Fall teaching conference at Purdue Fort Wayne to focus on strengthening relationships with students

Approximately 125 full-time faculty at Purdue University Fort Wayne are expected to participate in an annual fall teaching conference on Thursday that focuses on strategies to build positive learning experiences for students.

The event is hosted by PFW’s Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching. It will feature morning and afternoon keynote sessions led by Peter Felton of Elon University in North Carolina. Felton is a nationally known researcher and presenter on the importance and impact of building effective relationships with students.

The conference will take place in the International Ballroom at Walb Student Union between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Felton’s presentations to the full group are scheduled to begin at 9:05 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Felton, a professor of history and Elon’s assistant provost for teaching and learning, has published seven books about undergraduate education, including “Connections are Everything: A College Student’s Guide to Relationship-Rich Education.” He’s currently working with two co-authors on a book about the scholarship of teaching and learning. It’s scheduled to be published later this year.

“Peter offers highly practical and time-efficient strategies that faculty can use to accomplish their goals for relationship-rich teaching,” said Rachel Ramsey, assistant director for faculty teaching development at PFW. “Our faculty tend to enjoy speakers who help them expand their knowledge and foster their passion for teaching and learning, but they especially like presenters who can help them put their ideas into practice. Based on our assessment of Peter's work, we are confident he'll deliver on this need for actionable approaches to relational teaching.”

The event also includes breakout sessions led by PFW faculty and staff.

Kristin Barker, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Human Services, will headline “Choice and Connection: Enhancing Student Engagement with the Power of Relationships.”

Austin Rausch, assistant professor in the Department of Theatre, and Andrea Bearman, CELT instructional designer, will present on “Bridging Creativity and Connection: UDL-driven Gamification for Powerful Analysis.”

Sarah LeBlanc, associate professor in the Department of Communication, and Naomi Gurevich, associate professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, will lead “Syllabus as an Onion: Kickstarting Student-Instructor Relationships from Day 1.”

Suin Roberts, CELT teaching development fellow, will discuss “The Educator’s Presence: Cultivating Relationship-Rich Classrooms.”

Kevin Stoller, CELT instructional designer, will speak on “When Connection Costs: Exploring the Tensions of Relationship-Rich Education.”

Bearman will also hold an interactive session on “Bridging the Feedback Gap: Strategies to Cultivate Feedback Literacy.”

Admission to the conference is free for faculty, who have also been invited to participate in two of the six breakout sessions.

“This brings faculty together and generates energy and excitement for the semester,” said Adam Dircksen, CELT’s executive director. “It gives them things that they can walk away with and implement Day 1 of the semester.”

Contact Dircksen at [email protected] or 260-481-6504 for additional information or to request an interview.

For additional assistance, contact Geoff Thomas at [email protected]u or 260-437-7657 (mobile).