Penn State University

Events


Schreyer Institute programs are for anyone at Penn State who has an instructional role or is preparing for a future one. Our participants are typically faculty, graduate students, and postdocs. Academic administrators, instructional designers, staff members, and undergraduates in instructional roles are also welcome.

Instructional Foundations Series
Facilitated by Chas Brua, Associate Research Professor, John Elia, Graduate Instructional Consultant, Alia Shalaby, Graduate Instructional Consultant, and Jose Sandoval-Llanos, Graduate Instructional Consultant
Tuesday, 9/2/2025 to Friday, 12/19/2025, The date, time, and location of the 3 workshops varies.

Beate (Portrait)John Elia (Portrait)

Portrait Alia Shalaby

Portrait Jose Sandoval-Llanos

The Instructional Foundations Series is for graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and instructors from all disciplines who have never taught at the university level (other than grading experience) prior to participation. The series is designed to provide people new to college teaching with some basic ideas they can use in their first teaching experience. The series includes 3 workshops focusing on best practices from the literature on teaching and learning, plus an assignment in which participants discuss teaching techniques with an experienced instructor in their discipline. For additional details, see https://www.schreyerinstitute.psu.edu/instructionalfoundations.

Registration closes on September 2, 2025.

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact SITE at site@psu.edu or call 814-863-2599 at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the program to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access needs.

Endorsement: Inclusive and Equitable Teaching
Facilitated by Beate Brunow, Associate Research Professor
Friday, 10/31/2025 to Monday, 12/22/2025
Canvas

Beate (Portrait)

This endorsement is part of the Provost Endorsement Program.

This endorsement engages experienced instructors in implementing inclusive and equitable teaching in their current or upcoming course(s).  This program assumes participants already understand the need for inclusive and equitable practices. Eligible participants must have teaching responsibilities in the current or upcoming academic year so that they can most immediately benefit from the content of the program by applying program concepts to their teaching. Participants will revise a syllabus or assignments for future use, reflect on their teaching based on student feedback and peer interactions, and consider how they might cultivate belonging in their courses.  Once participants have registered, they will be added to a Canvas course and connected with a SITE faculty consultant. 

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact SITE at site@psu.edu or call 814-863-2599 at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the program to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access needs.

Faculty Leaders for AI-Aware Instruction
Facilitated by Larkin Hood, Associate Research Professor, Logan Harvey, Research Faculty, Beate Brunow, Associate Research Professor
Friday, 11/7/2025, 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Rider Building Room 315

portrait of Larkinportrait of Loganportrait of BeateAI-aware Faculty Leaders is a group of colleagues in a SITE grant program who will meet in-person two times during the 2025-26 academic year to share resources, insights, and to identify additional needs to address current and future needs of the discipline.

This is a closed event customized for the requesting department. If you are interested in a Custom Workshop for your area, contact us at site@psu.edu.

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the access provided, please contact the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at SITE@psu.edu or call 814-863-2599 at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the program to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access needs.

Writing Your Teaching Philosophy Statement
Facilitated by Chas Brua, Associate Research Professor and Deena Levy, Associate Research Professor
Tuesday, 11/11/2025, 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Zoom

Portrait Chas BruaPortrait Deena Levy

In this interactive workshop, participants will explore strategies for writing a teaching philosophy statement that effectively communicates their goals, practices, and evidence of effectiveness. We will also analyze the strengths and weaknesses of some actual teaching philosophy statements.

Registration will close 1 hour before the workshop begins. Registrants will receive the Zoom link at least 45 minutes before the workshop begins.

Schreyer Institute programs are for anyone at Penn State who has an instructional role or is preparing for a future one. Our participants are typically faculty, graduate students, and postdocs. Academic administrators, instructional designers, staff members, and undergraduates in instructional roles are also welcome.

