Generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and others, have had an astonishingly quick impact on the ways we learn, work, think, and create, and this evolution is clearly apparent on college campuses.  As early as January 2023, approximately 9 out of 10 college students reported using ChatGPT, and that number, as well as student competency with AI, has only grown since then. AI is present in our college classrooms, and there is also growing demand for graduates who possess AI competencies and literacies.  A core question for higher education is how will we respond given these new realities.  Drawing from the presenter’s new book, Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning (Johns Hopkins University Press), this keynote will begin by exploring the evolving AI landscape through hands-on opportunities for participants to explore key AI tools.  Key challenges and opportunities that are emerging for higher education will then be explored.  While academic integrity and AI detection will be discussed, the core focus of this keynote will be on concrete approaches and strategies faculty can adopt, both within the classroom and across larger curricular structures, to best prepare students for the life that awaits them after graduation.

In this hands-on workshop, we will unpack our morning plenary session on teaching with AI. Building on the plenary session, we will explore opportunities to incorporate AI in our teaching with a particular focus on active learning, student engagement, personalized learning, and assessment. In addition, we will identify resources and tools necessary to benefit from the power and capabilities of this technology. Participants can expect to collaborate, brainstorm, and share new approaches to teaching that help enhance students' learning and experiences.

This session gives participants the opportunity to hear brief presentations from four colleagues who will share innovative and effective approaches and activities that they use in their courses. Participants across disciplines are sure to discover at least one new idea that they can take back to their own classes. This is an excellent opportunity for newer faculty still building their teaching repertoire, as well as more seasoned faculty who are looking for new approaches to stay current and have fun in the classroom.

Ever wondered how the Bentley-Gallup survey can energize your classroom? This session centers on harnessing the Business in Society Report in your classroom and teaching. Panelists will provide information about accessing the data, and dive into practical strategies for integrating this dataset to enrich student learning experiences and enhance engagement.

We can be serious without being serious. Come join faculty colleagues and the Badavas Center for a playful approach to active learning. Generating student engagement while maintaining intellectual rigor in a higher ed classroom can be achieved through play-based learning. Play in the classroom can 1) enhance enjoyment and motivation, 2) promote boldness and risk taking, 3) stimulate creativity and imagination, 4) foster ingenuity and innovation, 5) build deeper understanding of material, 6) cultivate relational safety, 7) broaden perspectives, and more (Forbes 2021). We will eat, gain new play-based teaching strategies, and dip into the latest research.  

Tired of complaining that students never come to your office hours? Wondering why they don’t? Join Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences Jeff Gulati and Associate Provost for Student Success Jane De León Griffin as they facilitate a panel discussion with Bentley faculty on how to rethink office hours for the modern student. Get tips on what you can do to draw students in and how to make the time spent with students outside of class more engaging for both student and professor. Faculty-student engagement is critical to student success. Let’s get inspired to give our “office hours” an upgrade!

This panel session is dedicated to celebrating the exemplary achievements of faculty members who have been honored with the prestigious Adamian Award for Excellence in Teaching or the Adamian Award for Lifetime Teaching Excellence. The Adamian Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes faculty members whose exceptional pedagogical contributions have significantly enriched the educational experience of students. The Lifetime award goes to long-serving faculty at Bentley University who have also elevated the university's reputation. This session will host a distinguished panel comprising past recipients of these awards, convening to share their wealth of experience, insights, and proven teaching strategies with fellow faculty members. Attendees will have the invaluable opportunity to glean valuable advice and guidance from these respected educators, drawing upon their collective wisdom garnered from years of dedicated teaching excellence. The session will culminate in an interactive Q&A session, allowing participants to directly engage with the panelists, inquire about specific challenges they may face in their teaching endeavors, and seek personalized recommendations tailored to their own teaching. By harnessing the expertise of these award winners, this panel session aims to inspire and empower faculty members to enhance their pedagogical practices, foster student success, and contribute positively to the ongoing advancement of teaching excellence at Bentley University.

In this workshop, we will use an intentional approach to identify features of a course that would provide opportunities for students to get formative experience in constructive dialogue. Participants will review mechanisms that help create an environment that establishes productive cultural norms and, using an authentic example, engage in a model for this process that they can repeat for their own classrooms.

Teaching in higher education often privileges subject-matter expertise as the chief criterion for cultivating excellence in the classroom. However, pedagogy in its purest sense is defined as a more holistic support of a student's long-term development. This includes the ways in which they prepare and are prepared for respectful, civil and just engagement in an evolving democracy. In this talk, I will discuss the historical rationale for recentering civic preparation in teaching, regardless of classroom type, why that matters for equity goals, with specific examples from an introductory STEM classroom. Implications for faculty preparation and professional development will also be discussed.