Each year, the Teaching and Creativity Center hosts two conferences: the Winter Teaching Institute (in January) and the Teaching & Learning Conference (in June).
Learn about the Winter Teaching Institute
Join fellow MCC faculty and staff for the annual Teaching & Learning Conference, a collaborative day of learning, reflection, and conversation focused on student success. This year's conference features keynote speaker Dr. Kristen A. Renn of Michigan State University, who will explore the critical role of belonging in higher education, followed by an engaging community seminar led by the Great Questions Foundation Faculty Fellows.
For the main program we welcome Dr. Kristen A. Renn (Michigan State University) as our keynote speaker and facilitator.
Sense of belonging has been identified as a key factor in college student learning, persistence, and success. With a sense of belonging students can withstand a number of challenges that might otherwise derail their academic journey; without it, they may lose opportunities to thrive and complete their educational goals. Yet as educators know, creating and maintaining sense of belonging among diverse learners in in-person and online contexts is not simple. In this keynote and follow-up workshop, Dr. Renn will address the topic of cultivating and activating sense of belonging at Monroe Community College.
Then, there is a special event after lunch, hosted by the Great Questions Foundation.
The Great Questions Foundation is a community college faculty-founded and -led 501c3 organization dedicated to increasing opportunities for community college students to engage with the humanities and liberal arts in discussion-based classes. Faculty members from around the nation who are Great Questions Foundation Faculty Fellows are at MCC this week for a June gathering. In the afternoon, following lunch, they will facilitate a Community Seminar based on excerpts from Frederick Douglass's autobiography. This session will feature small-group discussion of the text, facilitated by Faculty Fellows using the Great Questions discussion model. You’ll be introduced to the Great Questions Foundation’s method for creating a discussion-based classroom where everyone participates and all voices are heard.
| Time | Activity/Description |
|---|---|
| 8:30am to 9:00am | Sign-in and breakfast |
| 9:00am to 9:20am | Welcomes and opening remarks |
| 9:20am to 10:00am |
Keynote: "Cultivating and Activating Sense of Belonging" Dr. Kristen A. Renn |
| 10:00am to 12:00pm |
Workshop and guided conversations Dr. Kristen A. Renn |
| 12:00pm to 1:00pm |
Lunch |
| 1:00pm to 2:00pm | Community Seminar with the Great Questions Foundation Faculty Fellows |
To help faculty increase teaching effectiveness, inspire classroom innovation, promote the scholarship of teaching and learning, exchange resources, and support course development.
The institute features faculty-led workshops, keynote conversations, and on-demand resources (such as the "Teacher's Toolkit"). Past sessions have focused on topics like The Effect of Belonging on Learning.
Faculty and staff can check the MCC Teaching and Creativity Center Special Events page or their internal Blackboard pages for updated schedules, registration details, and archive materials.