Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) Workshops
The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching offers teaching workshops and seminars to help interested faculty, teaching assistants and instructors improve their teaching effectiveness and course management skills. These training programs provide opportunities to gather with colleagues to listen, discuss, interact, learn about and reflect on a number of topics to enhance teaching and learning.
Our list of programming is constantly growing. Make sure to check out past and future offerings.
Your feedback is very valuable to us. The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching welcomes feedback, suggestions and requests for workshops; email: CELT@uml.edu.
For Information Technology (IT) sponsored workshops, please visit the IT Trainings / Workshops page.
Summer 2025
Looking to enhance your teaching strategies and connect with colleagues during the summer break? Sign up for our upcoming CELT summer Workshops! These interactive sessions are designed to equip you with innovative tools, practical approaches, and fresh perspectives to energize your teaching and support student success.
Register for CELT Summer 2025 Workshops today and take advantage of these valuable opportunities for professional growth. Let’s start the new academic year strong—together!
Special two-part Artificial Intelligence (AI) Series:
Part I: Living, Working, and Teaching in an AI World
Steve Athanas, Deputy Chief Information Officer, Information Technology
Date: July 31, 10–11 a.m.
Description: This session explores the evolving AI landscape in higher education, with a focus on how UMass Lowell is adapting. We'll review the current suite of AI tools available on campus—including ChatGPT, AI Playground, CollegeVine’s student-facing agents, Salesforce’s AgentForce, and Zoom’s built-in AI features—and discuss the implications these technologies have for teaching, learning, and campus operations.
We’ll also dig into privacy concerns, institutional responsibilities, and the UMass Lowell Generative AI policy. The session will close with a hands-on demo of ChatGPT to help you better understand what it can (and can’t) do, along with tips on how to engage with it safely and effectively.
Part II: Mind Over Machine: Helping Students Think and Thrive with AI
Joseph George, Associate Professor, Accounting, Asha George, Senior Adjunct Professor, Operations and Information Systems
Date: August 5, 11 a.m.– Noon
Description: In this interactive session, faculty will share practical examples of how they are using AI in assignments and classroom activities from across disciplines. You will explore simple, human-centered strategies for integrating AI into your teaching (no coding required), with a focus on enhancing student creativity, critical thinking, and real-world problem solving. The session will also touch on ethical considerations, limitations, and tips for responsible classroom use. Whether you are new to AI or ready to explore further, this workshop will offer inspiration and actionable ideas for teaching in an AI-powered world.
Advising for Student Success: Building Meaningful Faculty-Student Connections at UMass Lowell
Katherine King, Assistant Teaching Professor, School of Education and Katherine Shrives, Associate Teaching Professor, English
Date: August 6, 11 a.m.– Noon
Description: This workshop invites faculty to reflect on their advising approach and consider how different advising models can be applied to meet the needs of students. Through practical strategies, key resource overviews, and real-world scenarios, participants will explore how to prepare for advising meetings and adapt their style to fit different contexts. The session emphasizes thoughtful advising that is responsive to student goals, challenges, and decision-making needs, supporting both effective guidance and student success.
Getting Started with Un-grading or Contract Grading
Matthew Beyranevand, Visiting Faculty Lecturer, Mathematics and Statistics
Date: August 7, 1–2 p.m.
Description: This workshop will introduce innovative assessment strategies that can shift us away from traditional grading practices. Designed for instructors curious about rethinking how student learning is evaluated, the session explores the principles and practical implementation of un-grading and contract grading. Participants will gain insight into how these approaches can foster student autonomy, reduce grade anxiety, and promote deeper engagement with course material. Drawing on his own experiences teaching the “History of Mathematics” for over twenty semesters, Matthew will provide concrete examples, tips for transitioning, and a supportive framework for faculty interested in experimenting with alternative grading methods.
Supporting Student Mental Health & Well-Being In and Out of the Classroom
Hannah Monbleau, Associate Director, Office of Student Life and Well Being
Date: August 11, 1–2 p.m.
Description: This interactive workshop will focus on practical strategies for supporting student mental health and well-being both inside and outside the classroom. Learn how to recognize signs of distress, foster a supportive learning environment, and connect students with appropriate resources. This session is designed to empower faculty with tools to promote a culture of care and resilience across campus.
From Conflict to Connection: Helping Students Navigate Difficult Conversations
Christos Protonotarios. Adjunct Faculty, Peace and Conflict Studies.
Date: August 12, 10-11 a.m.
Description: This interactive workshop draws on principles of conflict resolution to equip faculty with practical strategies for fostering respectful, inclusive dialogue among students. Participants will explore techniques to help students engage across differences, manage challenging conversations, and build the skills needed for constructive discourse. Whether you're facilitating class discussions or navigating sensitive topics, this session will provide tools to turn moments of conflict into opportunities for connection and learning.
