Join us for the 3rd annual Faculty Symposium bringing together academic leaders from across UM to celebrate entrepreneurial impact among faculty. Be inspired, build connections and access supports at this free luncheon! 

Location: Marshall McLuhan Hall (Rm 204), UMSU University Centre, 65 Chancellors Circle

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session Format: Event

Please register by Thursday, November 19, 2026.

Use the special link to register now

This 90-minute online demonstration introduces faculty and instructors to a ready-to-use UM Learn course template designed to support a professionally presented, organized, and accessible online course. Participants will see examples of how the template was applied in online courses, including how the template supports clear navigation, consistent page structure, student orientation, and alignment among learning outcomes, activities, and assessments. The session will include a guided walkthrough of the template features and a brief discussion of how faculty can adapt the template to their own teaching contexts. Participants will receive a downloadable zip file of the UM Learn course template for immediate use in their own UM courses.

Location: Online - UM Zoom

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, Staff, and Graduate Students

Session Format: Demonstration

What is project-based learning? Is it simply a class project or presentation? How is it set-up? What logistical considerations need to be made? Does it require an external partner? 

In this workshop we will explore the ins and outs of project-based learning from what it is to how to set it up. You will hear a first-hand account of an instructor who used this teaching method in their class, they will share how they prepared students, how they organized the project, and what the student feedback was like. As part of this workshop you will have a chance to apply what you have learned in your own context. 

Location: Room 223, The Centre, 65 Dafoe Road

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, Staff, and Graduate Students

Session format: Workshop

Using art to teach is a powerful strategy to increase student engagement, explore complex ideas, and deepen reflection. At this session, Dr. Bruno De Oliveira Jamye, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education and coordinator of the Masters in Art Education program, will be talking about his experience with art-based teaching and sharing advice for those interested in exploring this pedagogy in their teaching.

This session is hosted by The Centre’s Experiential Learning Community of Practice! Expect opportunities to meet other faculty and instructors passionate about experiential learning and share your perspective in break-out rooms and other interactive activities.

Location: Online - UM Zoom

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Guest Presentation

Over the past several years, an important discussion of how we can Indigenize and decolonize the academy has been occurring. This workshop series aims to give participants the context and tools necessary to meaningfully engage with decolonizing processes as they relate to education. Part 1 of Barriers to Decolonizing considers Indigenous student perspectives and the barriers they encounter which prevent them from experiencing a decolonized education which fosters engagement and learning. Strategies for overcoming these barriers are shared. Participants consider how to utilize these strategies to support decolonizing processes in their classrooms.

Location: Room 223, The Centre, 65 Dafoe Road

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, Staff and Graduate Students

Session format: Workshop

An information session for those wishing to submit a proposal including scope and examples of past projects; opportunity to brainstorm ideas.

Location: Room 223, The Centre, 65 Dafoe Road

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

An afternoon planning/writing session including facilitators from CoPs who have previously been awarded funding.

Location: Room 325, Education, 71 Curry Place

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

An opportunity for CoPs to share highlights including presentations of SoTL work.

Location: Room 223, The Centre, 65 Dafoe Road

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Small Shifts is back, featuring your UM faculty colleagues sharing their favourite high impact teaching strategies for classroom activities, course design, effective communication, lesson planning, and more. Each workshop session features two lightning presentations, followed by time for questions, brainstorming, and collegial conversation. 

This workshop series is rooted in James Lang's premise of "small teaching.” Lang argues that positive change is possible through incremental and strategic small modifications to teaching practices and course design that boost student learning and engagement. Bring your lunch and join the conversation!

