Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning

Tag: Deadline

Deadline: Apply to Join the CORE+AI Design Program

Apply here | Facilitator: Breana Bayraktar

The CORE+AI Design Program provides up to $450 in stipends to instructors redesigning assignments. Rather than focusing on AI tool adoption, the program positions faculty as scholarly designers: identify a meaningful instructional challenge, redesign assignments, and document your work in a Design Portfolio. Space is limited and participants will be accepted on a rolling basis before the October 15 application deadline, so apply early!

Participants earn stipends as they complete each tier of the program and gain access to a community of colleagues working through the same questions across disciplines. Along the way, the program generates research on how instructors reason through course design in the AI era and produces a shared repository of adaptable, evidence-informed instructional resources for faculty development across institutions.

Deadline: Register for an Alternative Grading Learning Community

Register here | Facilitator: Breana Bayraktar

Interested in exploring alternative grading in a supportive and collaborative space? Join an Alternative Grading Learning Community! These learning communities aim to help instructors rethink how grading shapes learning by engaging with research-informed alternatives to “traditional” grading.

THEME 1: Exploring Grading Learning Community. This community is designed for instructors completely new to alternative grading – no prior knowledge or experience required! Through collective reading, discussion, and reflection, we will examine how grading structures shape student motivation and equity, and will identify concrete ways to redesign assessments, reassessment policies, and grade calculations to better reflect student learning.

• “Exploring” FLC – Wednesdays @ 3:00-4:15pm Eastern Time on Feb 10, Feb 24, March 17, March 31, April 14, April 28

THEME 2: “Ungrading” Learning Community. This community is designed for instructors specifically interested in ungrading as an alternative grading method/philosophy. We will read selections from Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead) edited by Susan D. Blum and other sources. The Ungrading learning community invites instructors to critically examine the role of grades themselves and explore pedagogical approaches that minimize, delay, or resist traditional grading practices. Through shared readings and dialogue, participants will reflect on power, trust, and student agency in assessment, and consider how feedback, self-evaluation, and reflective practices can support learning in contexts where grades are reduced, reimagined, or decentered.

• “Ungrading” FLC – Tuesdays @ 12:00-1:15pm Eastern Time on Feb 9, Feb 23, March 16, March 30, April 13, April 27

Questions? Email Breana Bayraktar ([email protected]).

Deadline: Application to Join a SoTL Faculty Cohort

Sign up here | Facilitator: Breana Bayraktar

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Faculty Cohort is a year-long professional development program for faculty who are new to SoTL or just beginning to develop a classroom-based inquiry project. Through regular cohort meetings, one-on-one mentoring, peer feedback, and structured accountability, participants move from curiosity about their teaching to a completed scholarly project ready for dissemination.

Over the course of the academic year, cohort members will design and implement a SoTL project, analyze findings to inform evidence-based practice, and produce a scholarly product. Faculty facilitators provide individualized support throughout the process.

Priority deadline for applications: September 1, 2026
Final deadline: September 15, 2026
Program begins October 5, 2026.

Note: Only participants of this program are eligible to apply for SoTL Curriculum and Teaching Leadership Funds.

Priority Deadline: Application to Join a SoTL Faculty Cohort

Sign up here | Facilitator: Breana Bayraktar

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Faculty Cohort is a year-long professional development program for faculty who are new to SoTL or just beginning to develop a classroom-based inquiry project. Through regular cohort meetings, one-on-one mentoring, peer feedback, and structured accountability, participants move from curiosity about their teaching to a completed scholarly project ready for dissemination.

Over the course of the academic year, cohort members will design and implement a SoTL project, analyze findings to inform evidence-based practice, and produce a scholarly product. Faculty facilitators provide individualized support throughout the process.

Priority deadline for applications: September 1, 2026
Final deadline: September 15, 2026
Program begins October 5, 2026.

Note: Only participants of this program are eligible to apply for SoTL Curriculum and Teaching Leadership Funds.

Deadline: Register for 2026 ITL

ITL Conference thumbnail logo - decorative image

Register here.

Registration is now open for this year’s ITL conference! The theme for the 2026 conference is Relevant Teaching. Our hybrid conference will take place via Zoom on Thursday, September 24, 2026 and in-person at the Johnson Center on Fairfax campus Friday, September 25, 2026. Registration closes September 18. Visit our website for more information and to view our conference program.

We are excited to announce that our keynote speakers on Thursday and Friday are Linda Apple Monson and Lisa Gring-Pemble, respectively, both of our 2026 David J. King Teaching Award Winners!

Deadline to Register for In-person Symposium: Educator Agency in the Age of AI

Learn more here | Facilitators: JMU’s Center for Faculty Innovation, JMU Libraries, UVA’s Center for Teaching Excellence, and Breana Bayraktar of George Mason’s Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning

Symposium: Educator Agency in the Age of AI: Building AI Literacy and Designing Learning in a Changing World on May 19, 2026

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the ways knowledge is produced, accessed, and applied across nearly every field. While these changes create uncertainty, they also present an opportunity: educators have a critical role in shaping how AI is understood and used by the next generation. This full-day Symposium session invites faculty from across Virginia to engage deeply with the question of how higher education should respond to AI—not simply through policies or restrictions, but through intentional teaching and curriculum design. Presentations and workshops developed by researchers from the AI in Teaching and Learning Project.

