classroom standards to ensure that all learning spaces are designed to align with the goals of the academic plan, develop a long term classroom renewal and renovation plan, and make decisions regarding classrooms transparent to the Toronto Metropolitan University community via this website.
Using the minimum classroom standards as a guide, the working group will set funding priorities for the design, creation, upgrade, and maintenance of teaching and learning spaces and the equipment within them. The working group will provide guidance, based on the standards, to inform pedagogical principles for engaged teaching in the classroom. The working group will also create a set of prototype active learning classrooms to provide a place for faculty to experiment with pedagogy. Prototype classrooms will be overseen and scheduled by the Centre for Excellence in Learning & Teaching. Evaluation of these prototype classrooms will be used to inform revisions to the minimum classroom standards going forward.
The Teaching and Learning Spaces Working Group reports directly to the Provost and Vice-President, Academic, and is chaired by the Executive Director of the Centre for Excellence in Learning & Teaching.
Working Group Members, 2023-2024
- Esther Ignagni (Co-Chair), Executive Director, Centre for Excellence in Learning & Teaching
- Janelle Brady, Assistant Professor, School of Early Childhood Studies, Faculty of Community Services
- Samantha Biglieri, Assistant Professor, School of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Community Services
- Anne-Marie Brinsmead, Program Director, Engineering, Architecture and Science, Chang School of Continuing Education
- Lisa Cox, Assistant Professor, School of Performance, The Creative School
- Pedro Goldman, Professor, Faculty of Science
- Matthew Marinett, Assistant Professor, Law and Business, Ted Rogers School of Management
- Krystal Nunes, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Science
- Terri Peters, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Engineering & Architectural Science
- Medhat Shehata, Associate Dean, Faculty of Engineering & Architectural Science
- Dahlia Benedikt (Co-Chair), Teaching Spaces Coordinator, Centre for Excellence in Learning & Teaching
- Ryann Campbell, Project Coordinator, Project Management Office, Facilities Management & Development
- Dan Greenwood, Director of Operations, The Creative School
- Heather Hardcastle, Manager, Space Planning, Facilities Management & Development
- Darrick Heyd, Space Advisor, University Planning Office
- Sean Kearns, Manager, Media Services
- Rita Lingner, Manager, Special Events & Property Management, Ted Rogers School of Management
- Carly Basian, Manager, University Scheduling and Exams
- Reece Steinberg, Librarian, TMU Library
- Brian Williams, Acting Director, Academic Accommodation Support
- Heather Willis, Accessibility Coordinator, Office of the Vice President, Equity and Community Inclusion
We are currently looking for students to join the Teaching and Learning Space Working Group. If you are a current TMU student and would like to join the working group, please reach out to classrooms@torontomu.ca.