Lightning Presentations:

• Dr. Andrea Charron, Faculty of Arts
  • Thinking Strategically Under Pressure: The Value of Tabletop Exercises in University Education
  • Tabletop exercises (TTXs) are widely used by governments, militaries, emergency managers, and corporations to prepare decisionmakers for complex and uncertain situations. Increasingly, they also offer a powerful pedagogical tool for universities seeking to develop students' strategic and critical thinking abilities. This presentation explores how TTXs move students beyond passive learning by placing them in realistic decision-making environments where information is incomplete, time is limited, and competing priorities must be balanced. Through role-playing, problem-solving, and collaborative analysis, students learn to evaluate evidence, anticipate second- and third-order effects, challenge assumptions, and make decisions under conditions of uncertainty. Drawing on classroom experience and practical examples, the session examines how tabletop exercises can bridge theory and practice while fostering skills that are valuable across disciplines, including strategic thinking, critical reasoning, communication, and teamwork. The presentation concludes with lessons learned and recommendations for instructors interested in incorporating TTXs into their teaching.
• Dr. Adele Perry, Faculty of Arts
  • Talking History: Conversation and Assessment in the Age of Robots
  • A changing landscape of technology within which LLMs (Large Language Models) are but the most recent and pressing examples have cumulatively worked to call into question the tools of assessment that instructors in the Humanities and Social Sciences have long relied on. This presentation will draw on my recent experience using oral assessment in a mid-sized, first-year History course as one response to this particular historical moment. I will locate this within longstanding Indigenous Studies literature stressing the importance of relationality to all meaningful learning. I will also address the implications of oral assessment for academic labour.

Location: Room 223, The Centre, 65 Dafoe Road

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Guest Presentations

Note: This hybrid session is also available congruently online

Small Shifts is back, featuring your UM faculty colleagues sharing their favourite high impact teaching strategies for classroom activities, course design, effective communication, lesson planning, and more. Each workshop session features two lightning presentations, followed by time for questions, brainstorming, and collegial conversation. 

This workshop series is rooted in James Lang's premise of "small teaching.” Lang argues that positive change is possible through incremental and strategic small modifications to teaching practices and course design that boost student learning and engagement. Bring your lunch and join the conversation!

Lightning Presentations:

• Dr. Andrea Charron, Faculty of Arts
  • Thinking Strategically Under Pressure: The Value of Tabletop Exercises in University Education
  • Tabletop exercises (TTXs) are widely used by governments, militaries, emergency managers, and corporations to prepare decisionmakers for complex and uncertain situations. Increasingly, they also offer a powerful pedagogical tool for universities seeking to develop students' strategic and critical thinking abilities. This presentation explores how TTXs move students beyond passive learning by placing them in realistic decision-making environments where information is incomplete, time is limited, and competing priorities must be balanced. Through role-playing, problem-solving, and collaborative analysis, students learn to evaluate evidence, anticipate second- and third-order effects, challenge assumptions, and make decisions under conditions of uncertainty. Drawing on classroom experience and practical examples, the session examines how tabletop exercises can bridge theory and practice while fostering skills that are valuable across disciplines, including strategic thinking, critical reasoning, communication, and teamwork. The presentation concludes with lessons learned and recommendations for instructors interested in incorporating TTXs into their teaching.
• Dr. Adele Perry, Faculty of Arts
  • Talking History: Conversation and Assessment in the Age of Robots
  • A changing landscape of technology within which LLMs (Large Language Models) are but the most recent and pressing examples have cumulatively worked to call into question the tools of assessment that instructors in the Humanities and Social Sciences have long relied on. This presentation will draw on my recent experience using oral assessment in a mid-sized, first-year History course as one response to this particular historical moment. I will locate this within longstanding Indigenous Studies literature stressing the importance of relationality to all meaningful learning. I will also address the implications of oral assessment for academic labour.

Location: Online - UM Zoom

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Guest Presentations

Note: This hybrid session is also available congruently on-campus

As instructors, you may have experienced behaviour by your students that you felt was disrespectful, rude, or disruptive. These can be challenging situations to deal with. Staff from Student Advocacy and Case Management and the Office of Human Rights and Conflict Management will provide an overview of pertinent University policies and procedures to help you understand your rights and responsibilities as an instructor. This interactive workshop will provide you with strategies and tips for preventing and responding to these behaviours.

