Program

This year's Faculty Workshop Day - It Takes a Campus: Shaping the Future of Authentic Education - will be held in person with some remote workshops on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.

All workshops have a seat cap of 24 participants on the registration form, including remote workshops.

Register to Attend

2026 Program

9:15 - 9:45 a.m.: Sign In/Registration

Bulmer Telecommunications Center Lobby

9:45 - 10 a.m.: Greetings & Announcements

Bulmer Telecommunications Center Auditorium
Dr. Michael Brophy, President
Dr. Patricia Klimkewicz, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of School of Health Sciences
Jennifer Austin and Johnathan Peabody, Faculty Workshop Day Co-Chairs

10 - 11 a.m.: Keynote Speaker, Dr. Julia Garcia

Bulmer Telecommunications Center Auditorium
The Five Habits of Hope for Faculty: Stories & Strategies to Help You Find Your Way
Behind every initiative, classroom and deadline is a person doing their best to hold it all together. This isn’t another professional development session to sit through. It’s a live, interactive session that helps the people who make schools work rediscover why they show up—and how to keep going.

Learning outcomes:

• Learn practical tools for managing emotional pressure and burnout
• Reconnect with your “why” and reflect on lived experience
• Strengthen team culture through shared reflection and authentic dialogue
• Explore how emotional endurance supports leadership and care
• Leave with renewed clarity, purpose and connection

Dr. Julia is a leading voice for the next generation. She helps schools, universities and organizations build cultures where students are genuinely seen and valued. A doctor of psychology and TEDx speaker, Dr. J (as she is known to students) helps audiences get honest about how they feel and move forward together. Dr. J connects with audiences across demographics through spoken‑word poetry and a highly engaging approach. Specializing in campus culture, diversity and mental health, Dr. Julia reminds us to keep showing up for ourselves and one another. She has more than a decade of experience working with hundreds of campuses, conferences, universities and nonprofit organizations, bringing interactive experiences that shape culture and improve outcomes for students.

11 - 11:30 a.m.: Break

11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.: Session I

Access Granted: Simplifying Course Adoptions and ADA Compliance (In person)
Presenters: Stephanie Danz, Deanne Martocci and Kristin Kilmer
This session will introduce faculty to our new online textbook adoption platform and walk through how to submit course materials quickly and efficiently. We’ll also review updated Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines and discuss what they mean when selecting digital course materials. Attendees will leave with practical tools for navigating the new system and ensuring their selected ebooks meet accessibility standards for all students.

Accessible Pedagogy: Using Universal Design for Learning in Course Design (Remote)
Presenter: Casey Ryan
This workshop will use specific examples of how to implement Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles in course design. Participants will learn how to structure discussions, assignments and assessments using UDL principles to ensure access and accessibility for all students.
CPE credit — Teaching and Learning: Pedagogy or Classroom Management

Active Shooter Response (In person)
Presenters: Jason Vandenburgh, Joel Walbridge and Jeff Levin
This workshop offers insights, information and instruction on civilian response to active shooter events. Our team will discuss scenarios and procedures, which are important to remember if an event transpires.

Building a Culture of Connection (In person)
Presenter: Dr. Julia Garcia
Connection is at the core of every healthy community, yet students and staff are feeling more disconnected than ever before. The Connection Challenge is an interactive program designed to strengthen community bonds. Through inspiring stories, evidence-based strategies, and practical activities, participants will learn how to overcome barriers, enhance communication, and build meaningful relationships that positively transform culture.

Faculty Promotion at HVCC (In person)
Presenter: Anthony Podlaski
Are you prepared for promotion? Do you meet the criteria? How is the process initiated? What are the important components of the promotion package? This workshop is designed to provide information and resources for faculty who are considering promotion, whether soon or several years down the road. In this workshop, we will cover a detailed overview of the promotion process at the college and describe the required portfolio. Faculty will leave with a clear understanding of what the promotion process involves and how to achieve this milestone.

First Aid and CPR Review: How to Save a Life (Hybrid)
Presenter: Anthony Caliguire
We will go through common medical emergencies instructors may see in the classroom and review CPR and AED on manikins that provide instant feedback. There will also be time for questions

Managing Ideological Conflict in an Angry World (In person)
Presenter: Peter Sawyer
Our students are fed information through social media and our political leaders that generates anger and intolerance. How can we deal with these influences to reinforce the practice of searching for the truth—the heart of what we stand for as academics? Come solve this problem together.

