The 34th Annual Ann Ferren Conference

Watch the recording of Session 101

Presenters: Mac Crite (Teaching & Learning Specialist, Center for Teaching, Research & Learning) & Shed Siliman (Teaching & Learning Specialist, Center for Teaching, Research & Learning)

How should we respond in our classrooms to distressing events on and off campus, given our own expertise and the content of our courses? This session aims to cultivate confidence among instructors in addressing hate-based events with students. Participants will discuss the importance of acknowledging and processing hate-based events in class, review strategies for responding, and plan responses based on their goals and teaching context.

Watch the recording of Session 102

Presenters: Izzi Stern (Director, AUx Program, Office of Undergraduate Education & Academic Student Services) & Rebecca Comfort (Complex Problems, Office of Undergraduate Education & Academic Student Services), Stacia Tomlinson-Elliotte (Class of 2023 / Complex Problems Senior Program Leader), Rebeka Rafi (Class of 2023 / Complex Problems Senior Program Leader), Nick Caraballo (Class of 2023 / Complex Problems Program Leader), Josiah Carolina (Class of 2023 / AUx Senior Peer Facilitator), Lauren Foster (Class of 2023 / AUx Senior Peer Facilitator), Olivia Traub (Class of 2025 / AUx Peer Facilitator)

The student leader panel for this session will be composed of Complex Problems (CP) Program Leaders and American University Experience (AUx) Peer Facilitators, who will discuss their experiences as student leaders and how they have engaged in experiential learning. From this session, faculty will be able to assess how they can facilitate experiential learning opportunities for teaching assistants or Core Leaders in their courses.

Watch the recording of Session 103

Presenters: Beverly Peters (Program Director, Measurement & Evaluation, Office of Graduate & Professional Studies), Samantha Cohen (Senior Professorial Lecturer and Executive Director, Doctoral Programs, School of Education), Ayman Omar (Associate Dean of Graduate Programs, KSB), Dara Ford (Professorial Lecturer and Co-Director, Masters of Science in Nutrition Education, CAS-Health Studies) & Sonja Walti (Senior Professorial Lecturer, SPA-Public Administration and Policy)

This session discusses adult learner challenges in face-to-face and online learning environments, pinpointing how faculty can support the success of diverse adult learners in professional studies and executive education programs. Speakers will include faculty and program directors, who are responsible for onboarding, mentoring, and teaching; and adult learner alumni who will reflect on how the university can best support their success.

Watch the recording of Session 201

Presenters: Katharine Manning (Adjunct Instructor, SPA-Justice, Law and Criminology), Shed Siliman (Teaching & Learning Specialist, Center for Teaching, Research & Learning) & Jackie Darby (Director of Well-Being Outreach and Prevention Services, Counseling Center)

Trauma can affect student learning, engagement, connection, and healing. This session will help faculty and staff to identify and support students experiencing trauma and develop ways to create an environment that cultivates collective healing. Participants will be encouraged to share feedback on a draft trauma-informed teaching guide.

Watch the recording of Session 202

Presenters: Michele Lansigan (Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer, CAS-Chemistry), Jennifer Axe-Donovan (Senior Professorial Lecturer, CAS-Chemistry), Krisztina Domjan (Professorial Lecturer, Office of Global and Immersive Studies) & Lacey Wootton (Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer and Director, CAS-Writing Studies Program)

Weary of grading traditional papers and exams? “Spice up” your class activities and assessments! In this session, a panel of faculty from different disciplines will present non-traditional assessments that can be implemented across multiple subject areas and teaching modalities. Session attendees will be given opportunities to brainstorm, exchange/develop ideas, and compile a tool kit of various non-traditional assessment methods.

Watch the recording of Session 203

Presenters: Darrion Sprueill (Senior Project Manager, Office of the Deputy Provost and Dean of Faculty), Monica Jackson (Deputy Provost and Dean of Faculty), Meg Bentley (Senior Professorial Lecturer, CAS-Biology and Director, CAS-STEM Partnerships and Innovation) & Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy (Dean, School of Education)

In this session, ADVANCE* project team members will present the goals and activities of a newly awarded ADVANCE Adaptation grant with the goal of increasing the representation and advancement of women and underrepresented minorities at all levels in academic science. We will engage in discussions regarding how the goals align with faculty DEI and intersectionality at the department and university level.

*ADVANCE is an NSF-funded grant that funds both research and activity-based projects at institutions of higher education and STEM related not-for-profits.

