How do you choose who teaches at PUGS?

PUGS leadership selects instructors from the community based on the following criteria:

  • We work to ensure that our faculty collectively bring a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives. This is a vital factor in developing the richness of PUGS’ community.

  • We are invested in the professional development of PUGS instructors, and many have returned to teach multiple cohorts and courses. We have a beloved and growing core faculty as a result, which is magical.

  • We tend to weight referrals from others (“You know who should teach a class on this topic? This person!”) a little higher than we do self-referrals.

  • If an instructor has a really interesting idea for a course, already knows of folks lining up to take it, and needs a convening organization, we try to accommodate that, even if it’s a new idea our community hasn’t thought to ask for yet.

How would you describe the teaching style?

PUGS is about transformational education experiences and community-building. Although every instructor brings their unique facilitation philosophy and techniques, we want there to be a consistent feeling of participatory learning happening in every workshop and course.

Instructors are encouraged to see themselves more as facilitators and coaches than content providers. This means creating space for facilitated discussions, hands-on activities, group work, self-discovery through writing, and other reflective exercises.

Do I need a degree to teach at PUGS?

No, you don’t. When we sent out a survey to our community in spring 2019 to ask what qualities they look for in a PUGS instructor, not a single person mentioned the need for a degree or prior publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Some of our instructors do hold terminal degrees and/or also teach at universities and community colleges, and other instructors do not.

What our instructors do all share in common is expertise on their topic of choice—through lived experience, facilitated classroom or on-the-job learning, or self-guided inquiry—and passion for building both community and a brave and safe learning environment.

Who owns my course materials?

You do! It is not unprecedented that a course topic has been taught using the same title by different instructors, which is a practice employed by a variety of schools. However, PUGS does not own your course slides, homework, or other materials shared in class.

Can I teach a course through PUGS and also independently or through another school/venue?

Absolutely. We ask that instructors not teach the same course at the same time in two different venues targeted to the same audiences in a way that directly competes with each other. That said, we want PUGS to be part of your journey as a coach, a facilitator, an instructor. Our instructors are amazing people! We want to support you, not limit you.

What course format(s) are most common?

Courses typically meet once a week for 4 weeks, and classes are between 90 and 120 minutes long. These courses are generally held on weekday evenings or afternoons, but that isn’t a hard or fast rule.

We also have daylong and half-day courses. The timing, length, and frequency of courses can be modified based on what makes sense for the topic and instructor’s teaching style.

What support can I get from PUGS?

We want your PUGS course to be successful, which means the leadership team will have your back throughout the process. We are experts in the best practices of lifelong learning. We will help you from course development through the marketing process to the technical and content elements of course production, hosting, and participant experience. Reach out for anything you need.

What kind of course materials do I need to produce?

For the most part, the way you run your course is up to you. However, we would be happy to work with you on materials like slide decks and handouts - just reach out and we’d be happy to collaborate.

How do I market my course?

We are in partnership for marketing as well as course production. We will keep you updated on all the marketing PUGS is doing, which you’re welcome to copy and signal-boost. If you’re not sure what to say and where, try filling out this PUGS marketing worksheet.

Can I teach an in-person course?

We are currently online only. If you have an idea for an outdoor course, we are happy to work with you on managing safety. Let us know in the application.

What is an average class size?

Class size is generally around 15 students. Some instructors cap the course at a lower number for a variety of reasons. First-time courses can be smaller, as small as four people. We work with instructors to get the word out about their course to ensure every course is a vibrant, worthy experience for everyone.

What is the payment structure for instructors?

PUGS is a for-purpose venture. As such, we believe in profiting with, not from, instructors. Instructors and PUGS split the net revenue 50/50. This allows us to continue to build the community and dedicate effort to logistics, operations, marketing, partnership development, and longer-term course planning. And it allows your time, expertise, and efforts to be valued as a full partner in this endeavor.

We have a Radical Pricing Policy, which means participants register using a sliding scale. That means that income from a PUGS class can be variable.

Courses with smaller class sizes net smaller revenue for both PUGS and instructors. This sometimes happens with first-time courses, even though a first edition of a course requires the most effort from everyone. We view it as an investment in the future success of your course and the beginning of a (hopefully) long-term relationship.

Do you have questions that we didn’t cover here? Please share them with Steph: team@pugspdx.com.