The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) was initially created in 2013 with funding from the University System of Georgia (USG). This funding covered the salary of the CTL Director, and monies for part-time Fellows. The CTL eventually absorbed the Faculty Development Center (FDC) which included three instructional designers and part-time staff.

The primary goal of the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of West Georgia was to provide faculty with high-quality professional development and information about innovative techniques, research, and pedagogy so that they can foster engaged learning environments for their students. The Center supported student success and academic success by helping advance faculty development; partnership success by building strong working relationships with both internal and external partners; and operational success by helping to create a workplace of choice for faculty members.

The CTL offered workshops, book studies, learning communities, and resources for engaging in the scholarship of teaching and learning. Each spring, the CTL hosted the Innovations in Pedagogy Conference, providing a forum for faculty and staff from throughout the university to share innovative teaching practices with their colleagues, as well as methods for supporting student success.

In the Spring 2022 Presidential Address, President Brendon Kelly announced that the Center for Teaching and Learning would transition into the Institute for Faculty Excellence (IFE), effective July 1, 2022. In June 2022, a group of CTL employees and other UWG faculty members gathered at the IFE Summer Symposium at UWG Newnan Center, faciliated by Dr. David Newton, to solicit recommendations for the work of the IFE.