Watch the recording of Session 301

Presenters: Lara Schwartz (Senior Professsorial Lecturer, SPA-Government and Director, Project for Civil Discourse) Keisuke Fujio (Program Coordinator, Project for Civil Discourse and Student, SPA), Anna Given (AJ) (Peer Facilitator; Student, SPA), Chanelle Bonsu (PCD facilitator; SPA Alumna; SPA Master’s Candidate) & Sarah Marc Woessner (Class of 2025)

In this session, trained dialogue facilitators will share their perspectives as students and discussion leaders. Project for Civil Discourse (PCD) director Lara Schwartz will moderate, and we will have an interactive workshop in which faculty reflect on the student experience before exploring how to make their hopes for engaged classroom dialogue more explicit.

Watch the recording of Session 302

Presenters: Tanja Aho (Professorial Lecturer, CAS-Critical Race, Gender, and Culture Studies), Marc Medwin (Assistant Professor, CAS-Performing Arts) & Rhonda Zimlich (Professorial Lecturer, CAS-Literature and Writing Studies Program)

Come listen and learn with disabled/neurodivergent faculty! We will share lived experiences and best practices for making classrooms accessible to faculty and students alike. We invite anyone to learn more about how to foster conversations around disability and neurodivergence in your classrooms.

Watch the recording of Session 303

Presenters: Caron Martinez (Senior Director, Kogod Center for Professionalism and Communications), Jason Fabrikant (Senior Professorial Lecturer, SPA-Justice, Law & Criminology / Interim Director, SPA Leadership Program), Karolina Koppany (Coordinator, Kogod Center for Professionalism and Communications), Aniyah Woods (Class of 2025, BAE major, KSB) 

The Kogod Center for Professionalism and Communications invites you to learn what professionalism skills employers value and how to involve students in acquiring these emotionally intelligent, collaborative, and accountable ways of being in your classroom communities. We’ll share how we coach Kogod students to become communicators who demonstrate the Four C’s: being Clear, Concise, Credible, and Creative. We’ll discuss resources and activities to improve students’ teamwork and accountability while achieving your learning objectives.

Watch the recording of Session 401

Presenter: Hannah Jardine (Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, School of Education and Teaching & Learning Specialist, Center for Teaching, Research & Learning), Reba Mathews (Class of 2025), Kimiya Parker-Hill (Class of 2024), Allison Sattler (Class of 2025), Nathaniel Smith (Class of 2025), Charlotte VanSchaack (Class of 2025)

In this session, students will share their perspectives on how instructors at AU can apply the science of learning to make their teaching more impactful and inclusive. These insights stem from the critical discussion and self-designed research projects that students engaged in to examine how we learn and the individual and systemic factors that support (or hinder) learning.

Watch the recording of Session 402

Presenters: Jamie Abrams (Professor, Washington College of Law) & George Haines (Instructional Designer and Online Educator at VoiceThread)

In this session, we will explore how VoiceThread existing course content with asynchronous assignments are more inclusive, interactive, and student-centered than traditional discussions or practice problems. The professor pivots from a “sage on the stage” to a “guide on the side” as this more intentional and equitable classroom tool meets modern student needs and aligns with intersecting curricular reform goals.

Watch the recording of Session 403

Presenters: Megan Litke (Director, Office of Sustainability), Mike Mastrota (Arboretum Manager, Facilities Management) & Angela Geosits (Professorial Lecturer, CAS-Literature)

Teaching about sustainability is one of the most important climate and social justice actions we can take, and sustainability is relevant across any discipline. AU’s position as a sustainability leader means tools are available to add sustainability to any class. Join the faculty who teach the 500+ classes on campus that already include sustainability by learning about the resources available and considering what might work in your course.

Watch the recording of Session 404

Presenters: Adam Tamashasky (Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer, CAS-Writing Studies / AU Core Faculty Director) & Rebecca Comfort (Complex Problems, Office of Undergraduate Education & Academic Student Services

How can your department/program begin identifying and addressing grading inequities within its classes? This session offers an overview of the Complex Problems Program’s investigation into grading inequities in its seminars, providing participants a roadmap for undertaking this work in their own corners of the university—what data to ask for (and from whom); how to parse it; what to do with the results.

Watch the recording of Session 501

Presenter: Olivia Ivey (Associate Librarian, University Library), Shawn Bates (Assistant Professor, School of International Service), Sarah Menke-Fish (Assistant Professor, School of Communication), Jeff Middents (Associate Professor, CAS-Literature / AU Honors Faculty Director) & Adam Tamashasky (Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer, CAS-Writing Studies / AU Core Faculty Director)

Experiential learning (EL) can be a valuable tool for engaging students in meaningful ways. This session aims to help faculty leverage student leaders to bring EL practices into their curriculum while keeping their workloads manageable.

Watch the recording of Session 502

Presenters: Krisztina Domjan (Professorial Lecturer, Office of Global and Immersive Studies), Susan George (Office of Global and Immersive Studies) & Max Rhinehart (Instructor, Office of Global and Immersive Studies)

In this workshop, participants explore the benefits of automated written corrective feedback (AWCF), such as Wordtune and Quillbot as learning assets. Are students prepared to leverage emerging online tools to enhance their learning experience? Presenters demonstrate research outcomes, highlight possible engagement norms and discuss strategies with co-presenters and attendees while testing the programs. The purpose of this session is to empower autonomous learners in courses that require written work.