Teaching How to Know: Applying Epistemology to Instruction and Learning
Cory Fournier, Assistant Teaching Professor, Mathematics and Statistics
Date: August 13, 11 a.m.– Noon
Description: This workshop introduces educators to practical strategies for integrating epistemology into teaching by focusing on how we know what we know. The session begins with an overview of the Toulmin model of argumentation, emphasizing its core components—claim, evidence, warrant, backing, rebuttal, and qualifier—and how they structure reasoned thought. The presentation then explores inquiry-based pedagogy as a method for engaging students in the process of forming and evaluating knowledge claims. Participants will examine specific, adaptable questions teachers can use to guide students through the acquisition, justification, and assessment of evidence in classroom discussions and written work. By the end, educators will have concrete tools to help students think critically about knowledge construction in any subject area.
Accessible by Design: Step-by-Step Strategies for Inclusive Documents
Brandon Drake, Associate Director of Assistive Technologies, Office of Disability Services
Date: August 14, 11 a.m.– Noon
Description: Ensuring course materials are accessible is essential to creating an inclusive learning environment for all students, including those with disabilities. This hands-on workshop guides college faculty through the process of creating accessible documents in Microsoft Word. Participants will learn how to apply accessibility best practices, including using proper headings, alternative text for images, meaningful hyperlink text, and accessible tables and lists.
This workshop is ideal for faculty (or staff) to gain the knowledge to make their instructional content more inclusive and compliant with accessibility standards, such as those outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
From Classroom to Career: Unlocking the Power of e-Portfolios
Diana Archibald, Professor, English
Date: August 18, 10- 11 a.m.
Description: This workshop introduces e-portfolios that can:
- facilitate and assess students’ deep learning in the age of artificial intelligence shortcuts, and
- help students recognize and articulate the connections between their academic learning and career readiness.
A brief overview of this tool will be followed by a demonstration of how two varieties of portfolios can be modified for different purposes. Learning Portfolios are created by students to showcase their learning process, requiring reflection as well as evidence (artifacts showing progress over time). Professional Portfolios showcase students’ skills, accomplishments, and relevant experience through a selection of their best work samples, curated and framed to appeal to a career-related audience.
Strategies for Inclusion: Engaging with Students' Diverse Identities and Backgrounds
Phitsamay Uy, Associate Professor, School of Education, Cherry Lim, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving-Institution (AANAPISI) and Asian American Center for Excellence and Engagement (AACEE) Program Director, Satyak Som, AANAPISI and AACEE Program Coordinator.
Date: August 19, 10-11 a.m.
Description: This workshop aims to build on the inclusive practices of faculty, staff, and administrators by exploring how engaging with student identities and backgrounds positively shapes classroom experiences. Specific strategies to foster student sense of belonging, engagement, and advance student success across diverse student groups, especially of Asian American students will be highlighted.
Video Recordings
Winter 2025
- Evidence-Based Strategies for Keeping Students Engaged and Attentive in Both Small and Large Classes.
- Beyond Traditional Grading: Ungrading Strategies and Collaborative Rubric Design.
- Incorporating In-Class Activities to Increase Knowledge Retention and Student Engagement.
- Flexibility in Practice: Practical Solutions for Complex Requests.
Fall 2024
What to Talk About When We Talk About Cheating Summit:
- Opening Remarks.
- Keynote: Who's Cheating Who? Reconsidering the Value Proposition of Generative AI, Higher Education & The Way We See Students. Speaker: Lance Eaton.
- 1st Panel: Who Can It Be Now? Confronting the Complexities of Cheating in College. Panelists: Elizabeth Altman, Keith Mitchell, Charles Thomas Wilkes and Students: Adjoa Adjepong and Himani Pareshbhai.
- 2nd Panel: The Impact off AI on Campus Integrity and Academic Success. Panelists: Michael Black, Leslie Farris, Romy Guthier, Karen (Jingrong) Lin, Donna Mellen and Student Nadia Sahila.
- 3rd Panel and Closing Remarks: Managing and Mentoring Academic Integrity at UMass Lowell: A Campus-Wide Approach. Panelists: Stephanie Block, Amit Deokar, Wael Kamal, Shaina Roy.
Summer 2024
- Setting the Stage for Effective Learning
- Designing Project-Based Assignment Learning
- Teaching Students How learning Works: Transform Your Student Learners to Master 5 Effective Learning Strategies
- Assessing Project-Based Learning Assignments
- Gradescope: A Tool for Grading Paper-Based Exams/Assignments & A Scantron Alternative for Multiple Choice (MCQ) Questions
Winter 2024
Summer 2023
- Facilitating Community in the Classroom
- High-Impact Pedagogies in Practice: Introduction to Service-Learning
- Creating Service Learning Assignments for Any Course Level
- How to Provide Individuated Instruction and SURVIVE
- A 2023 Learner Centered Syllabus
- Providing Meaningful Feedback to Students
Spring 2023
Winter 2023
Fall 2022
Summer 2022
- How Universal Design Supports Learning & Equity
- 8+ Ideas to Incorporate Universal Design into your Classrooms
- Strategies for Teaching the Class of 2026
- Student Roundtable -10 Ways Faculty Can Support Student Success
- Using Metacognitive Learning Strategies in the Classroom
- Navigating Student Identities in the Classroom
- Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in Every Discipline
Spring 2022
Previous Workshops
Looking for a topic that was discussed in previously? Explore all previous CELT Workshops: