The rationale for providing university teaching improvement courses is documented and explained. Although graduate students in modern universities are typically well prepared to criticize, formulate, and conduct high level research projects in their respective disciplines, no parallel training in critiquing, formulating, and carrying out teaching activities exists in many institutions. Among alternative formats for offering teacher training are short course or intensive course format, weekend retreat, periodic workshop focusing on specific teaching skills, a full-year course for extensive training leading to some sort of certificate in teaching higher education, and individual consultation. Content and organization issues in teaching improvement courses are reviewed, as are motivational problems of potential participants. Rather than designating a "master" teacher to instruct teaching skills to professors, it is strongly suggested that a variety of personnel be involved in offering teaching improvement courses. Many research questions and issues remain to be explored in the field of teaching improvement, including satisfactory philosophical definitions of teaching and good teaching. References and teaching improvement syllabi are appended. (DC)