The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning, Princeton University

What The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning, Princeton University does

The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning is an academic support unit of Princeton University, operating under the Office of the Dean of the College and funded entirely through internal university allocations rather than external revenue. It delivers evidence-based teaching and learning services to three internal constituencies: Princeton faculty (consultations, teaching observations, faculty learning communities, course design support, equitable and inclusive teaching guidance), graduate students and postdoctoral associates (TA Orientation, Teaching Seminar CTL501, Teaching Transcript, Graduate Teaching Fellows, coaching, English Language Program), and undergraduates (academic life consultations, peer tutoring, academic strategies workshops, STEM+ Learning Academy). The center also operates Community College Engagement programs (Prison Teaching Initiative, Teaching Transfer Initiative, Princeton Accredited Courses) that extend its reach beyond Princeton's campus to incarcerated populations and community college transfer students.

The center's product surface includes dedicated facilities (the Digital Learning Lab in Lewis Science Library with 15 computer stations, Adobe Creative Cloud, 3D design, audio, and coding tools; the Frist 330 Active Learning Space with reconfigurable furniture and writable walls), a grants administration function (Inclusive Pedagogy Grants, 250th Fund for Innovation in Undergraduate Education, Graduate Mentoring Awards), and a curated edtech integration stack anchored on Canvas LMS with Panopto, Hypothesis, Perusall, iClicker Cloud, Mentimeter, EdDiscussion, GradeScope, Miro, Microsoft Whiteboard, and IdeaBoardz. It has built a dedicated "AI and Our Classrooms" program and recurring AI Newsletter addressing generative AI policy, ethics, and AI-resilient assignment design across modalities (text, code, image, audio), and cross-refers to Princeton's broader AI research initiatives (Princeton Language and Intelligence, CITP, Dialogues on AI and Ethics, Princeton Precision Health, Future Values Initiative).

Its business model is a non-commercial university cost center: all services are provided free of charge to Princeton students, faculty, and graduate students, and the center generates no standalone revenue. Distribution is conducted through direct in-person access at 328 Frist Campus Center, embedded Canvas LMS workflows, faculty learning communities, email newsletters via Constant Contact, and partnerships with the Princeton Graduate School, Office of the Dean of the College, Princeton University Library, and Community College and Prison Education partners. Reported outcomes include active-learning strategies reducing achievement gaps among underrepresented students by 33% and improving examination scores in STEM courses by approximately 6%.

Name

The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning, Princeton University

Legal name

The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning (Princeton University)

Website

https://mcgraw.princeton.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning is a Princeton University academic support unit providing evidence-based teaching consultations, workshops, tutoring, AI pedagogy guidance, and grants administration to Princeton faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates, funded entirely through university allocations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Princeton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. University-Funded Operations: The McGraw Center operates as a unit of Princeton University's Office of the Dean of the College, funded entirely through university allocations rather than external revenue generation. All services including consultations, workshops, tutoring, and programs are provided free of charge to Princeton students, faculty, and graduate students.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning is an academic support unit of Princeton University that delivers evidence-based pedagogical services across the full academic lifecycle. It provides faculty consultations and teaching observations, faculty learning communities, graduate student teacher development (TA Orientation, Teaching Seminar CTL501, Teaching Transcript, Graduate Teaching Fellows), undergraduate tutoring and academic strategies workshops, and community engagement programs such as the Prison Teaching Initiative and Teaching Transfer Initiative. All services are provided free of charge to Princeton faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates, anchored by two purpose-built learning spaces—the Digital Learning Lab in Lewis Science Library and the McGraw Teaching Lab (Frist 330).