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the access provided, please contact SITE at site@psu.edu or call 814-863-2599 at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the program to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access needs.
Smarter Not Harder: Organizational Strategies for Teaching
Facilitated by Logan Harvey, Research Faculty and Jose Sandoval-Llanos, Graduate Instructional Consultant
Wednesday, 11/12/2025, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

Portrait Logan Harvey Portrait Jose Sandoval-Llanos Teaching well doesn’t just mean having strong content—it also means having strong systems. In this workshop, we’ll explore strategies for organizing your teaching to save time, reduce stress, and create a clearer learning experience for your students. Topics include structuring your course in Canvas, streamlining communication and grading, management tools, and adopting simple organizational practices that keep both you and your students on track. Participants will leave with concrete strategies they can implement right away to make their teaching more effective and sustainable.

Registration will close 1 hour before the event starts. Registrants will receive a Zoom link at least 1 hour before the event.

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the access provided, please contact the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at SITE@psu.edu or call 814-863-2599 at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the program to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access needs.

Nursing Item Analysis
Facilitated by Cindy Decker Raynak, Sr Instructional Consultant & Designer
Wednesday, 11/12/2025, 2:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M.
Via Zoom

Cindy Decker Raynak (portrait)Writing good multiple choice questions is as much art as science. What are the components of a good multiple choice question?  Can it actually ask the question you intend? What are some of the pitfalls to writing good questions? In this workshop we will critique a series of questions and discuss the pro and cons of each. Feel free bring a few of your own "favorite" questions.

Nursing instructors will receive information about how to register.

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the access provided, please contact the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at SITE@psu.edu or call 814-863-2599 at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the program to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access needs.


Planning for Accessibility in Gen Ed and Other Courses
Facilitated by Elizabeth J. Pyatt, IT Accessibility Consultant & Lead Trainer and Mary Ann Tobin, Associate Research Professor & Senior Instructional Consultant, Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence
Thursday, 11/13/2025, 12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Via Zoom

Portrait of ElizabethPortrait of Mary Ann

Participants will be able to distinguish between accessibility and accommodations and discover proactive ways to make their course documents and lectures accessible. Takeaways include accessible syllabus templates and other resources for immediate and future use in course and lesson planning.

This is a closed event customized for the requesting unit. If you are interested in a Custom Workshop for your area, contact us at site@psu.edu.

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the access provided, please contact the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at SITE@psu.edu or call 814-863-2599 at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the program to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access needs.

Universal Design for Learning Course
Facilitated by Mary Ann Tobin, Associate Research Professor
Monday, 11/17/2025 to Friday, 12/19/2025
World Campus Faculty Development Canvas Course

Mary Ann (portrait)

This Universal Design for Learning (UDL) course is self-directed and asynchronous. The course provides an introduction to the rationale for UDL, supporting research, applications of UDL. We welcome instructors and designers who embrace student variability, strive for equity, and seek to empower students. Participants will explore UDL terms, principles, structures, and applications, and ways to adapt teaching practices.

Apply anytime at the following link: https://psu.catalog.instructure.com/browse/wcfd/courses/ol-3600-universal-design-for-learning-2025. You will have 60 days to complete the course. 

Facilitated by Mary Ann Tobin, this course is a collaboration between the Schreyer Institute and World Campus Online Faculty Development.

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact SITE at site@psu.edu or call 814-863-2599 at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the program to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access needs.

Developing Teaching and Learning Research on your EDGE Project
Facilitated by Laura Cruz, Research Professor
Tuesday, 11/18/2025, 12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Via Zoom

Laura Cruz (Portrait)

In this interactive webinar, you will gain access to a research toolkit (including an IRB) that has been developed especially for EDGE (virtual exchange) projects. Using this toolkit, you will be able to take the first steps towards designing and implementing a publishable/presentable teaching and learning scholarship project—starting as soon as this semester.

This is a closed event customized for the requesting department. If you are interested in a Custom Workshop for your area, contact us at site@psu.edu.

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the access provided, please contact the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at SITE@psu.edu or call 814-863-2599 at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the program to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access needs.

Talking about Academic Accommodations
Tuesday, 11/25/2025, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom
In this session of the Talking about Teaching Series, experts on accessibility and inclusive pedagogy will share insights about academic accommodations at Penn State. The discussion will clarify faculty responsibilities under university policy and federal law, explore common scenarios related to student accommodations, and highlight effective strategies for supporting all learners. Panelists will also introduce key campus resources and practical approaches to creating an equitable learning environment for students with disabilities.

