The Learning Design and Digital Innovation team is offering Faculty Development in the summer of 2026 for ALL faculty! There are two experiences faculty can choose from and there are separate sign-ups for each. Faculty can attend one or both offerings!
Right now, teaching can feel like a game of whack-a-mole as we learn to co-exist with the newest general purpose technology: generative AI. Learning activities and assessments that used to work may no longer work. While this is a disruptive time for higher education, the science of how students learn remains stable and can give us some ideas about how to navigate this time in our course designs and teaching plans. In this mini-conference, we’ll explore some tried-and-true pedagogies for deeper learning, as well as some strategies for adapting old assignments. By the end of the day, you’ll gain concrete strategies for how you want to approach generative AI in your classes for the coming year.
The mini-conference is broken into the following workshops:
*Bring your laptop
June 23–26, 2026 (limited to 10 participants), ISEC 387
Apply to attend the incubator if you are interested in significantly revamping a course you already teach or developing a new course. All course (re)design proposals are welcome,You can apply to develop an individual or team-taught course; team-taught courses should submit a single FDI application and will receive privileged application status. Faculty will receive a free iPad (or Wacom tablet), as well as a selection of pedagogy books for your personal library. Most afternoons will be unscheduled so that you can have quiet writing time to work on your course and/or time to meet with Stacie, Denise, or David. This structure, similar to Union’s Writing Retreat, is designed to help you have more of your course done by the end of the week.
SCHEDULE
| Date | 9 am –12 pm | 1–3 pm |
|---|---|---|
| June 22 | Mini Conference: Keeping Humans at the Center: Teaching + Learning in a World of AI | |
| June 23 | Backward design Developing significant learning goals |
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| June 24 | Assessing learning Essential questions Metacognition |
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| June 25 | Active learning Peer learning |
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| June 26 | Extreme Home Makeover: Syllabus and Nexus site |
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** Schedule at least one coaching session with Stacie, Denise, and/or David to talk about your course.
Note: A light breakfast and lunch will be served each day
You will receive:
| The Incubator is designed to nurture ideas, not grow them to completion. It is a safe and fun place to begin thinking about a new course or revising an existing course. Ongoing Instructional Design consulting is available throughout the academic year to further develop the course. |
You can sign up for one or both of these two summer FDI experiences!
Junior or senior faculty, visitors, and tenure-track faculty from all disciplines are welcome to apply. Many people who have done the FDI before like doing it again as it changes every year. We work to create a reflective and positive environment where we are all helping each other design or improve our teaching and courses.
The Learning Design and Digital Innovation team team is offering Faculty Development in the summer of 2026 for ALL faculty! There are two experiences faculty can choose from and there are separate sign-ups for each:
Questions about the FDI? Please contact Denise Snyder, Director of Learning Design and Digital Innovation.
Here are some actual quotes from past participants about their experience in the FDI:
What Participants Said After...
The FDI incubator offers a non-judgmental space to grow as an instructor. Mohit Arora, Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics
The incubator helped me think about my course from the current student perspective so that I can better design learning experiences around the intended audience rather than what would work for me if I was a student. I greatly enjoyed the supportive camaraderie of the Course Design Incubator. We were all there to improve student learning and collaborated towards that end, sharing ideas, perspectives and feedback in a really productive environment. Lynn Evans, Director of Fellowships and Doctoral Pathways
The course incubator taught me so many ways in which I could better serve students while also making my job as an instructor more efficient. I had no idea that there was a whole team of insightful and creative folks who would brainstorm ways to revamp areas of my course that were causing me challenges. The LDDI Team is absolutely incredible! I feel empowered to try new tactics in the classroom and excited to have some practical tools to make student learning more effective. Amy Juarez, Visiting Assistant Professor of English
I learned so much and am SO excited to implement the ideas I got from doing this workshop. I went in with zero idea of how I actually wanted to structure my course and I’m leaving with a week by week guide. I also made such amazing connections with everyone. Sagan Leggett, Lecturer of Biomedical Engineering
The afternoon "work time" was really helpful. I also enjoyed alternating lecture with exercises in the morning sessions. Helen Hanson, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
