FROM BRIDGING TO BONDING: Reaching Targeted Faculty Populations

This chapter explores the evolution and purpose of teaching and learning centers (TLCs) within higher education, tracing their development from informal faculty support structures to established institutional hubs of teaching innovation. It examines the historical emergence of TLCs and their role in promoting evidence-based teaching practices. The chapter highlights the ways TLCs provide faculty with professional development specifically by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and contributing to institutional vitality. Challenges such as funding limitations, faculty engagement, and administrative buy-in are also discussed. The chapter positions TLCs as essential cultural and academic anchors, emphasizing their need to balance traditional programming with innovative approaches that address rapidly shifting pedagogical and institutional landscapes.