AE3 began in 1994 with support from the General Electric Fund, and is now a permanent entity in the College of Engineering. Our programs have grown and developed over the years, always trying to remain in close conversation with the needs of groups that we serve: faculty, departments and students.

Our original Teaching College program has evolved into FastStart, which focuses not only on teaching, but also on research and proposal writing, and our programs for new faculty also include workshops on work/family balance. We have offered classes for students on Learning through Inquiry and Learning to Learning, and are now deeply interested in issues of faculty and student engagement.

Our faculty development efforts have extended beyond Illinois and have served as a model for other institutions nation-wide, and we hope to begin working with institutions around the world around the topic of faculty development.