Registration will close 1 hour before the event starts. Registrants will receive a Zoom link at least 1 hour before the event.

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the access provided, please contact the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at SITE@psu.edu or call 814-863-2599 at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the program to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access needs.

How to Reflect on Your Teaching
Facilitated by Deena Levy, Associate Research Professor and Logan Harvey, Research Faculty and John Elia, Graduate Instructional Consultant
Wednesday, 12/3/2025, 12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Via Zoom
Portrait Deena Levy
Portrait Logan Harvey
Portrait John Elia

Do you find it difficult to engage in reflection or don't know where to start? In this interactive workshop, participants will consider the role of reflection as part of your teaching practice. We will discuss how our own beliefs about teaching, experiences in our classrooms, and feedback we receive from students and peers can serve as rich sources for reflection, self-assessment, and personal and professional growth. You will leave with strategies you can use to engage in the reflective process. Those who will craft a self-reflection for annual review or dossier purposes may find this workshop to be a good starting point for that process. Please join us. Register here.

Registration will close 1 hour before the event starts. Registrants will receive a Zoom link at least 1 hour before the event.

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the access provided, please contact the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at SITE@psu.edu or call 814-863-2599 at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the program to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access needs.

Curriculum Innovation and Renewal Program Community Meeting
Facilitated by Mary Ann Tobin, Associate Research Professor, Beate Brunow, Associate Research Professor, Larkin Hood, Associate Research Professor, Laura Cruz, Associate Research Professor
Friday, 12/5/2025, 9:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Via Zoom

Mary Ann Tobin (Portrait)Beate Brunow (Portrait)Laura Cruz (Portrait)Laura Cruz (Portrait)As part of the Curriculum Innovation and Renewal Program, project leaders, faculty consultants, and SITE consultants come together to support the leaders' work by sharing successes, processes, and challenges, as well as best practices, experiences and expertise in curriculum development and curriculum committee processes.

This is a closed event customized for the CIRP community members. If you are interested in a Custom Workshop for your area, contact us at site@psu.edu.

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the access provided, please contact the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at SITE@psu.edu or call 814-863-2599 at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the program to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access.

Inclusive and Ethical Pedagogy Series: Teaching Larger Classes
Facilitated by Beate Brunow, Assistant Research Professor, Larkin Hood, Assistant Research Professor , Beth Seymour, Teaching Professor, Anthropology, Penn State Altoona
Wednesday, 12/17/2025, 12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Via Zoom

Beate Brunow (Portrait)Larkin Hood (Portrait) Beth Seymour (Portrait)

The Inclusive and Ethical Pedagogy Series explores how instructors might implement inclusive and ethical pedagogy, as described in the Elements of Effective Teaching. Teaching larger courses presents unique challenges and opportunites. Fostering interaction and connecting with students can be challenging in a potentially imperosnal environment. At the same time, larger courses can feel dynamic environment that supports the collective learning experience. 

Join us for a discussion in which a panel of experienced educators will share their approaches to teaching larger courses. This session is ideal for instructors seeking to explore pratical ideas, and participants are encouraged to share their own questions and experiences.

Registration will close 1 hour before the event starts. Registrants will receive a Zoom link at least 1 hour before the event.

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the access provided, please contact the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at SITE@psu.edu or call 814-863-2599 at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the program to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access needs.

Faculty Leaders for AI-Aware Instruction
Facilitated by Larkin Hood, Associate Research Professor, Logan Harvey, Research Faculty, Beate Brunow, Associate Research Professor
Friday, 3/27/2026, 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Rider Building Room 315

portrait of Larkinportrait of Loganportrait of BeateAI-aware Faculty Leaders is a group of colleagues in a SITE grant program who will meet in-person two times during the 2025-26 academic year to share resources, insights, and to identify additional needs to address current and future needs of the discipline.

This is a closed event customized for the requesting department. If you are interested in a Custom Workshop for your area, contact us at site@psu.edu.

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the access provided, please contact the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at SITE@psu.edu or call 814-863-2599 at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the program to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access needs.

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