This year’s Faculty Development Institute proved to be an incredibly worthwhile and beneficial experience, offering practical tools and fresh perspectives that will meaningfully enhance both my teaching and my students’ learning. Through thoughtful workshops, collaborative discussions, and innovative strategies, the institute empowered us as faculty to create more engaging, inclusive, and student-centered learning environments. It provided valuable opportunities for reflection, skill-building, and connection with colleagues, ultimately enriching our ability to support student success and foster deeper learning outcomes. I’m so happy I joined in again this year! Very valuable new content, especially the mini-conference on GenAI! Thank you! Erika Nelson, Associate Professor of German Studies
Active Learning methods are a game changer. These methods not only engage students and support better learning, but also they make the class fun and enjoyable. And that is a great motivator for me. Developing a new course is a lot challenging if my objective is to 'transfer'. And with FDI's support, half the battle is won even if we have a SFD. Prateek Arora, Assistant Professor of Economics
I loved the FDI Incubator! I learned so much in just one week. I remembered several of the ideas we encountered from the new faculty boot camp, but I really appreciated the time and space to consider these ideas more deeply and brainstorm with my colleagues. Chris Chandler, Associate Professor of Music
The teaching methods I acquired during that week are pretty much how I learned on my own. Now, not all and perhaps not most of our students are self-directed learners as I am. For me, it was invaluable to understand how I can design classes that convey experiences and methods to students (how to become excited, engaged, and self-directed) that seem "automatic" for us as profs. Sarina Kuersteiner, Assistant Professor of History
This is the third FDI that I've participated in. I highly recommend the incubator to anyone who is interested in learning about best practices in pedagogy. We learned about how our students learn and best practices for engaging students in deep learning (among other really fascinating and practical matters). We practiced backward course design, discussed assessing student learning, all while crafting and then workshopping our new courses. While it was a lot of work, it was also really a lot of fun! I have so many ideas for my new course and can't wait to work on it over the coming weeks! Kristin Bidoshi, Professor of Russian
The focused dedication to course improvement and professional development is incredibly useful. Luke Dosiek, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
I found the incubator very valuable in both formulating my classes and getting me excited about teaching again. I appreciated the structured approach to course design, emphasis on best practices in student learning, and opportunity to workshop my classes with other faculty. Jennifer Fredricks, Professor of Psychology
Designing or redesigning a course can be fun and will get you excited about it. The excitement will make your class better, and ultimately make you feel more satisfied with the work that you do. Allison Conley, Lecturer of Visual Arts - Printmaking and Drawing
Comparing notes on pedagogy is always helpful. Comparing notes on pedagogy with a self-selecting group of faculty who are expressly dedicated to rethinking and expanding how they teach is extremely helpful. Greg Callaghan, Assistant Professor of Classics
It changed the way I think about different aspects of my teaching, and gave my confidence in my ability to navigate situations I have yet to experience. Overhauling your courses is a lot of work, and I know much of what I want to incorporate will need to be done over 5 years, not 5 months, but I'm excited to add new ideas to my courses. Stephanie Curley, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
I did my first FDI in 2014 which really helped me think differently about how I teach and the skills I want students to take away. This second FDI was a great opportunity to apply new research informed strategies, especially given the rate of change amongst each generation of students, especially after covid and what we know now about inclusive learning. Having the opportunity to work collaboratively and connect with other faculty was very rewarding and encouraging. I left inspired and eager to apply what I learned! Lorraine Cox, Associate Professor of Art History
The FDI is an opportunity to engage with other faculty who have similar goals and investment in student-centric learning. As a senior faculty member, it's a chance to share experiences and lessons learned, but also be exposed to new ideas and perspectives from junior colleagues. Holli Frey, Professor of Geosciences
This is my 3rd time attending the FDI, and each time I have left feeling enriched. Denise Snyder and Stacie Cassat Green are the ultimate dynamic duo. They embody the crucial qualities every effective educator needs to be highly successful. Denise and Stacie bring a wealth of knowledge to the FDI, but they don't impose their knowledge, methods, or expertise on others. They make suggestions, offer constructive feedback, and share their own successes and failures in a way that is respectful, validating, and encouraging. They know how to make learning fun and interesting but also challenging in a way that pushes attendees to dig deeper to find answers. Having David Collinge and Sonia Sandoval there was just extra icing on the cake. I'm highly impressed with Union's Learning Design and Digital Innovation team. It is so apparent that this area of the college has all the right people in place and is thriving under Denise's directorship. The FDI is a sensational way to kick off summer! Jill-Marie Murphy, Professor of English
