Spring Conference 2025 - Promising Teaching Practices: Equity, Authenticity, and AI in the Modern College Classroom

Spring Conference

The Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL) welcomes all campus educators to join us for our annual Spring Conference - Promising Teaching Practices: Equity, Authenticity, and AI in the Modern College Classroom. This year's two-day conference will explore innovative practices that are shaping the future of teaching and learning in higher education. Specific topics will include generative AI and teaching and learning, equity-minded assessment, and inclusive pedagogy, among others. We hope you will join us for one or more of our interactive workshops, community-building sessions, or panels. We value your participation as we work together as a community of educators to foster dynamic and supportive learning environments for all of our students.

Lunch will be provided on Monday, 2/24 from 12:20 PM - 2:00 PM, catered by . To join us for lunch, please register by Monday, 2/17 so we can include you when placing our order.

If you’re unable to register in time but would still like to join us, you’re welcome to bring your own lunch and enjoy the meal with us! We’d love to have you there.

📅 When:
  • Monday, February 24th – 8:45 AM to 2:00 PM MT
  • Tuesday, February 25th – 9:00 AM to 12:15 PM MT
📍 Where:

Hybrid Format - Choose what works best for you:

Keynote Speaker: Flower Darby

Flower Darby Portrait

We are thrilled to welcome (she/her) as our keynote speaker for the Spring Conference 2025. An internationally renowned speaker, author, and educator, Flower champions equitable and inclusive teaching practices across all class formats. With over 25 years of experience in higher education, she has taught a diverse range of subjects, from English and Technology to Leadership and Dance.

In her previous roles as Assistant Dean of Online and Innovative Pedagogies and Director of Teaching for Student Success, Flower led initiatives to support teaching excellence, foster equity, and enhance student learning. She continues this work today as an adjunct faculty member at Northern Arizona University and Estrella Mountain Community College.

Join us on Monday, February 24th, as Flower shares her expertise on effective, inclusive teaching strategies that empower today’s diverse student populations.

Monday, February24, 2025-Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Center for Teaching & Learning, CASE, E390 (Hybrid: Attend in-person or via Zoom)

FREE -No fee to attend

Conference Schedule 2025

Monday, February 24, 2025 - All Sessions

Focus: AI in Teaching and Learning

8:45–9:00 a.m. (Hybrid) | Welcome & Opening Remarks

  • Presenter: Kelly Gildersleeve, Assistant Director of the Center for Teaching & Learning
  • Bagels and Coffee Provided
  • (University of Colorado Systemwide authentication to join)

9:05–9:55 a.m. (Hybrid) | Keynote: Assessment in the Age of AI

  • Presenter: Flower Darby, Associate Director, Teaching for Learning Center, University of Missouri
  • (University of Colorado Systemwide authentication to join)

10:10–11:00 a.m.(In-Person) | Workshop: Small Teaching with AI: Equitable Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Strategies for an AI Age

  • Presenter: Flower Darby, Associate Director, Teaching for Learning Center, University of Missouri

11:15 a.m.–12:05 p.m.(Hybrid) | Panel: AI Detectors and Student Learning Assessment

  • Panelists:
    • Eliana Colunga, Associate Professor, Psychology & Neuroscience, and member of the BFA AI faculty working group
    • Anna Hoisington, Pedagogical Consultant for the Students as Partners program, ASSETT, and Linguistics major and Spanish minor (undergraduate student)
    • Rebecca Lee (she/they),Student Initiatives Coordinator, ASSETT, and PhD Candidate in Linguistics
    • August Milliken (he/him), Educational Technology Research Assistant, ASSETT; Computational Linguistics, Analytics, Search, and Informatics MS BAM; Linguistics major and Spanish Minor (undergraduate student)
    • Viktoriya Oliynyk,Director of Academic Technology, Office of Information Technology
    • Christopher Raymond Ostro (he/him),Assistant Teaching Professor, Program for Writing and Rhetoric, and Online Teaching Support Specialist, Learning Design Group in Continuing Education
  • (University of Colorado Systemwide authentication to join)

12:20p.m.-2:00p.m. MT (In-Person) | Lunch (Catered by for those who registered and marked 'yes' for lunch by Monday, February 17th.) If you’re unable to register in time but would still like to join us, you’re welcome to bring your own lunch and enjoy the meal with us! We’d love to have you there.

  • Community-building session: Reflecting and celebrating the CTL’s first 5 years (E390)
  • Quiet Working Spaces (E392 & E394)
  • Recording Reflections (CTL Pods)

Focus: Equitable and Inclusive Practices

9:00–9:30 a.m.(In-Person) | Bagels, Coffee, and Community-Building

  • Topic-based Tables & Discussion Questions

9:30–10:45 a.m. (Hybrid) | Grading Reimagined: Faculty Panel Exploring Alternative Approaches to Student Assessment

  • Panelists: Dr. Michaele Ferguson (PSCI), Dr. Kelly Parkes (Music), Dr. Jeremy Koch (MCEN), Dr. Katherine Ramos (Int. Design Engineering)
  • (University of Colorado Systemwide authentication to join)

11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m. | The Art of Teaching Through Stories: A Faculty Showcase & Closing Remarks

  • Panelists: James Nagle (PHYS), Nii Armah Sowah (THTR & DNCE), and Deepti Misri (WGST)
  • Closing Remarks: Kelly Gildersleeve, Assistant Director of the Center for Teaching & Learning