Product overview

The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning is an educational support unit of Princeton University offering a comprehensive suite of pedagogical services and programs. The Center operates as a multi-faceted platform providing Teaching Initiatives and Programs for Faculty (TIPF), Teaching Initiatives and Programs for Graduate Students (TIPGS), and Learning Programs for undergraduates. Key service products include faculty consultations, teaching observations, workshops, and faculty learning communities. The Center maintains specialized learning facilities including the Digital Learning Lab (DLL) in Lewis Science Library and the McGraw Teaching Lab (Frist 330) for active learning and technology exploration. Educational technology support centers on Canvas LMS integration with various tools including Hypothesis, Perusall, iClicker, Panopto, and others. The Center also provides guidance on Generative AI in education through its 'AI and Our Classrooms' program. Community engagement programs include the Prison Teaching Initiative and Teaching Transfer Initiative for transfer students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Faculty Consultations and Teaching Observations One-on-one consultations and classroom teaching observations with personalized feedback for Princeton faculty on course design, teaching strategies, and educational technology integration.
• Faculty Learning Communities Ongoing collaborative groups where Princeton faculty engage in professional development discussions around teaching practices and pedagogical innovations.
• Teaching Programs for Graduate Students Structured professional development for Princeton graduate students including TA Orientation, Teaching Seminar (CTL501), Teaching Transcript certification, and class observations with instructional consultations.
• Graduate Teaching Fellows Program Fellowship program supporting Princeton graduate students in developing teaching expertise and serving as instructional resources for undergraduate courses.
• Undergraduate Tutoring Peer tutoring services supporting Princeton undergraduate academic success across various subjects and disciplines.
• Academic Life and Learning Strategies Consultations Individual consultations helping Princeton undergraduates develop effective learning strategies, academic planning, time management, and study skills.
• Academic Strategies Workshops Workshop series teaching Princeton undergraduates academic strategies, time management, and effective study techniques.
• Digital Learning Lab (DLL) Technology-enhanced teaching and learning space in Lewis Science Library featuring interactive media, Adobe Creative Cloud, 3D design programs, audio software, and coding tools. Includes 15 computer stations with ability to display on room screens.
• McGraw Teaching Lab (Frist 330) Active learning classroom space in 330 Frist Campus Center with reconfigurable furniture, movable whiteboards, writable walls and tables, and four points of wireless projection for exploring instructional technology.
• AI and Our Classrooms Program Comprehensive guidance on Generative AI in educational contexts, including AI policies, ethical risks, impact on learning, AI-resilient assignment design, and embracing AI tools for teaching.
• Prison Teaching Initiative Educational initiative bringing Princeton courses and teaching opportunities to incarcerated populations, operated under Community College Engagement in partnership with correctional facilities.
• Teaching Transfer Initiative Partnership with community colleges to guide and support transfer students in their transition to four-year institutions through Princeton-accredited courses and faculty development programs.
• Teaching with Technology Support Guidance and support on using educational technologies that enhance student learning, including Canvas LMS, the Digital Learning Lab, audience response systems, social annotation tools, video platforms, and digital whiteboards.
• Faculty Workshops and Events (including New Faculty Institute) Regular workshops and event series for Princeton faculty covering Canvas training, assessment design, active learning, equitable and inclusive teaching, and the annual New Faculty Institute for incoming professors.
• Inclusive Pedagogy Grants Grants supporting Princeton faculty in revising elements of existing undergraduate courses to more strongly reflect equitable and inclusive teaching practices.
• 250th Fund for Innovation in Undergraduate Education Grants awarded by Princeton's Office of the Dean of the College for pedagogically innovative courses or curricular projects, with McGraw Center coordinating faculty support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Active learning reduces achievement gaps in examination scores among underrepresented students by 33% and narrows gaps in passing rates by 45%
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

