ITL FAQ

Can graduate students present at the conference?  
We especially welcome Individual Teaching Talk and Teaching Talk Session proposals from graduate students.  Graduate students are encouraged to serve as co-presenters for Interactive Sessions.  

Can my undergraduate students be presenters?  
We welcome undergraduate students as co-presenters for Teaching Talk Sessions, especially undergraduate students serving as Learning Assistants or Teaching Assistants or working with faculty on curriculum development or teaching. Undergraduate students should not be co-presenters on Interactive Sessions.  

My teaching idea or activity isn’t long enough for a whole session—should I still propose it?  
We encourage you to submit it as an Individual Teaching Talk, a 10-minute lightning presentation via Zoom on a teaching strategy, innovation, technique, tool or SoTL research. Still not sure which session type is the best fit for you? See the Session Proposal Guide for details and samples of proposals or reach out to the Stearns Center ([email protected]).  

I have an idea, but it’s “nothing new or what I’d call innovative.” Will anyone be interested? Should I submit my idea?  
We encourage submissions on any aspect of teaching.  What’s not new to you may be new to someone else. We seek to meet the teaching practice needs of all instructors, from someone new to teaching to an experienced instructor who has been formally trained in educational theory and practice. We also encourage proposals that are built on evidence-based practices. Innovation doesn’t mean having to reinvent the wheel. If you have an “oldie, but goodie” idea, we want to hear those, too.  

I have a tip/strategy for my class, but would people outside of my discipline be interested?  
We encourage submissions that interest instructors from multiple disciplines. If it’s something that is helping your students learn, it is likely something that is adaptable to other contexts. We seek proposals situated in a context (your class) but could be applied or adapted to a variety of disciplines. If you need help or ideas on how to “translate” your activity or present your idea in a way that is applicable across disciplines, we encourage you to reach out to the Stearns Center ([email protected]). 

Can I have an extension/more time to complete and submit my proposal?  
Presenters generally have 6 weeks following the RFP announcement to develop and submit their proposals. To maintain the tight schedule we have for proposal review and selection, we must receive your proposal on time. Typically, no extensions will be given, and late proposals will not be considered.  

I have a couple of different session ideas. Can I submit more than one proposal?  
Lead presenters may submit only one Interactive Session proposal. Lead presenters may submit more than one Individual Teaching Talk or Teaching Talk Session. Please note that scheduling realities may impact your ability to serve as a co-presenter on multiple sessions. The review committee may recommend a different session than the one you proposed. To include as many unique presenters as possible and create a well-rounded program, the planning team may limit the number of times a presenter appears on the program. 

How do I submit my proposal?  
Please submit your proposal via our Request for Proposals Form on the Request for Proposals Page. 

How will my proposal be reviewed?  
Proposals will be rated on a scale of 1-5 (1 being the lowest score and 5 being the highest). Each proposal will be reviewed by three reviewers. Your score will be the sum of the points awarded by all reviewers.  In addition, the reviewer will provide an overall recommendation for acceptance as well as comments. 

Individual Teaching Talks and Teaching Talk Sessions will be evaluated on the proposal’s abstract, teaching and learning strategies, impact, takeway and time management.  

Interactive Sessions will be evaluated on the proposal’s abstract, innovation and interactive activity, impact, takeaway and time management.  

When will I find out if my proposal was selected?  
We typically notify presenters via email in early May. We ask that authors of selected proposals confirm their intent to present by mid-May via an online form included in the acceptance email.  

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Proposal Reviews

How do I become a reviewer? 
Please complete our Request for Reviewers Form before the deadline (which is typically the same deadline as our RFP). You will be contacted with your review assignments and additional information in late-March/early-April.

I have or am submitting a proposal; can I still serve as a reviewer?  
Yes! On the Request for Reviewers form, you can indicate that you have submitted a proposal. You will not be assigned your own proposal to review.

What’s involved with reviewing?
Proposals typically consist of a 150-word abstract and responses to two, session-specific questions. Typically, we ask people to review 6-10 proposals, and it takes about 1-2 hours to complete. The more volunteers we have, the fewer proposals we will ask you to review–so please help spread the word. You will be asked to review no more than 10 proposals.  Proposal reviews will be submitted through an online form. Note: Proposals will not include identifying presenter information, and proposers will receive your review comments without your name attached (double-blind). 

How do I submit my reviews?
You will submit your reviews via our online form (the link will be shared via email). We recommend writing your comments in a Word document and then copying and pasting them into the online form. 

Can I have more time to do my reviews? 
If you find yourself needing more time to complete your reviews, please contact the Stearns Center at [email protected]. We may be able to grant an extension of a day or two, but due to the tightness of our notification schedule for presenters, we are unable to grant extensions beyond that.

How are proposals evaluated? 
Proposals will be reviewed using the following criteria: all criteria will be ranked on a scale of 1-5 (1 being the lowest score and 5 being the highest). Typically, we ask for rankings on 3-5 criteria related to the proposal. In addition, the reviewer will provide an overall recommendation for acceptance as well as two comments.  

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Session Host FAQ

What does being a session host entail? 
As a facilitator for Interactive or Teaching Talk Sessions, you will be responsible for introducing the session and presenter(s), keeping time, reporting session attendance, reminding attendees to complete our survey and closing out the session. Session hosts for Teaching Talk sessions will have a tech host that will handle technology issues, admit attendees and monitor the chat box. We will provide scripts as well as a training video for session hosts.