Watch the recording of Session 503

Presenters: Emily Matson (Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, CAS-Critical Race, Gender & Culture Studies and Asia, Pacific, and Diaspora Studies) & Shana Mashego (Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, CAS-Performing Arts)

In this session, we will explore reified racial stereotypes that disproportionately affect students of color. We will model the importance of understanding the origins of these pernicious “minority myths” through several case studies in which we delve into the historical roots of the racial trauma carried by African American and Asian American students. We will then give specific examples of the diverse lived experiences of historical actors from these groups that defy the narrow confines of minority myths.

Watch the recording of Session 601

Presenters: Becky Lake (Volumetric Capture Studio Specialist, Institute for IDEAS, School of Communication) & Krzysztof Pietroszek (Associate Professor, Institute for IDEAS, School of Communication)

Volumetric capture, also known as holograms, enables new forms of audiovisual storytelling. The Institute for IDEAS, through the School of Communication, offers a state-of-the-art volumetric studio that has experimented with volumetric capture in storytelling. This session will present case studies that can serve as starting points for future implications of this technology in improving narratives in the classroom.

Watch the recording of Session 602

Presenters: Derrick Jefferson (Associate Librarian, University Library) & Rachel Borchardt (Librarian, University Library)

Open practice, including open access (OA) publishing and use of open education resources (OER) for instruction, makes information freely available, reusable, and adaptable to enable learning and knowledge production. Open practice is closely aligned with DEI values, including equitable access to information and centering marginalized voices. Learn about recent updates related to open practice, how AU supports open practices, and strategies for incorporating open practice into teaching and/or research.

Watch the recording of Session 603

Presenters: Caitlyn Conklin (Administrative Assistant, Department of Mathematics and Statistics), Tanja Aho (Professorial Lecturer, CAS-Critical Race, Gender & Culture Studies), Marie Spaulding (Career Center) & Leigh Hanau (Class of 2024)

In this session, autistic staff, faculty, and students, joined by allies, will discuss the difficulties that autistic students face in and outside of higher education classrooms. We will share best practices for facilitating disability inclusion and accessible learning, as well as strategies to meet these challenges and make AU more accessible for autistic students to flourish at AU and beyond.

Watch the recording of Session 701

Presenters: Chuck Cox (Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer, CAS-Writing Studies Program) & Tabitha Kidwell (Professorial Lecturer, CAS-World Languages & Cultures)

Students learn more from active engagement with course materials, but it can be challenging to start and sustain group discussions. This presentation will share researched insights and a variety of teaching strategies to foster instructional conversations and support students’ engagement with course texts through interactions with others. These activities can be adapted for and used in any discipline.

Watch the recording of Session 801

Presenters: Meg Bentley (Senior Professorial Lecturer, CAS-Biology and Director, CAS-STEM Partnerships and Innovation), Ellen Feder (Professor, CAS-Philosophy & Religion), Nate Harshman (Professor, CAS-Physics), Shari Watkins (Senior Research Fellow, Center for Teaching, Research & Learning) & Lauren Weis (Assistant Professor, CAS-Philosophy & Religion)

AU is characterized by an institutional identity that rewards traditional STEM habits like rigor, objectivity, and individualism. To foster a STEM identity that centers equity, we drafted Ethical STEM, a novel, collaborative, and interdisciplinary framework including critical self-reflection and acknowledgment of individual responsibility. In this session, we will present activities that will foster the practice of Ethical STEM for all, and strategies for integrating these into institutional policies and procedures.

Watch the recording of Session 802

Presenters: Alicia Marsh (Associate Director, Veterans Services), Steven Betsch (Veterans Services Coordinator, Veterans Services), Dymeah Casey (Assistant Director, Veterans Services) & Erica Lesto (Undergraduate Academic Advisor and Adjunct Instructor, CAS-Sociology)

This interactive session will identify the strengths our military-connected students bring to the classroom along with some of the unique aspects of the military-connected student experience. We will discuss case studies and apply best practices to these scenarios. Participants will walk away with tools and resources to create a more military-inclusive community at AU.

Watch the recording of Session 803

Presenters: Liz Romig (Director of Career Education and Outreach, AU Career Center), Emily Lelandais (Assistant Director of Career Education, AU Career CEnter) & Anna Litman (Career Advisor, AU Career Center)

How can we help students succeed in their post-degree pursuits? Using examples ranging from neuroscience to dance, we will demonstrate how classroom collaborations with the Career Center can help students from all disciplines connect your coursework to their career options, think broadly about their paths, and prepare for the future of work.