The Center for Teaching and Learning will host the Marquette Participating Faculty Symposium, “Changing Cultures and Culture Change,” Nov. 24-25 at Raynor Library. Now in its third year, the event emphasizes the important role of participating (full-time, part-time and adjunct nontenure-track) faculty as educators, scholars and leaders at Marquette.
Dr. Melissa Shew, associate director of teaching excellence in the Center for Teaching and Learning, has helped coordinate the symposium since its inception. She says it’s a celebratory event that highlights the great work being done by participating faculty across Marquette’s campus.
“It is a day and a half long with a drop-in, drop-out model, which is really important because a lot of times when you go to conferences or symposia, you feel like you have to be there the entire time,” Shew says. “But what we know about participating faculty, in particular, is that they’re often juggling a ton of different classes and a lot of different responsibilities. So, we wanted to make sure that this was an inclusive two-day event where they can come and go as they please.”
Sessions on the first day will explore topics such as supporting students, teaching Marquette Core Curriculum classes, integrating the strengths of clinical faculty, and navigating teaching in the era of generative artificial intelligence. On the second day, the symposium will address ways to continue shaping Marquette’s culture to support participating faculty through advocacy, sharing resources and an in-depth discussion about participating faculty as leaders at Marquette.
Julia Schultz, professor of practice in strategic communication, presented at last year’s symposium and has been helping Shew and others structure the two-day event.
“Participating faculty bring a wealth of knowledge, expertise and first-hand experience from the fields in which we teach,” Schultz says. “I’m so grateful Marquette — especially the Diederich College of Communication — values and embraces participating faculty. This event offers all Marquette faculty, staff and graduate students the opportunity to join in community and learn from fellow faculty members in a thoughtful, two-day event.”
The symposium’s goals include learning about and discussing what participating faculty members’ teaching, research and leadership look like across campus; connecting with one another to cultivate community; celebrating successes in teaching among all symposium participants; and elevating awareness about resources available to participating faculty and supporting them in their teaching, research, and leadership.
“I hope that participating faculty really know the value that they bring to this university,” Shew says. “I also hope that their tenure-stream colleagues and administrators can articulate that value and that we can continue to actually do the work of building a better university that’s supportive of all of its campus members.”
All faculty, staff and graduate students are welcome to attend. Participants are encouraged to join sessions as their schedules allow.
The symposium takes place Monday, Nov. 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Tuesday, Nov. 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Raynor Library Beaumier Suites.
Register now for day one and for day two events.