AI capability5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Princeton Graduate SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsors the annual Graduate Mentoring Awards recognizing exemplary faculty mentors of graduate students. Collaborates on programs supporting graduate student development as teachers and scholars.
• Princeton Office of the Dean of the College (ODOC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe McGraw Center is a unit of the Office of the Dean of the College, coordinating on academic policy, course policies, 250th Fund grants, and undergraduate education initiatives.
• Princeton University LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on Generative AI resources and guidance, with the Library maintaining a Generative AI libguide for Princeton community.
• Princeton Dialogues on AI and EthicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrinceton initiative on AI ethics referenced as resource for faculty exploring AI pedagogy, complementing McGraw Center's AI classroom guidance.
• Princeton Center for Information Technology PolicyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCITP referenced as resource for faculty research and initiatives on AI, offering complementary perspective to McGraw Center's teaching-focused AI guidance.
• Princeton Precision HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced as one of Princeton's AI-related research initiatives that faculty may engage with alongside teaching guidance.
• Future Values InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCHV Future Values Initiative referenced as resource for faculty exploring AI and values in academic contexts.
• Community College PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTeaching Transfer Initiative partners with local community colleges to guide and support community college students in transferring to four-year schools. Partners include community colleges participating in Princeton Accredited Courses.
• Prison Education PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrison Teaching Initiative partners with correctional facilities to provide college-level courses to incarcerated individuals. Partners include New Jersey Department of Corrections facilities and other prison education programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning: Columbia's CTL provides teaching consultations, course design support, TA programs, and AI guidance to Columbia faculty and graduate students. As an Ivy League peer with a comparable scope of teaching center services, it is a structural analogue to the McGraw Center at Princeton.
• Yale Center for Teaching and Learning: Yale's CTL provides course design consultations, TA training, instructional technology support, and inclusive pedagogy programming to Yale faculty and graduate students. It mirrors McGraw's combination of instructional design services, graduate teacher development, and educational technology integration at a peer Ivy League university.
• Duke Learning Innovation: Duke's Learning Innovation unit supports course design, faculty development, instructional technology, and AI-in-teaching guidance at a peer research university. It is structurally and functionally analogous to McGraw, particularly on AI policy guidance and active learning space design.
• Brown University Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning: Brown's Sheridan Center provides teaching consultations, course design support, TA training, and educational technology integration to Brown faculty and graduate students. It mirrors McGraw's mix of services at another Ivy League institution, with comparable focus on inclusive pedagogy and evidence-based teaching.
• Harvard Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning: The Bok Center is Harvard University's primary teaching and learning support unit, offering faculty consultations, teaching observations, graduate student teacher training, and course design support. It is the closest structural peer to the McGraw Center — a peer Ivy League university's centrally-funded teaching center serving the same faculty/graduate student/undergraduate triad with a comparable mix of consultations, workshops, and learning spaces. <parameter name="peer_description">The Bok Center is Harvard University's primary teaching and learning support unit, offering faculty consultations, teaching observations, graduate student teacher training, and course design support. It is the closest structural peer to the McGraw Center — a peer Ivy League university's centrally-funded teaching center serving the same faculty/graduate student/undergraduate triad with a comparable mix of consultations, workshops, and learning spaces.
• University of Michigan Center for Teaching and Learning: Michigan's CRLT is a large, well-established university teaching center offering faculty development, graduate teacher training, instructional consulting, and research on teaching effectiveness. It serves as a comparable scale benchmark for McGraw's program portfolio and organizational structure at a major public research university.
• MIT Teaching and Learning Laboratory: MIT's TLL supports faculty with evidence-based teaching practices, classroom observations, and STEM-focused active learning research — closely matching McGraw's evidence-based methodology focus and STEM active learning outcome metrics. The peer comparison is especially direct on instructional research underpinning practice.
• Stanford University Center for Teaching and Learning: Stanford's teaching and learning center offers course design consultations, teaching observations, AI-in-education guidance, TA training, and faculty learning communities. It overlaps McGraw most directly on AI classroom policy work, course design support, and graduate teacher preparation, with comparable scale and institutional positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Educause: Educause is a higher-education IT and learning technology association that supports faculty, instructional designers, and academic technologists across thousands of institutions with frameworks, communities, and AI guidance. It is comparable to McGraw as a thought-leader and content provider on educational technology and AI policy, though at multi-institutional scale rather than embedded within a single university.
• Association of College and University Educators (ACUE): ACUE is a national organization that delivers credentialed teaching effectiveness programs across hundreds of institutions, offering a scalable, distributed alternative to single-campus teaching centers. It is comparable to McGraw in mission (evidence-based teaching practice) but operates at much broader scale across multiple universities, representing the externally-scalable counterpart to McGraw's embedded model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=Od_28drFaNw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/princeton-mcgraw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning, Princeton University