The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) at Georgia Highlands began as the Instructional Resource Center in the early 2000s. Since that time, the needs of instructors and students have grown as GHC has grown.

In 2016, the CETL underwent a significant redesign in purpose and practice when Jesse Bishop, a veteran faculty member at GHC, became the director of Faculty Academy. With the guidance of Dr. Renva Watterson, the former Vice President for Academic Affairs, and with the help of several people, including Instructional Designer, Katie Bridges, the CETL began to take shape. In January 2017, the CETL officially became an office at GHC.

CETL is currently under the direction of Josie Baudier with the assistance of Rachel Rupprecht, Instructional Designer, and support of the Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Sarah Coakley. CETL supports faculty on all campuses and instructional sites through workshop, programming, resources, and consultation services. CETL aligns its mission to the GHC institutional mission in order to provide faculty with what they need to be successful in the classroom and therefore encourage student success.