Campus Faculty Invited to Attend 2023 UCM Faculty Senate Teaching and Research Conference

As depicted in this archive photo from the first Faculty Senate Teaching and Research Conference in 2022, this upcoming event in the Elliott Student Union includes numerous faculty presentations and opportunities to converse  with professional colleagues.

WARRENSBURG, MO – The University of Central Missouri Faculty Senate Teaching and Research Conference is supported by the Faculty Senate and the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The theme for this year’s conference on Monday, Sept. 18 is “Strengthening Our Practice; Empowering Our Students.” This one-day event includes 20 breakout sessions, conducted by university faculty members; a discussion event with topic-based tables; and free box lunch and coffee stations all day.

Flower Darby, an author and seasoned online and face-to-face educator with more than 25 years of experience in higher education, will present the keynote address during this second annual conference. Darby’s free presentation is planned for 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. in Elliott Student Union 236, and all interested individuals are welcome to come hear her remarks on “Small Teaching Strategies to Help Students Engage and Learn.”

Although pre-registration for the box lunch from 11-11:30 a.m. has passed, individuals who have not registered are welcome to bring their own lunch with them prior to hearing Darby’s remarks. Please click here to learn more about different topics that will be addressed during morning breakout sessions from 9-9:45 a.m. and from 10-10:45 a.m., and afternoon sessions, 1-1:45 p.m. and 2-2:45 p.m. The roundtable discussions that wrap up the day’s events are an opportunity for attendees to gather in special interest groups to talk more about lessons learned and moving forward with ideas generated from the day. 

The event planning committee is excited to bring Darby to UCM. Helping educators from across the globe to become more effective in their work, she is the author, with James M. Lang, of the book, “Small Teaching Online: Applying Learning Science in Online Classes,” and also is a regular contributor to “The Chronicle of Higher Education.”

In addition to writing and being a sought-after public speaker, Darby currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at Northern Arizona University and Estrella Mountain Community College, but also has higher education experience that includes serving as an Assistant Dean of Online and Innovative Pedagogies and Director of Teaching for Student Success. Throughout her professional career, she has taught subjects that include English, Technology, Leadership, Dance, and Pilates. She strives to apply learning science across all disciplines, and is passionate about teaching others how to do the same.

To learn more about the UCM Faculty Senate Teaching and Research Conference visit https://sites.google.com/ucmo.edu/ucm-faculty-senate/schedule or contact facultysenate@ucmo.edu.