Program Overview
Developed through years of collaboration among faculty contributors, the Center for Effective Teaching and Learning, and the Center for Academic Success, this self-paced program is grounded in the specific context of teaching and learning at Cal State LA. Through reflection, storytelling, and Cal State LA–centered scenarios, participants will explore how personal and professional experiences influence their teaching, mentoring, and relationships with students. The program also offers a snapshot of Cal State LA’s student population and encourages faculty to consider how students’ identities, backgrounds, strengths, and lived realities shape their educational experiences.
Who: This program is designed to support faculty at different stages of their careers and to remain useful over time, as new experiences and perspectives continue to shape their work as educators.
What: This online, asynchronous program features four self-paced modules focused on principles of student-centered, inclusive, and trauma-informed pedagogy, with attention to vulnerability, self-compassion, cultural wealth, belonging, and mental wellness. Each module includes content to review and reflective exercises to complete. Participants should expect to spend approximately seven hours on each module.
The program consists of four self-paced modules:
- Teaching Identity
- Self-Care
- Understanding and Supporting Cal State LA Students
- Student-Centered Teaching Practices and Pedagogy
By the end of the program, faculty will have developed a stronger understanding of themselves, their students, and the teaching practices that can help create more inclusive, supportive, and meaningful learning experiences at Cal State LA. Teaching to Transform is an adaptation of CETL's Inclusive Teaching Program
Meet Our Faculty Contributors
Jason (Wei-Lun) Chiu, Ed.D. is Assistant Professor in the Asian and Asian American Studies Program at Cal State LA. He earned his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Cal State LA. His areas of expertise include mentorship in higher education, culturally relevant pedagogy, and race and ethnicity in education. His scholarship and teaching focus on Asian American Studies, culturally responsive curriculum, and supporting student success through inclusive and equity-minded educational practices.
Seongwon Choi, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Healthcare Management at the College of Business and Economics at California State University Los Angeles. She has a Master's in Business Administration with an emphasis in Healthcare Administration and a Ph.D. in Administration - Health Services from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She was a healthcare management consultant for a global consulting firm through which she collaborated with public/private hospitals, national health officials, and multi-national healthcare information technology firms. As an educator, she strives to be one who is sensitive to creating a welcoming and safe classroom environment for students because the environment matters.
Ashley Munger, Ph.D. is Department Chair and Professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies in Cal State LA’s Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services. She has a Masters’ Degree in Couple and Family Therapy and a PhD in Family Science from the University of Maryland, College Park School of Public Health. Her research has included the development and evaluation of nutrition and food resource management programs, as well as developing a better understanding food insecurity to inform policies and programs. Her teaching and mentoring emphasize student success, strong writing and thinking skills, and supportive classroom climates.
Alejandro Villalpando, Ph.D. is Associate Professor in the Department of Pan-African Studies and the Latin American Studies Program at Cal State LA. He has a Ph.D. in Critical Ethnic Studies from UC Riverside and a Master’s Degree in Latin American Studies from Cal State LA. His work is situated at the intersection of Black Studies, Central American Studies, and Ethnic Studies. His scholarship examines the racialization of Central Americans in the United States, and his teaching and public-facing work emphasize community-centered education, political consciousness, and racial justice.