Location: Room 223, The Centre (65 Dafoe Road)

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Workshop

Young adults are highly susceptible to mental health problems. We know that most instructors encounter many students who are struggling with mental health issues that affect their academic performance, behaviour in the classroom, and interactions with teaching staff.  Research also indicates that the incident rate and intensity of mental health problems experienced by students is increasing. These situations can be stressful, time-consuming, and potentially can involve risks to personal safety for the students and others. David Ness, the Director of the Student Counselling Centre at the University of Manitoba, will provide you with information about how to identify and respond effectively to student mental health issues, how to understand the factors that contribute to student distress, and how to access resources.  This interactive workshop will involve case study material to apply your knowledge of risk assessment, response alternatives, and on- and off-campus resources.

Location: Room 223, The Centre (65 Dafoe Road)

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Workshop

Do you want to promote academic integrity in your course but don’t know how?  In this workshop, we will discuss the meaning of academic integrity at the University of Manitoba, and how it relates to your teaching and learning environment (whether that be face-to-face, remote/online). We will discuss ways to implement teaching and assessment strategies that promote integrity that will allow you to focus on students’ learning and community building. Resources for academic integrity education (e.g., syllabus statements, learning activities) that you can modify and incorporate into your courses will be shared.

Location: Online - UM Zoom

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Workshop

Feedback and evaluation of teaching are part of every teacher’s life. How do you make sense of the evaluative feedback you receive from SRI scores, daily classroom experiences and student grades? This workshop examines the theory and practice of evaluation and suggests practical strategies for integrating effective evaluative practices into your teaching. Please note that this workshop does not cover the design and creation of student assessments. 

Location: Online - UM Zoom

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Workshop

John Dewey observed that, “We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.” In order to become a better teacher, it is necessary to reflect on what we do and why we do it – to ask ourselves, is what we do effective? In this workshop we will explore several models of self-reflection, including the Gibbs’ Model, as methods for engaging in a reflective practice. Participants will also have the opportunity to share their own successes and struggles as they strive to become a better teacher.

Location: Online - UM Zoom

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Workshop

In this workshop, we will explore a framework for using technology in teaching and learning. Rather than a technology ‘how-to’ session, the focus will be on providing a method for evaluating technology that supports the goals of teaching and learning. We will also discuss the benefits and challenges of using technology in the classroom.

Location: Online - UM Zoom

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Workshop

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an orientation to teaching and learning that promotes greater student choice and agency in learning experiences, with the aim of reducing barriers to learning by providing multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression. In this workshop, participants will explore how UDL values intersect with their own teaching philosophies, identify barriers to learning for students with a range of needs, and (re)design course elements to adopt UDL guidelines in a way that is practical for instructors yet beneficial to learners.

Location: Online - UM Zoom

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Workshop

Every student and instructor brings their own culture into the teaching and learning contexts in which they inhabit. Similarly, every teaching and learning context is informed by and situated in institutional, regional, and national cultures. In this workshop, you’ll explore your own cultural attitudes, knowledge, and skills, and those of your learners and the environments you all find yourselves in. Then, you’ll apply this to your own teaching practices through elements of course design.

Location: Online - UM Zoom

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Workshop

Increasingly, university promotion and tenure committees are requiring a teaching dossier to document your development and achievements as an educator. This workshop looks at the requirements at the University of Manitoba for teaching dossiers and covers the basics of writing a Teaching Philosophy statement and creating a teaching dossier.

Location: Online - UM Zoom

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Workshop

This workshop introduces participants to Indigenous pedagogies by contextualizing Indigenous knowledges, discussing the importance of making space for Indigenous content and knowledge transmission in the academy, and providing participants with resources about the pedagogical significance of Indigenous knowledges.

Location: Room 223, The Centre (65 Dafoe Road)

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Workshop

As instructors, you may have experienced behaviour by your students that you felt was disrespectful, rude, or disruptive. These can be challenging situations to deal with. Staff from Student Advocacy and Case Management and the Office of Human Rights and Conflict Management will provide an overview of pertinent University policies and procedures to help you understand your rights and responsibilities as an instructor. This interactive workshop will provide you with strategies and tips for preventing and responding to these behaviours.

