By Sarah Nasrollahian
When people ask me what I do in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), I often find myself talking less about research methods and more about community.
I currently serve as the United States Regional Vice President on the ISSOTL Board of Directors, a role that allows me to represent and advocate for U.S.-based members while contributing to the Society’s broader strategic conversations and governance. But what excites me most about this role is not the title. It’s the opportunity to listen, connect with people, and help create conditions where SoTL can flourish.
In my work as Associate Director at the University of Iowa Center for Teaching, I oversee our SoTL program and have the privilege of partnering with faculty from a wide range of disciplines. Through that work, I am continually reminded that SoTL is much bigger than a research approach. It is a way of asking meaningful questions about learning, examining our assumptions, and building knowledge together in service of our students.
One of the things I love most about the U.S. SoTL community is its diversity. Scholars are doing SoTL work at research-intensive universities, liberal arts colleges, community colleges, professional schools, and many other educational settings. They bring different disciplinary perspectives, methodological traditions, and lived experiences. This diversity is a tremendous strength. At the same time, it can sometimes mean that many of us are having important conversations in parallel rather than together.
What matters to me in this role is helping strengthen those connections.
ISSOTL has been intentional about creating spaces where scholars can gather around shared interests and important questions. Special Interest Groups, International Collaborative Writing Groups, and Grand Challenge initiatives have all created opportunities for meaningful collaboration and knowledge sharing. Yet I also see an opportunity to strengthen connections across these communities. What might be possible if a scholar involved in a Grand Challenge initiative were in regular conversation with a Special Interest Group exploring similar questions? What new ideas or partnerships might emerge if more intentional bridges existed across these spaces?
I believe ISSOTL is uniquely positioned to serve as a hub for these conversations. Not by creating more structures, but by helping existing communities learn from one another, share expertise, and recognize their common goals. Some of the most exciting developments in SoTL often happen at the intersections, where people encounter different perspectives and begin asking new questions together.
I am also increasingly interested in how we understand and assess the impact of our work as a Society. As educational developers and SoTL practitioners, we often ask others to engage in evidence-informed practice. I think it is equally important for us to ask how we know when our own initiatives are making a difference. How do we recognize meaningful engagement? How do we understand the value of networks and collaborations? How do we know whether members feel connected, supported, and able to contribute?
Drawing on my background in assessment, program evaluation, and faculty development, I hope to contribute to these conversations. Thoughtful assessment is not simply about measuring success. It is about learning, adapting, and ensuring that our efforts continue to serve the evolving needs of the community.
Ultimately, when I think about this role, I think about people. I think about the faculty members conducting their first SoTL project; the educational developer trying to build a culture of inquiry on campus; the graduate student looking for a scholarly community; and the experienced SoTL scholar seeking new collaborators and fresh perspectives.
My hope is that ISSOTL can continue to be a place where all of these individuals find connection, support, and inspiration. As U.S. Regional Vice President, I am grateful for the opportunity to listen to members, learn from their experiences, and help build the relationships and infrastructure that allow our collective work to thrive.
While I’m proud to represent the U.S. SoTL community, one of the things I value most about ISSOTL is the opportunity to connect with colleagues from around the world. Some of the most meaningful conversations I’ve had through ISSOTL have come from hearing how others approach teaching, learning, and educational challenges in very different contexts. Those exchanges often push me to think differently about my own work and help me see familiar questions from new perspectives. For scholars in the United States, ISSOTL offers more than a professional home. It provides access to a global community of educators and researchers who are grappling with many of the same questions we are, while bringing unique experiences and insights to the conversation. Those international connections enrich our work, spark new collaborations, and remind us that improving student learning is a shared endeavor that extends well beyond our own institutions and national borders.
After all, the future of SoTL depends not only on the questions we ask, but also on the communities we build together.
