Spring Kickoff

Annual Spring Kickoff

We are excited to invite you to our premiere in-person 2025 Spring Kickoff event, taking place on Friday, January 17, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Moody Hall.

This year’s Spring Kickoff focuses on essential pedagogy topics, including:

  • Integrating AI into classroom activities, assessments, and research processes
  • Writing as a method of discovery
  • Aligning Common Curriculum rubrics with course objectives
  • Implementing wellbeing strategies in the classroom

The event will feature hands-on programming designed for direct application in your teaching. You’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with distinguished faculty, exchange experiences, and build a supportive professional network.

Event Highlights:

  • Refreshments throughout the day and a delicious lunch for all attendees
  • Professional development credit toward the new SMU promotion guidelines
  • An opportunity to strengthen our shared commitment to excellence in teaching

This event is open to all SMU faculty. RSVP today to secure your spot. If your plans change, please email us at cte@smu.edu so we can adjust the food and refreshment orders accordingly.


SPRING KICKOFF PROGRAM
 

Time

Session & Description

8:30am

Check-in & Refreshments

9am-9:10am

CTE Welcome
Led by Constantin C. Icleanu (CTE Director)

9:10am-9:50am

Revamp Assignments & Assessments with ChatGPT:
The Future of Curriculum Design

Unleash the power of AI to reimagine how you design assignments and assessments. This workshop dives into practical strategies for using ChatGPT to streamline curriculum design. Explore creative ways to tailor assignments, create dynamic assessments, and enhance learning outcomes through AI-driven tools. Whether you're a tech novice or seasoned pro, you’ll walk away with fresh ideas to engage students and make your course content more impactful.
Led by Janice Lindstrom (Music Therapy) | Spring 2025 CTE Affiliate

10am-10:50am

Assignments That Teach Writing as Discovery
 |
We know that writing helps us discover what we think. How can we help students discover this truth experientially? This workshop will explore techniques such as scaffolding assignments, aligning prompts with course objectives, and other strategies for inspiring critical and creative thinking.
Led by Crista DeLuzio (History), Peter Kupfer (Music), and Bruce Levy (English).

11:00am-11:50pm

How does generative AI change how students search for academic sources?

This workshop will discuss the impact of generative AI tools on the search process. Discover what tools students have access to through library databases as well as tools that might be helpful for more advanced faculty and graduate student researchers. Please have a research question in mind for the workshop exercises. Previous experience with generative AI is not needed.
Led by Megan Heuer and Julia Anderson (Libraries)

12:00pm-12:50pm

Wellbeing strategies in the classroom

This workshop will cover strategies that you can use in the classroom to support wellbeing and create a more positive classroom environment.
Led by Maria Del Pillar Melgarejo (World Languages & Literatures) | Spring 2025 CTE Affiliate with Michelle Glasby-Millington (Film & Media Arts)

12:50pm-1:15pm

Lunch

1:15pm-2pm

Practical Steps to Align Your Course with the SMU Common Curriculum

This presentation offers straightforward guidance to help faculty align their courses with the SMU Common Curriculum (CC). Topics include:Navigating CC Rubrics and Assessment Processes (Guidance on understanding CC rubrics and CC assessment collection processes); Creating Signature Assessments (Tips and examples for designing assignments that fulfill CC tag requirements);Using Scaffolding Techniques (Strategies to structure course materials and activities to enhance student learning). Whether you’re new to the Common Curriculum or looking to fine-tune your course, this session provides actionable ideas to meet CC expectations and support student success.
Led by Yan Cooksey (Institutional Planning and Assessment)

2pm-2:05pm

Wrap-Up
Led by Constantin C. Icleanu (CTE Director)