Why ask for individuals to volunteer so early as a session host? 
We would like to assign session hosts at the same time we create the draft schedule for the conference. As a result, presenters and session hosts would be notified at the same time and have more time to prepare.

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Conference FAQ

The Innovations in Teaching and Learning Conference has a hybrid format, with virtual Individual Teaching Talks and Teaching Talk Sessions via Zoom on Thursday and in-person Interactive Sessions at George Mason University – Fairfax campus on Friday. Mason Pond is a visitor parking deck from which you can access the conference in-person. For more information, please visit the GMU Parking website here. 

ACCESSIBILITY

How can I request accommodations?  
You can request accommodations as part of the registration process.  Stearns Center staff will use the information provided to reach out to make arrangements. The Stearns Center is committed to providing equitable experiences for ITL participants and will try to accommodate access needs as best we can. Note: It can take 48-72 hours to process requests. Email [email protected] if you have additional accommodation requests or questions with the subject line “ITL Accommodations Request.” 

ATTENDEES 

How do I access the online Zoom sessions?  
For the Thursday Teaching Talks sessions, you can access the Zoom link in Canvas.  If you are affiliated with George Mason, information about setting up your Zoom account can be found at https://its.gmu.edu/. If you are not affiliated with George Mason, you will need to download/access the Zoom app.  ITS (703-993-8870; [email protected]) can help you with general Zoom access questions.  NOTE: Only Individual Teaching Talks and Teaching Talks Sessions are presented through Zoom on Thursday.  

What opportunities are there to connect beyond the conference?  
We encourage participants to post on X (formerly Twitter) by tagging us @StearnsCenter and using #MasonITL. You may also continue learning about teaching strategies and connecting with fellow educators through Stearns Center professional development opportunities.  

How can I report a Code of Conduct violation or express any Code of Conduct Concerns? 
On Thursday, please alert the online session host or in-person presenter about any incident or issue happening during a session. If you are in a breakout group, click on the “Ask for Help” button on the Zoom tool bar. On Friday, report any concerns to the session host or the ITL registration desk, which will be continuously staffed.   

TECHNOLOGY 

Having trouble accessing Zoom?  
If you have trouble accessing Zoom, please restart your computer and make sure you have the latest version on your device.  Please visit its.gmu.edu for additional Zoom set up information or call ITS at 703-993-8870 for Zoom issues.   

What do I do if an online session ends unexpectedly? 
In some rare situations, we may have to end a session early or restart a session or there may be a technical delay launching the session. If this happens, we plan to relaunch the session as quickly as we can. Please retry the original Zoom link a few minutes after the disconnection. NOTE: If this occurs with less than 30 minutes remaining in a 50-minute session, we plan to end the session at that time and try to get supplementary materials posted for the session after the conference. Thank you for understanding.  

Sometimes there are problems with hybrid events—what should I do when [X] happens?  
If you are having difficulty using Canvas to access Zoom links, finding a session, or connecting with Zoom, please contact Stearns Center staff at [email protected].  

Will Teaching Talk sessions be recorded?  
Teaching Talks sessions will not be recorded.  

CONFERENCE POLICIES 

Code of Conduct 
The Innovations in Teaching & Learning Conference is an annual event for George Mason University instructors, GTAs, administrators, staff, and our local community members to forge a sense of community around teaching and learning. All presenters, sponsors, attendees, and volunteers are required to follow our Code of Conduct. The ITL conference planning team will enforce this code throughout the event. 

Our goal is to create a space where everyone feels welcome to participate, engage in conversation, and ask questions. We ask that all participants help us create safe and positive experiences for everyone. ITL is committed to providing a harassment-free environment for everyone and will not tolerate harassment of any participant, attendee, guest, or volunteer, in any form. Sexual misconduct and discriminatory conduct (language, imagery) are not appropriate at any time during the conference (e.g. on screen, in public or private chat; in Q&A, during presentations, or in breakout sessions; on social media platforms or online media). 

Expected behavior:  

• All participants, attendees, and ITL staff/volunteers are treated with respect and consideration. We value diverse thoughts and opinions.  
• Please be respectful, considerate, and try to collaborate during conflict.  
• Remember to critique ideas rather than individuals.  
• Respect the rules and policies of this conference and various systems (i.e., Zoom), in main meeting rooms, as well as in breakout rooms or social gatherings/postings.  

Unacceptable behavior: Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to, inappropriate verbal/written comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, or national origin; inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images and links on screen, in chats, or in live Q&A:  

• Personal attacks directed toward presenters, attendees, sponsor representatives, ITL staff/volunteers, and any University staff that provide support to the conference.  
• Discriminatory, demeaning or harassing actions/words.  
• Disruption of presenter, attendee, or session host talk/leadership during the session or social events. 

Consequences and reporting unacceptable behavior: Anyone requested to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately. ITL staff/volunteers may take appropriate action, including immediate removal from the session and/or the conference for any remaining sessions. ITL reserves the right to prohibit any attendance at any future conference or related event. Individuals are subject to consequences set forth by George Mason University. 

If you experience or witness unacceptable behavior, please notify an ITL staff member or volunteer immediately. ITL staff will be listed in the Canvas program.  

How does Zoom protect my data?  
Zoom is committed to protecting your personal data. We use reasonable and appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration and destruction, taking into due account the risks involved in the processing and the nature of the personal data. For additional information, view Zoom’s full privacy statement. 

For all other questions please contact the Stearns Center ([email protected]) during the virtual day and visit the ITL registration desk on the in-person day.