There was something for everyone! This was an excellent way to hear about a variety of new learning technologies and strategies. Some I was ready for, others were beyond me, but now I have a good sense about the resources available on campus. I was amazed that they are almost all also linked to Nexus so that students can find everything from that single source. Jill Salvo, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences
Having the dedicated time and consultation of Denise and Stacie was invaluable throughout the FDI. I also found the small group meetings helpful in idea generation and relationship building. The one-on-one with Josh Bookin and Dr. Ivonne Garcia was also really useful.The combination of readings, small group work, presentations and discussion were really helpful for both modeling good pedagogy, and providing support for our course designs or re-designs. And it was really fun! Cherrice Traver, Professor of Computer Engineering
It is incredibly valuable to join discussions with colleagues - in small groups and relatively large - about teaching strategies. The resources provided offer a buffet of options, some of which almost certainly will spark new ideas to improve our teaching. Jeff Corbin, Professor of Life Sciences; Professor of Biological Sciences
The FDI offered me an excellent opportunity to reflect on my teaching. It forced me to step out of my assumptions and rethink my teaching methods. I especially appreciated the many opportunities to discuss my individual teaching questions one-on-one with experts and in small groups. Maite Cruz Tleugabulova, Assistant Professor of Philosophy
I expect to use what I came up with in the design sprint to revise my courses—as well as overall fostering "understanding by design" in my courses, which I think will come from making small changes to focus first on the goals, then the assessments, then the material—reverse engineering a lot of what I already do for my classes. I think this involves tweaks not transformations. I also expect to revise my approach to some aspects of DEIB, from syllabus statements to community agreements on the first day of class. I also hope to use some technologies—in particular I'm thinking of adding a podcast assignment to my classes. Everyone should do the summer FDI at least once: it's a wonderful way to focus on improving our pedagogy through technology, inclusivity, and instructional design, as well as to meet our devoted colleagues across the curriculum! Dan Venning, Associate Professor of Theater and Dance
Some aspects from the three textbooks I read are helping me to see my syllabi differently. Dianne McMullen, Professor of Music
I have some really concrete ideas for thinking about new assignments in two of my courses. I also have ideas for beginning my courses, both in the design of the syllabi and in establishing course goals and values collaboratively with the students. Patricia Wareh, Professor of English
The Incubator was eye-opening, inspirational, and transformative for me. I especially encourage junior faculty to give it a try! Ellen Gasparovic, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Stacie and Denise are effective facilitators and knowledgeable guides to the latest pedagogical innovations. They pushed me to think in new directions. Kirk Wegter-McNelly, Professor of Science, Philosophy and Religion Program in Religious Studies
With a modest investment of time, incubator participants receive valuable training and suggestions, often leading to pedagogical innovations for their classes. Mark Walker, Professor of History
Just as our students struggled with finding and sustaining community online, we do, too! The FDI reminded me, in really productive ways, that we belong to lots of communities of support. Jennifer Mitchell, Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Chief Diversity Officer, + Assistant Professor of English
I think the program will help me to refresh courses that I felt were getting stale. Joyce Madancy, Professor of History
If you are in a pedagogical rut, or looking to take a new direction with your courses, the readings and workshop discussions in FDI offer excellent ways to shake up your routine and develop alternate ways of thinking about the elements of teaching and student learning. Kara Doyle, Dean of Departments and Programs + Professor of English
High-impact, high-quality teaching practices that will make your courses the most sought-after on campus. Megan Ferry, Professor of Chinese
The FDI is about collaboration. It's an opportunity for individual faculty members to think through their teaching as part of a well informed, experienced, and supportive group of like-minded teachers. Joe Johnson, Director of Writing Programs
Sessions provided a great opportunity to recharge and refresh my teaching strategies. Tim Olsen, Professor of Music
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