Celebration of Teaching

10:30 - 11:30 AM

Prillaman Hall (HS), Indoor Plaza (1001)

High-Impact Practices in Action with Michele DiPietro and a panel for the Department of English (winners of the USG Regents' Award for Excellence in High-Impact Practices and Experiential Learning)

1:00 - 2:15 PM

Prillaman Hall (HS), Indoor Plaza (1001)

Digital Accessibility in Practice: Habits to Transform Teaching and Learning with Laura Howard and Kelly Price

What are the small teaching habits that elevate learning while also creating a more accessible experience for students? In this workshop, we will explore how small, intentional teaching practices can enhance student learning, build community and trust, and reduce barriers to participation in both online and face-to-face courses. Beginning with foundational digital accessibility practices, we will expand our focus to accessible teaching habits that support all learners and can be integrated into everyday pedagogical decision-making. Participants will leave with practical, sustainable strategies for creating more supportive and effective learning environments.

1:30 - 2:45 PM

Marietta Wilson Student Center, Malinda Jolley Mortin Ballrooms

Reception/Sustainability Showcase with Vanessa Slinger-Friedman

Are you passionate about sustainability or working to integrate sustainability into your teaching, community work, and research? The Sustainability Showcase celebrates the diverse and impactful innovative teaching, research, and student engagement centered on sustainability at Kennesaw State University. This interactive poster session features work from faculty across disciplines who are incorporating sustainability into their courses, research, and experiential learning projects or community activities. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with presenters—including some students—who will share how sustainability has shaped their academic experiences and inspired action. Join us for light refreshments and to explore how sustainability is being woven into the fabric of teaching, learning, research, and community engagement at KSU. Come excited to exchange ideas, and foster collaboration in advancing environmental and social responsibility across the university.

All are welcome to attend.

3:00 - 4:15 PM

Marietta Wilson Student Center, Malinda Jolley Mortin Ballrooms

Small Teaching Online: Practical Strategies to Increase Student Engagement and Learning with Flower Darby

Whether you’re new or experienced online faculty you can make small but impactful adjustments that significantly boost student engagement and learning. In this talk, we’ll discuss brief learning activities, minor course modifications, and simple changes to your interactions with students that benefit online class formats and enhance in-person classes too. You’ll leave with impactful, strategic, do-able ideas that make the most of your limited time without overwhelming you or your students. Together, we’ll discover how rewarding teaching and learning in online environments can be.

10:00 - 10:50 AM

Betty L. Siegel Student Recreation and Activities Center, Room 1090

Recognition of Excellence in Teaching

Come join President Schwaig, Provost Pulinkala, and the campus community as we celebrate the dedication and excellence of KSU educators. At this inspiring event, we will recognize hundreds of our colleagues for their pedagogical achievements. 

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Betty L. Siegel Student Recreation and Activities Center, Room 1090

Keynote: Joyful Teaching in Every Class: Finding Your Fizz to Boost Learning and Success with Flower Darby

Let’s face it. Teaching these days is tough. We’re exhausted, burned out, and frustrated by the societal challenges we’re navigating today. Yet our work is important, meaningful, and worthwhile. We’re changing lives and helping dreams come true. Based on Flower’s book, The Joyful Online Teacher: Finding Our Fizz in Asynchronous Classes, this session will help us see how to promote flourishing—our own and our students’—and rediscover the joy inherent in transformational teaching and learning whether your course is taught online, in-person, or hybrid.  

12:30 - 1:30 PM

Betty L. Siegel Student Recreation and Activities Center, Room 1090

Celebration of Teaching Reception and Highlight of SoTL Posters

Come join us after the keynote to celebrate teaching and explore the work educators across KSU have engaged in with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL).

Come to the Table: Faculty and Students in Conversation

What happens when students and faculty set aside assignments, exams, and expectations to talk about what truly matters?
Over coffee and light refreshments, participants will share stories, experiences, hopes, and insights that often remain hidden behind the routines of academic life. Rather than focusing on courses, policies, or grades, these conversations center on the human connections that make learning possible. Through guided dialogue, students and faculty may discover unexpected common ground, gain new perspectives, and deepen their appreciation for one another's experiences. Join us as we explore the joys, challenges, and meaning of teaching and learning.

AI²: Academic Integrity in the Age of AI

While issues of academic integrity have always been part of the higher ed landscape, the emergence of generative and agentic AI has deepened and accelerated anxiety about students cheating on activities and assessments. This interactive session will explore strategies faculty can use to create and sustain motivation in classes, so that students pursue the goal of learning instead of “getting the A” at any cost.