Stearns Center Events Calendar - Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning

Welcome to our events calendar page! Please bookmark this page to learn more about upcoming events and changes to events listed below. Also, don’t forget to sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up with all SC events and support resources! Email us at [email protected] to sign up.

Some of the events that we offer are part of specific programs at the Stearns Center. Those will be designated as follows:

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) – CPD Workshops and Webinars help faculty to document their teaching over time. For more information on CPD credentials, click this link.
Inclusive Teaching Credential (AIEM-Teach) – AIEM-Teach is a credential that individual faculty can earn to demonstrate their commitment to the institution’s initiatives and goals around inclusive teaching and support learning and success for all students. For more information on Inclusive Teaching credentials, click this link.
Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) – Faculty Learning Communities and Webinars that focus on writing and faculty development. Visit WAC’s website for more information.
Digital Learning (DL) – Digital Learning is our team dedicated to online teaching and learning. Webinars blend information with a Q&A period. They are recorded for future viewing. Recording links will be published on our Trainings page.
- In collaboration with Learning Support Services at ITS, our Instructional Design team also offers a plethora of Canvas resources in their ID Village. Additionally, Canvas recordings are archived by topic inside Growing with Canvas. If you need to connect with an instructional designer, schedule an appointment with the team.
Mason Core Instructor Certification – Learn more about this credential here.
SkillCraft – SkillCraft is a free credential teaching program for graduate students, a program in collaboration with the Graduate Office. Learn more here.

Spring 2025

May

Are you interested in developing learning experiences where students can apply their skills and competencies in and beyond the classrooms? In this first of a two-part series, you will participate in two workshops. Fundamentals of Effective Teaching (Required) explains the critical elements of teaching today’s students. High-Impact Practices (HIPs) and Applied Learning (Design) shows you how to use transparent assignment design for courses with internships, undergraduate research and project-based learning. By completing Part 1 and Part 2, you can earn a CPD Level 1 Teaching Essentials Credential as part of Stearns Center’s Continuing Professional Development program. If you complete the Mason Core Enhancement with Part 2, you can earn the Level 1: Certified Mason Core Instructor Certification.

Are you interested in developing learning experiences where students can apply their skills and competencies in and beyond the classrooms? In this second of a two-part series, you will participate in two workshops. Implementing High Impact Practices (HIPs) (Engage) explains how to get students involved in their own learning. Grading High-Impact Practices (HIPs) (Assess) shows you how to assess nonstandard cumulative assignments, like research, projects, or internships. By completing Part 1 and Part 2, you can earn a CPD Level 1 Teaching Essentials Credential as part of Stearns Center’s Continuing Professional Development program. If you complete the Mason Core Enhancement in addition to Part 2, you can earn the Level 1: Certified Mason Core Instructor Certification.

How could teaching a Mason Core course possibly be any different from teaching a major course? There are an array of reasons, resulting in some interesting instructional challenges. By definition, the majority of students in Mason Core courses are non-majors. What does this mean for student engagement, course content coverage, scaffolding, assignment design and even student support? This workshop focuses on the differences between teaching a major course and one with the broader learning outcomes associated with a Mason Core course. Whether this is your first time teaching a Mason Core course or you are a seasoned veteran, this workshop will help you develop new strategies for increasing student engagement and success while better managing the additional workload that often comes with teaching a general education course. By completing this workshop in addition to other faculty development programming from the Stearns Center, you can earn the Level 1: Certified Mason Core Instructor Certification. Click here for details.

If you have completed the Introduction to Artificial Intelligence Inspired Pedagogies mini-course and are interested in exploring additional topics as you update your course, this is the session for you! In this second seminar you will continue to build on the material covered in the introductory course. Topics will include policies surrounding academic integrity, universal design, AI as an inclusive teaching tool and how to turn your course redesign into scholarship will be covered. *Please note that it is strongly recommended that participants successfully complete the introductory mini-course before enrolling in this program.

