Academic Boot Camp

Academic Boot Camp Overview

Academic Boot Camp has a long history at WesternU – it was created back in 1999 to help clinicians learn about pedagogy and how to be most effective in the classroom. The bottom line is that educating patients in the exam room is not the same process as educating students in the classroom (and on rotations). Academic Boot Camp (ABC) is an intensive 4-day workshop series designed to introduce new faculty to best practices in teaching and learning. All faculty are strongly encouraged to attend ABC at its first offering after their initial hire date. ABC is typically offered every July on the Pomona campus and every February or March on the Lebanon campus. Either session is open to faculty from either campus. 

The culminating activity of ABC is a “Capstone” day where participants incorporate the skills and knowledge they have gained over ABC and deliver a presentation on a teaching and learning topic. 

ABC often gets updated–especially post-pandemic–to ensure topics, and best practices are up-to-date and relevant to WesternU faculty. 

Currently, the following topics (and more) are covered in ABC:

• Foundations of teaching and learning
• Writing learning objectives and course alignment 
• Active learning and lesson planning
• Effective PowerPoint design
• Test item writing and item analysis
• Overview of generative AI
• Online and remote teaching considerations
• Educational technology innovations

Attendance at all four days of ABC is required. ABC is offered in-person only–there are no remote options for attendance.

Participants are required to bring a laptop or tablet to ABC as many electronic resources are shared online and many activities are facilitated on collaborative online documents.

Academic Boot Camp – Summer 2026 Cohort

We had 13 faculty members registered for the week and all representing different colleges and departments. 

Front row starting from the left: Melanie Barbee, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Andrea Fidgett, College of Veterinary Medicine, Daniel Lucero College of Graduate Nursing, Edward Burns, College of Graduate Nursing, Alliyah Brown, College of Graduate Nursing, Arianne Saden, College of Graduate Nursing, Kiana Moreland, College of Health Sciences, Gryan Garcia, College of Graduate Nursing, Alice Yoo, College of Dental Medicine, Brian Toorani, College of Dental Medicine, Rebecca Ware, College of Health Sciences, Anh Do, College of Dental Medicine, Not pictured: Kathryn Roth, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific.

Upcoming ABC Dates: