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Teaching and Learning Symposium

10th Annual Celebration of Teaching and Learning Symposium

Tuesday, February 24, 2026
University of Southern Indiana | University Center East

You are invited to the tenth annual Celebration of Teaching & Learning Symposium, hosted by the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville. The Symposium includes works focusing on improving and transforming student learning, academic success, and curriculum in higher education as we celebrate the value of teaching and learning.

  • The Symposium provides opportunities to share and discuss teaching and learning efforts framed as Teaching Practice or the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) with colleagues from across the region.
  • The program will feature a morning poster session with refreshments, lightning and standard presentation sessions throughout the day, and a luncheon with keynote speaker featuring Dr. Jennifer Pusateri (University of Kentucky), who will lead a workshop on "Using Proactive Design to Support Executive Functions." 

Register Here View the Program View the Abstracts

  • Register by February 18 to enter the door prize drawing.
  • Please provide any dietary restrictions by February 17 if you plan to attend the luncheon.
  • This free event is sponsored by USI's Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL).

Call for Proposals to Present: Submit by Monday, December 15, 2025, 9 pm CST

Call for Proposals  Submit Your Proposal

**UPDATE 12.15.25 10:15 am CT: The Submission Link open again! Try refreshing this webpage or restarting your browser if you encounter a message that says the link is expired. Thanks for your patience. **

Are you considering a presentation? Here are the key steps and information to help you.

  1. View the Call for Proposals for submission instructions, guidelines on preparing your proposal, and the review rubric.
    • Decide on the type of work: Teaching Practice or Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)/Scholarly Inquiry
    • Choose the preferred presentation format: Lightning Presentation, Standard Presentation, or Poster Discussion (or no preference)
  2. Prepare your proposal and abstract using the guidelines and rubric for the selected type of work.
  3. Submit your presentation proposal and abstract by the due date.
Key Dates
  • Monday, December 15, 2025: Last day to submit proposals to present
  • Wednesday, January 7, 2026: Registration opens (free)
  • Tuesday, January 13, 2026: Notification for proposals
  • Tuesday, January 20, 2026: Confirm intent to present
  • Friday, January 30, 2026: Submit revised abstract (as applicable)
  • February 3: Symposium program posted
  • Monday, February 23: Upload presentation files
  • Tuesday, February 24: Symposium day!
  • February 16-19: Open Class Connections: Faculty Visiting Faculty: for USI faculty members.

Presenters will have the option to include their abstracts and presentation materials within USI’s Scholarly Open Access Repository (SOAR), which is indexed on Google Scholar and provides additional visibility and broader dissemination of their works.

The Symposium will provide you with opportunities to engage with other participants across disciplines and areas of work. Benefits include the opportunity to share and get feedback on your work, spark new ideas, make your teaching scholarship visible, and initiate or strengthen connections.

  • Share your efforts in supporting student learning and success and advancing your teaching practice.
  • Gain knowledge of evidence-based strategies and technologies that support student learning and success across settings and disciplines.
  • Foster reflection on your teaching practice, including improving and measuring student learning.
  • Interact with participants across disciplines and institutions

Program Overview (in Central Time, CST)

All sessions will be held at USI University Center East, 2nd floor

You are welcome to attend sessions and presentations as your schedule permits.

  • 8:45 am - 10 am Registration and Check-in
  • 9 - 9:35 am Poster Session and Morning Refreshments
  • 9:45 - 10:45 am Standard Sessions
  • 11 am - 12 pm Standard and Lightning Sessions
  • 12:10 - 1:30 pm Luncheon and Keynote Workshop
  • 1:40 - 2:40 pm Standard and Lightning Sessions 

We are excited about the program of 25 poster, lightning, and standard presentations and the keynote luncheon.

Program Abstract Booklet Abstracts in SOAR*

*SOAR is USI's Open Access Repository hosted by the David L. Rice Library.

Dr. Jennifer Pusateri

Using Proactive Design to Support Executive Functions

[Slides and Resources] In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, professors at colleges and universities all over the U.S. have noticed that students are showing greater difficulty with executive functions (EFs) than ever before. Challenges related to behaviors and skills like planning, organization, focus, and time-management are making it more and more difficult for our students, and possibly even ourselves, to keep up. In this workshop, Dr. Jennifer Pusateri will demystify the concept of executive functioning and provide practical strategies that can be used to begin supporting our students, and possibly even ourselves, right away.

About the Speakerwoman sitting on a couch wearing a faded jean jacket

Dr. Jennifer Pusateri is the author of Transform Your Teaching with Universal Design for Learning: Six Steps to Jumpstart Your Practice and serves as the Senior Universal Design Consultant for the University of Kentucky's Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT) where she fosters the advancement of accessibility and inclusive teaching practices across campus. Jennifer formerly served as the co-chair of the international UDLHE (UDL in Higher Ed.) Network, and continues to present workshops at national and international conferences across the U.S. on topics such as UDL, neurodivergence, and executive functions.

Dr. Pusateri has also been featured as a UDL and neurodivergence specialist in podcasts such as Think UDL, Tea for Teaching, and Teaching in Higher Ed. Jennifer serves as owner and lead presenter for Jennifer Pusateri Educational Consulting, and her second book, A Practical Guide to Teaching Neurodivergent College Students is currently available for pre-order at Harvard Education Press with printed copies arriving in mailboxes this spring.

  • The Symposium will be held on the campus of the University of Southern Indiana - on the Second Floor of University Center East. This building is connected to the Performance Center.  
  • Entrances to University Center East are through the Performance Center and the breezeway with "The Cone" structure.
  • When driving south on University Boulevard, look for the Fuquay Welcome Center (on the right) and the Liberty Arena, Home of the Screaming Eagles (on the left).
  • Parking Lot C (adjacent to Liberty Arena) is the closest to the event. Parking is free.
  • Accessible parking spaces are available next to the Rice Library, in Parking Lot C, and in Parking Lot N (adjacent to Univeristy Center West).

Thank you to our 2026 Symposium Committee members, who serve on the organizing committee and as proposal reviewers and session facilitators, and staff providing support!

  • Kristina Baker, College of Liberal Arts - Organizing Committee member
  • Nicole Becklinger, Pott College
  • Laura Bernhardt, David L. Rice Library - Organizing Committee member
  • Amy Chan Hilton, CETL - Organizing Committee member
  • Mark Creager, Pott College - Organizing Committee member 
  • Catherine Dowell, College of Liberal Arts
  • Julie Eyink, College of Liberal Arts - Organizing Committee member 
  • Adrian Gentle, Pott College - Organizing Committee member
  • Nicolas Jankuhn, Romain College of Business
  • Robert Knurek, Pott College
  • Jiaying Liu, Romain College of Business
  • Timothy Mattison, Pott College
  • David O'Neil, College of Liberal Arts
  • Taylor Petty, College of Liberal Arts - Organizing Committee member
  • Moriah Smothers, Pott College
  • Peter Whiting, David L. Rice Library
  • Summer Wilderman, College of Liberal Arts
  • Shari Baird, University Strategic Marketing
  • Brenna Swaney, Office of Sponsored Projects and Research
  • Rhonda Woolsey, Special Events and Scheduling

The Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETL) is proud to offer the annual Celebration of Teaching & Learning Symposium. We are grateful for the continued support provided by the Office of the Provost and David L. Rice Library.

About the Celebration of Teaching & Learning Symposium series

Connect With
Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

(812) 461-5476