Shawn Boyne (University of Minnesota, Crookston) and Rosemary Erickson Johnsen (University of Minnesota, Crookston)

The University of Minnesota Crookston (UMN Crookston), an undergraduate-only regional campus, launched a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) initiative to support faculty research on effective teaching practices. Prior to 2023, UMN Crookston had little to no engagement with SoTL, as their tenure system required research and dissemination to be placed on faculty who are required to fulfill a four-by-four teaching load. This expectation limited their ability to conduct research that informs and improves student learning. This initiative sought to address that challenge by forming a cohort that provided interdisciplinary collaboration, expert guidance, and institutional support for faculty research.