The morning presentation, provided both in person and online, introduces the Critical AI Literacy Cultivation Framework, developed by a research team from the AI in Teaching and Learning Project. Participants will explore the rapidly evolving AI landscape, examine research on AI’s impact on learning and the workforce, and consider the role educators play in shaping how AI develops within higher education. The session surveys three domains of AI literacy—Understanding AI, Engaging with AI, and Shaping AI’s Roles—and introduces an open educational resource designed to support institutions, departments, and individual courses.

A facilitated networking lunch will be provided in person.

The in-person afternoon workshop moves from theory to practice. Participants will explore the SKEPTICS framework, a classroom tool designed to help students assess how AI affects their learning, cognition, and academic performance. Through guided activities and collaborative discussion, participants will adapt the framework to their own disciplinary contexts and develop an implementation plan for their courses.

Together, the two sessions provide both a conceptual foundation for AI literacy and concrete strategies for implementation, helping educators move from reacting to AI’s disruption toward actively shaping its role in teaching and learning. By the end of the day, participants will have both a broader understanding of AI’s implications for higher education and practical tools for helping students engage with AI thoughtfully and responsibly.

Participants will leave with:
-A research-informed framework for understanding AI literacy in higher education
-A deeper perspective on AI’s implications for learning and disciplinary practice
-Practical strategies for integrating AI literacy into courses and curricula
-A draft plan for implementing student reflection on AI’s impact on learning

This event is organized by JMU’s Center for Faculty Innovation, JMU Libraries, UVA’s Center for Teaching Excellence, and George Mason’s Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning. It is funded by an FFEI grant administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).

Registration Information: Participants can register for the whole day to attend in person, or select only the morning or afternoon sessions along with lunch. The morning presentation will be available online. If funding is a consideration in your ability to attend in person, you will be able to request a travel stipend of $50 to support your participation and will need to register by the priority deadline of May 1. After May 1, we will email you to confirm selection for the travel stipend and collect the necessary information for payment.

Priority registration deadline: Friday, May 1
Final registration deadline: Friday, May 15

Schedule for the Symposium:
10:00 – 10:30: Registration Open. Coffee/tea and snacks available
10:30 – 12:00: Presentation: Your Role in Shaping AI’s Impact: Fostering AI Literacy in Higher Education (Hybrid)
12:00 – 1:00: Networking Lunch
1:00 – 2:30: Workshop: Supporting Students in Assessing AI’s Impact on Learning: The SKEPTICS Framework (In-person only)
2:30 – 3:00: Farewell Reception

*Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register by going to: https://www.jmu.edu/events/cfi/2026/05/19-educator-agency-age-of-ai.shtml

Deadline to Register for Online Symposium: Educator Agency in the Age of AI

Learn more here | Facilitators: JMU’s Center for Faculty Innovation, JMU Libraries, UVA’s Center for Teaching Excellence, and Breana Bayraktar of George Mason’s Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning

Symposium: Educator Agency in the Age of AI: Building AI Literacy and Designing Learning in a Changing World on May 19, 2026

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the ways knowledge is produced, accessed, and applied across nearly every field. While these changes create uncertainty, they also present an opportunity: educators have a critical role in shaping how AI is understood and used by the next generation. This full-day Symposium session invites faculty from across Virginia to engage deeply with the question of how higher education should respond to AI—not simply through policies or restrictions, but through intentional teaching and curriculum design. Presentations and workshops developed by researchers from the AI in Teaching and Learning Project.

The morning presentation, provided both in person and online, introduces the Critical AI Literacy Cultivation Framework, developed by a research team from the AI in Teaching and Learning Project. Participants will explore the rapidly evolving AI landscape, examine research on AI’s impact on learning and the workforce, and consider the role educators play in shaping how AI develops within higher education. The session surveys three domains of AI literacy—Understanding AI, Engaging with AI, and Shaping AI’s Roles—and introduces an open educational resource designed to support institutions, departments, and individual courses.

A facilitated networking lunch will be provided in person.

The in-person afternoon workshop moves from theory to practice. Participants will explore the SKEPTICS framework, a classroom tool designed to help students assess how AI affects their learning, cognition, and academic performance. Through guided activities and collaborative discussion, participants will adapt the framework to their own disciplinary contexts and develop an implementation plan for their courses.

Together, the two sessions provide both a conceptual foundation for AI literacy and concrete strategies for implementation, helping educators move from reacting to AI’s disruption toward actively shaping its role in teaching and learning. By the end of the day, participants will have both a broader understanding of AI’s implications for higher education and practical tools for helping students engage with AI thoughtfully and responsibly.

Participants will leave with:
-A research-informed framework for understanding AI literacy in higher education
-A deeper perspective on AI’s implications for learning and disciplinary practice
-Practical strategies for integrating AI literacy into courses and curricula
-A draft plan for implementing student reflection on AI’s impact on learning

This event is organized by JMU’s Center for Faculty Innovation, JMU Libraries, UVA’s Center for Teaching Excellence, and George Mason’s Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning. It is funded by an FFEI grant administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).