Strategic Course Design with FeedbackFruits: Boosting Engagement and Interactivity (In person)
Presenter: Elizabeth Ryglicki
This session demonstrates how FeedbackFruits can support interactive learning that promotes student engagement and reduces passive AI use. Educators will explore peer feedback, self-assessment, interactive documents and comprehension tools to design purposeful, reflective learning experiences.
CPE credit — Teaching and Learning: Integrating Instructional Technology or New Technology in the Classroom and Beyond: LMS, Emerging Technologies

Strategies and Supports for First-Gen Students and Student Parents: Empowering Students while Sustaining Yourself (Hybrid)
Presenters: Romero Davis and Katie D'Arcy
This workshop will equip instructors with knowledge about the unique experiences and needs of first-gen students and student parents. It will also provide tools and strategies to foster inclusive teaching and advising practices, strengthen faculty capacity to connect students with campus and community resources, and promote faculty wellness and self-care to prevent burnout and sustain effective support for students. The format will include a lecture and open discussion including breathing exercises.
CPE credit — DEISJ: Fostering an Inclusive Culture or Teaching and Learning: Classroom Management

12:45 - 1:30 p.m.: Lunch

1:30 - 2:45 p.m.: Session II

De-escalation and Classroom Safety (In person)
Presenters: Jason Vandenburgh, Joel Walbridge and Jeff Levin
This workshop delves into de-escalation and classroom safety tips and ideas to lend aid to instructors dealing with matters of this nature.
CPE credit — Teaching and Learning: Classroom Management

Engaging Students with Generative AI (Hybrid)
Presenter: Nathaniel Heyer
How can we fully leverage the upsides of generative AI to boost student engagement, career readiness, and critical thinking—while sidestepping the many pitfalls of this disruptive new technology? This talk will explore “core AI literacies” needed by students and educators alike to succeed in the world of today and tomorrow, and provide practical jumping-off points for effectively incorporating LLMs into instruction.
CPE credit — Teaching and Learning: Integrating Instructional Technology, or New Technology in the Classroom and Beyond: LMS, Emerging Technologies

Helping Students in Distress (In person)
Presenter: Sara Donnelly
For faculty to gain information to help them recognize, respond to, and refer students who may be experiencing emotional distress. Beginner and intermediate knowledge levels welcome. Workshop will include a lecture and open discussion.
CPE credit — Leadership Development: Inter and Intra Effectiveness, or Teaching and Learning: Classroom Management

Inside Scams and Hoaxes: Not Just for Princes Anymore? (In person)
Presenter: Mathew Cantore
Scams and hoaxes continue to evolve beyond just messages from princes asking for money. This workshop will explore how scams are crafted, what to look for and how to avoid falling victim to even the least obvious ones. Attendees will walk away knowing how to keep themselves and their loved ones safe in the cyberworld.

NotebookLM for Student Collaboration and Faculty Course Design and Delivery (In person)
Presenter: Linda Ryder
Attendees will build an "expert" Notebook and explore how this can be used by students and faculty to collaborate with AI responsibly, creatively and ethically. Support differentiation of instruction. Guide deeper inquiry and knowledge. And it is free.

Providing Support and Responding to Student Disclosures (Hybrid)
Presenters: Rachel Seeber-Conine and Sara Martin
Learn how to respond in online or on-campus classrooms when students disclose sensitive and/or personal information. This workshop is designed for both new and experienced instructors. We will review current research, explain how and where to refer students after a disclosure, and discuss how to manage your classroom post-disclosure. Be ready to gain a new skill set on how to navigate these important situations.
CPE credit — Teaching and Learning: Classroom Management, or Leadership Development: College Inter and Intra Effectiveness

Racial Equity in Learning Outcomes: Starting with the Syllabus (In person)
Presenter: Catherine Willis
The syllabus is a powerful tool for improving racial equity in learning outcomes. In this workshop, you will learn how an equity-focused approach differs from other approaches to racial equality in education. You will apply this approach to your syllabus as you begin to think about equity across your course. Bring a copy of your syllabus.
CPE credit — DEISJ: Fostering an Inclusive Culture or Cultural and Identity Awareness; or Teaching and Learning: Classroom Management or Pedagogy

Setting the Stage for Neurodivergent Success: Creating Inclusive Classrooms Where Students Can Be Themselves (In person)
Presenter: Dawn Danner
Learn how to adjust expectations for neurodivergent students to enhance inclusivity in the classroom.
CPE credit — Teaching and Learning: Classroom Management, or DEISJ: Cultural and Identity Awareness or Fostering an Inclusive Culture

What We Wish Students Knew: Understanding First-Gen Experiences and Repairing the Leaky Pipeline (In person)
Presenter: Kainat Akhtar
This workshop invites faculty to reflect on their own academic paths, examine first-generation student challenges, and identify where students disengage across programs. Through guided prompts and collaborative mapping, faculty will clarify expectations, address hidden barriers, and develop practical, department-specific strategies to strengthen belonging, advising and retention for first-gen and at-risk students.
CPE credit — Teaching and Learning: Classroom Management