Location: Room 223, The Centre (65 Dafoe Road)

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Workshop

Young adults are highly susceptible to mental health problems. We know that most instructors encounter many students who are struggling with mental health issues that affect their academic performance, behaviour in the classroom, and interactions with teaching staff.  Research also indicates that the incident rate and intensity of mental health problems experienced by students is increasing. These situations can be stressful, time-consuming, and potentially can involve risks to personal safety for the students and others. David Ness, the Director of the Student Counselling Centre at the University of Manitoba, will provide you with information about how to identify and respond effectively to student mental health issues, how to understand the factors that contribute to student distress, and how to access resources.  This interactive workshop will involve case study material to apply your knowledge of risk assessment, response alternatives, and on- and off-campus resources.

Location: Room 223, The Centre (65 Dafoe Road)

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Workshop

Do you want to promote academic integrity in your course but don’t know how?  In this workshop, we will discuss the meaning of academic integrity at the University of Manitoba, and how it relates to your teaching and learning environment (whether that be face-to-face, remote/online). We will discuss ways to implement teaching and assessment strategies that promote integrity that will allow you to focus on students’ learning and community building. Resources for academic integrity education (e.g., syllabus statements, learning activities) that you can modify and incorporate into your courses will be shared.

Location: Online - UM Zoom

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Workshop

Feedback and evaluation of teaching are part of every teacher’s life. How do you make sense of the evaluative feedback you receive from SRI scores, daily classroom experiences and student grades? This workshop examines the theory and practice of evaluation and suggests practical strategies for integrating effective evaluative practices into your teaching. Please note that this workshop does not cover the design and creation of student assessments. 

Location: Online - UM Zoom

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Workshop

John Dewey observed that, “We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.” In order to become a better teacher, it is necessary to reflect on what we do and why we do it – to ask ourselves, is what we do effective? In this workshop we will explore several models of self-reflection, including the Gibbs’ Model, as methods for engaging in a reflective practice. Participants will also have the opportunity to share their own successes and struggles as they strive to become a better teacher.

Location: Online - UM Zoom

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Workshop

In this workshop, we will explore a framework for using technology in teaching and learning. Rather than a technology ‘how-to’ session, the focus will be on providing a method for evaluating technology that supports the goals of teaching and learning. We will also discuss the benefits and challenges of using technology in the classroom.

Location: Online - UM Zoom

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Workshop

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an orientation to teaching and learning that promotes greater student choice and agency in learning experiences, with the aim of reducing barriers to learning by providing multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression. In this workshop, participants will explore how UDL values intersect with their own teaching philosophies, identify barriers to learning for students with a range of needs, and (re)design course elements to adopt UDL guidelines in a way that is practical for instructors yet beneficial to learners.

Location: Online - UM Zoom

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Workshop

Every student and instructor brings their own culture into the teaching and learning contexts in which they inhabit. Similarly, every teaching and learning context is informed by and situated in institutional, regional, and national cultures. In this workshop, you’ll explore your own cultural attitudes, knowledge, and skills, and those of your learners and the environments you all find yourselves in. Then, you’ll apply this to your own teaching practices through elements of course design.

Location: Online - UM Zoom

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Workshop

Increasingly, university promotion and tenure committees are requiring a teaching dossier to document your development and achievements as an educator. This workshop looks at the requirements at the University of Manitoba for teaching dossiers and covers the basics of writing a Teaching Philosophy statement and creating a teaching dossier.

Location: Online - UM Zoom

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Workshop

This workshop introduces participants to Indigenous pedagogies by contextualizing Indigenous knowledges, discussing the importance of making space for Indigenous content and knowledge transmission in the academy, and providing participants with resources about the pedagogical significance of Indigenous knowledges.

Location: Room 223, The Centre (65 Dafoe Road)

Open to: UM Faculty, Sessional Instructors, and Staff

Session format: Workshop