Registration Information: Participants can register for the whole day to attend in person, or select only the morning or afternoon sessions along with lunch. The morning presentation will be available online. If funding is a consideration in your ability to attend in person, you will be able to request a travel stipend of $50 to support your participation and will need to register by the priority deadline of May 1. After May 1, we will email you to confirm selection for the travel stipend and collect the necessary information for payment.

Priority registration deadline: Friday, May 1
Final registration deadline: Friday, May 15

Schedule for the Symposium:
10:00 – 10:30: Registration Open. Coffee/tea and snacks available
10:30 – 12:00: Presentation: Your Role in Shaping AI’s Impact: Fostering AI Literacy in Higher Education (Hybrid)
12:00 – 1:00: Networking Lunch
1:00 – 2:30: Workshop: Supporting Students in Assessing AI’s Impact on Learning: The SKEPTICS Framework (In-person only)
2:30 – 3:00: Farewell Reception

*Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register by going to: https://www.jmu.edu/events/cfi/2026/05/19-educator-agency-age-of-ai.shtml

Priority Deadline to Register for Symposium: Educator Agency in the Age of AI

Learn more here | Facilitators: JMU’s Center for Faculty Innovation, JMU Libraries, UVA’s Center for Teaching Excellence, and Breana Bayraktar of George Mason’s Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning

Symposium: Educator Agency in the Age of AI: Building AI Literacy and Designing Learning in a Changing World on May 19, 2026

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the ways knowledge is produced, accessed, and applied across nearly every field. While these changes create uncertainty, they also present an opportunity: educators have a critical role in shaping how AI is understood and used by the next generation. This full-day Symposium session invites faculty from across Virginia to engage deeply with the question of how higher education should respond to AI—not simply through policies or restrictions, but through intentional teaching and curriculum design. Presentations and workshops developed by researchers from the AI in Teaching and Learning Project.

The morning presentation, provided both in person and online, introduces the Critical AI Literacy Cultivation Framework, developed by a research team from the AI in Teaching and Learning Project. Participants will explore the rapidly evolving AI landscape, examine research on AI’s impact on learning and the workforce, and consider the role educators play in shaping how AI develops within higher education. The session surveys three domains of AI literacy—Understanding AI, Engaging with AI, and Shaping AI’s Roles—and introduces an open educational resource designed to support institutions, departments, and individual courses.

A facilitated networking lunch will be provided in person.

The in-person afternoon workshop moves from theory to practice. Participants will explore the SKEPTICS framework, a classroom tool designed to help students assess how AI affects their learning, cognition, and academic performance. Through guided activities and collaborative discussion, participants will adapt the framework to their own disciplinary contexts and develop an implementation plan for their courses.

Together, the two sessions provide both a conceptual foundation for AI literacy and concrete strategies for implementation, helping educators move from reacting to AI’s disruption toward actively shaping its role in teaching and learning. By the end of the day, participants will have both a broader understanding of AI’s implications for higher education and practical tools for helping students engage with AI thoughtfully and responsibly.

Participants will leave with:
-A research-informed framework for understanding AI literacy in higher education
-A deeper perspective on AI’s implications for learning and disciplinary practice
-Practical strategies for integrating AI literacy into courses and curricula
-A draft plan for implementing student reflection on AI’s impact on learning

This event is organized by JMU’s Center for Faculty Innovation, JMU Libraries, UVA’s Center for Teaching Excellence, and George Mason’s Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning. It is funded by an FFEI grant administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).

Registration Information: Participants can register for the whole day to attend in person, or select only the morning or afternoon sessions along with lunch. The morning presentation will be available online. If funding is a consideration in your ability to attend in person, you will be able to request a travel stipend of $50 to support your participation and will need to register by the priority deadline of May 1. After May 1, we will email you to confirm selection for the travel stipend and collect the necessary information for payment.

Priority registration deadline: Friday, May 1
Final registration deadline: Friday, May 15

Schedule for the Symposium:
10:00 – 10:30: Registration Open. Coffee/tea and snacks available
10:30 – 12:00: Presentation: Your Role in Shaping AI’s Impact: Fostering AI Literacy in Higher Education (Hybrid)
12:00 – 1:00: Networking Lunch
1:00 – 2:30: Workshop: Supporting Students in Assessing AI’s Impact on Learning: The SKEPTICS Framework (In-person only)
2:30 – 3:00: Farewell Reception

*Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register by going to: https://www.jmu.edu/events/cfi/2026/05/19-educator-agency-age-of-ai.shtml

Deadline: WAC Summer 2026 CTL Funds Proposals

Learn more and submit a proposal for a Summer 2026 Curriculum and Teaching Leadership (CTL) Fund project with Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) here.

Deadline: Summer Course ReDesign Academy Proposals

Visit our Upcoming CRA webpage to learn more about Course ReDesign Academy, including dates, goals, and how to submit your proposal.