If you’re ready to simply savor the satisfaction of a successful academic year and the sweetness of summer, we fully support you. But if you’re the type who likes to button up one semester by organizing the next, we’ve got a few dates you might like to pop on your calendar.

Get Set for Fall

• Wednesday, August 13: The Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (FCTL) Showcase on Teaching and Learning
• Thursday, August 14: All-Faculty Welcome Back Lunch
• Monday, August 18: First day of fall 2025 classes

About the Showcase on Teaching and Learning

The agenda for FCTL’s Showcase on Teaching and Learning offers plenty of opportunities to dive deep on teaching practices and connect with colleagues across campus.

It kicks off with breakfast, followed by a workshop with the keynote speaker, Dr. Sidney Dobrin. After the workshop, you can choose from a slate of sessions, all hosted by Missouri State experts. If you have questions about organizing your courses in Brightspace, there are even a couple of drop-in labs with Stacy Rice, FCTL senior instructional designer, and Eric Taylor, FCTL instructional designer-educational technology. Programming will conclude with a luncheon, featuring Dobrin’s keynote address.

About the Keynote Address

In the address “Navigating the Relationships Between Technology, Knowledge and Human Interaction in the Age of GenAI,” Dr. Sidney Dobrin will provide a roadmap for the complex landscape where technology, knowledge and human intelligence interact. In his presentation, Dobrin plans to address conceptual and functional issues surrounding GenAI deployment in higher education; offer practical guidelines for integrating GenAI into classrooms and curricula, including a rudimentary process for curriculum integration; and explore how AI literacy can be defined and integrated across curricula and how fundamental aspects of teaching and learning may be rethought in the context of evolving technologies.

“We’re very lucky to have this keynote session,” says FCTL Director Nancy Gordon. She first heard Dobrin speak last year, when he was at Missouri State for English Week. She knew he had much to offer the Showcase on Teaching and Learning audience. John Turner, senior instructor of English and then-FCTL Advisory Council member, helped connect her.

More About the FCTL Showcase

View the Full Schedule

Access FCTL Support

As you prepare your courses for fall, keep in mind that FCTL offers support with instructional design. Feel free to set an appointment with either Stacy Rice or Eric Taylor via FCTL’s website. They’re available to meet virtually or in person and ready to help you find the best ways to utilize Brightspace for your courses.

Around Campus…

When you next search for Missouri State Libraries’ materials, you may notice that the search interface looks a little different. EBSCO, the platform that facilitates our libraries’ search, recently underwent updates that are designed to enhance usability and accessibility. The changes went into effect May 19.

Rachel Besara, interim dean of Missouri State Libraries, tells us that the implementation team worked with EBSCO on the timing of the updates — with the goal of minimizing inconvenience for our campus community. The team also created a handy guide to help users get up to speed on the new interface.