Summer 2025

June

Monday, June 2 – Thursday, June 5 | 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Zoom | Workshop: Introduction to Classroom Inquiry | Facilitator: Breana Bayraktar | Register here.
You tried a new pedagogical approach or curricular innovation and it seemed to work! That success could spark a Classroom Inquiry – Scholarship of Teaching and Learning project, where you to examine your classroom practices systematically, improve your teaching based on your findings, and then share your findings with others. Teaching Insight Week will provide several group and one-on-one opportunities to learn about classroom-based inquiry and how you can plan and carry out research on teaching and learning. June 2 and 5 are synchronous via Zoom, and June 3 and 4 are asynchronous/online.

Receive a stipend to participate in the inaugural STEM Education Retreat. In the first year of the program, faculty will engage with the newly developed AI in STEM workshop. Participants will be asked to review the asynchronous and synchronous workshop materials, provide feedback and workshop how to incorporate the material into a STEM course of their choosing. Asynchronous material review will need to be completed prior to the in-person session. Limited to 10 participants. Please register by May 14th.

Do you want to make changes to an existing assignment? Do you want to incorporate a new teaching strategy? Do you want to transform an assignment into a high-impact experience that students will value? By the end of the bootcamp, you will have an assignment sheet, including grading rubric, ready to implement into your course. By completing this bootcamp you can earn a CPD Level 2 Teaching Competencies Credential as part of Stearns Center’s Continuing Professional Development program.

Do you ask your students to recall facts and basic concepts? Do you want to use AI to help your students succeed at these tasks? Then sign up to participate in the AI Lunchtime Lab: Remember. This program consists of an in-person session to design and get feedback on an AI infused assignment focused on helping students remember concepts in your course during the Fall 2025 semester. This paid opportunity requires participation in the in-person session as well as submission of the activity and student feedback about the experience. This program is limited to the first 9 registrants. Open to any instructor of record in Fall 2025. Please register by May 14th.

Monday, June 9 – Friday, June 13 | ASYNC | Workshop: Alternative Grading Studio | Facilitator: Breana Bayraktar | Register here.

Looking to make your grading more transparent, equitable, and feedback-focused—but not sure where to start? The Alternative Grading Studio is a flexible, 5-step asynchronous workshop series designed to guide you through the process of rethinking and redesigning your course assessment system. Each day you’ll receive a short video paired with a practical exercise to help you build your grading approach step-by-step. While I encourage you to follow along each day, starting Monday, June 9 and finishing Friday, June 13, you’re welcome to register to receive the videos and save them to work through on your own.

Fall 2025

August

By now you’ve probably heard of ChatGPT or one of the other various new large language models (LLMs) that have taken the world by storm. But do you know how to deal with the ever-evolving artificial intelligence technology as it relates to your teaching? In this mini course you will be exposed to the basics of redesigning your course as it relates to learning outcomes and instructional activities. We will also explore how to get feedback from students regarding the changes that you make.

You’ve just been given the opportunity to teach a section, lab or class, plan a student workshop or lead a training or class discussion. Great! Now what? The Instructional Planning Bootcamp is here to help! This hybrid bootcamp includes two Zoom meetings and several asynchronous online modules for 10 hours of professional development. In this bootcamp, you will develop everything you need for a week of instruction or a series of trainings, including an assignment or activity that encourages engaged learning, a rubric to evaluate performance or gauge impact and an implementation plan that anticipates common challenges. Upon completion of the bootcamp, participants will earn the SkillCraft Level 2 Competencies credential. Completion of SkillCraft Level 1 workshops is not required, but those who have already earned the Level 1 Teaching Essentials credential will also earn a Pathway Credential with the completion of the bootcamp.

Starting Fall 2025, all syllabi should include an AI policy that is specific to the course. If you have questions about determining what might be the best option for your class, or you have more general questions about AI syllabus policy, sign-up for this session.