Mark Your Calendars for Tuesday, Nov. 18!

Collaborative Learning Day is your chance to connect, learn, and grow alongside your Kirkwood colleagues. Explore a variety of sessions designed to inspire and inform, covering topics from student engagement to cutting-edge technology. 

To start the day, the Employee Recognition Ceremony will take place from 8:15 – 10 a.m., with coffee and tea served prior to the ceremony from 7:30 – 8:15 a.m.

How to Register

  • Review the sessions below.
  • In each dropdown, you’ll see a “Register Here” link that will direct you to NeoEd. You’ll register there.
  • Make sure you’re logged in to MyHub and NeoEd before registering.
  • Registration opens Nov. 3, 2025.

Please note: Sessions 3 and 4 are for Academic Affairs faculty and staff.

Session 1: 10:15 – 11:05 a.m.

Annette Williams-Henderson

This interactive workshop explores the root causes of burnout, from daily workplace stressors to life demands and world events. Participants will identify warning signs, practice prevention strategies, and learn practical tools to restore balance—transforming burnout from overwhelming heat into sustainable energy for both personal and professional well-being.

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Becky Weininger

Transferring to a 4-year institution is a success. Learn how many students from Kirkwood are transferring, where they are going, and for Regent transfer students how are they doing?

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Bella Baldassano

On-Site College Coaches strengthen campus communities by providing targeted support in key program areas, helping current and future students navigate enrollment, persistence, and completion, with a focus on student commitment, attainment, and retention.

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Brandi Rock, Jeff Cook, and Terri Carter

Join us for a behind-the-scenes tour of Print Services! You’ll explore our wide range of capabilities, see our printers and equipment in action, and discover how our team creates amazing results every day. This is your opportunity to experience everything Print Services has to offer — up close and personal!

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Brenda Schafer

The Student Assistance Team includes a cross-departmental of Student Services professionals. We meet biweekly to share updates, discuss specific student cases, and determine best interventions for student success. The team works to best support student success by implementing a collaborative support plan that includes multiple interventions. This work often includes strategies that prevent concerns from elevating to a higher level, such as Threat Assessment.

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Casey Dunning

A high-level overview of the college's finance department, general ledger structure, and budget processes.

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Cindy Brunssen

Covenant Workplace Solutions is Kirkwood's new Lifestyle EAP sponsor. During this session, Covenant Workplace Solutions will show employees the online portal and discuss benefits of the Lifestyle EAP program.

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Elizabeth O'Brien and Mallory Petsche

Join us for an informal roundtable discussion to meet TRIO and International Student Services staff for an engaging discussion on supporting students and each other.

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Ethan Wykert, Cort Iverson, and Melissa Kumle

It’s a common Kirkwood occurrence: you ask the same data question of multiple departments, and you get different answers. Why does this happen, and which answer is “right”? In this session, we’ll present the reason behind these ostensible inconsistencies and the simple steps for avoiding them.

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Fred Kiser and Allison Holmes-Bendixen

Community singing is a powerful tool for fostering social connection from sing-alongs at the movies to the anthems of sporting events, protests, and hootenannies. In an era increasingly defined loneliness, revisiting the practice of group singing offers a potential antidote to social fragmentation. Participant singing is encouraged, but not required.

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Heidi Morrison and Jeremiah Fields

We know many students work while attending Kirkwood, and we know that creates challenges. However, those challenges can be mitigated by working on campus. Join us to dive into data, hear how on-campus jobs positively impact our students, and how we can best support students with their future career success.

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Jon Neff

What's this new thing called Zoom Phones?

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Judy Stoffel

Supporting part-time students means bridging the gap between traditional structures and flexible support systems. In this session, participants will explore current data and insights about our own part-time student population. Together, we will examine promising practices from across higher education, assess where our college’s practices are already aligned, and identify meaningful opportunities to evolve our approach. Whether you’re faculty, staff, or an administrator, this session will equip you with a clearer understanding of how we can create a more inclusive, responsive, and student-centered experience for part-time learners.

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Justin Kavanagh

Go behind the lines of Kirkwood Test Center in this interactive session. With the help of our tongue-in-cheek crisis actors, you will spot cheaters, enforce rules, and experience the daily joys and hilarities of running a high-stakes, high-volume testing operation.

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Kate Cameron, Emily McWorthy, Phil Brown, and Randy Langel

The Library's newest resource is a one-button recording studio! You'll get a demo of how the room works, hear tips on incorporating video into coursework, and get to try it out.

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Katie Tanner, Beth Mikulas, and Kayla Bowley

Introduction or review of FERPA through an interactive gameshow format.

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Linley Heath

We get it. You've gotten yet another accommodation letter, and you want to understand the process for how the decision for certain accommodations is reached. Now is your chance to get a behind-the-scenes look, and flip the script by becoming the accommodation advocate and make decisions based on example accommodation scenarios.

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Marianna Coffey

Have you ever seen a play and musical and wondered how the set gets made? Who paints it? Did they do it alone, or was it a collaboration? This workshop will discuss the process, and how theatre can be used to teach other subjects, math, science, technology, and English through applied art.

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Megan Thole

When life feels overwhelming, the key is not controlling more but focusing your energy where it matters. This session blends mindfulness, reflection, and emotional intelligence to help you reconnect with what is within your control, release what is not, and lead yourself with clarity, calm, and confidence from within.

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Meredith Hines-Dochterman

Over the past 18 months, Kirkwood’s Marketing team has significantly expanded our social media presence, sharing more content across Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube. The purpose of this presentation is to give faculty an inside look at how and why we post what we do, what each platform is used for, and the impact these efforts have on student engagement, community perception, and college visibility.

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Molly Schwarz

Advisors from diverse pathway teams share authentic experiences navigating increased appointment volume, mental health concerns, and complex student needs. Through moderated discussion and audience Q&A, participants gain practical strategies, build cross-departmental understanding, and connect data trends to real advising interactions in an engaging, peer-to-peer format.

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Myranda Hadley

What does academic coaching really look like? In this interactive session, after learning about the philosophy of coaching, we’ll look at real student scenarios. You’ll see how coaches help students strengthen skills like time management, motivation, and metacognition — and find ways to benefit the students you work with too.

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Nicholas Yoder

Learn how to access and install Adobe Creative Cloud apps available to all Kirkwood employees. This beginner-friendly workshop introduces Photoshop and Premiere, covering basic media importing and editing to spark creativity across departments.

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Nick Sagan

The Human Anatomy and Physiology classes at Kirkwood use the cadaver lab every week to enhance learning and give the students hands on experience before they enter their health professional programs. Kirkwood is the only community college in the state that has a cadaver lab. Join us in the lab and we can show you our beautiful facility.

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Quinn Pettifer

Unlock the full potential of your talent/workforce with Kirkwood’s Corporate Training Department. This session introduces the comprehensive training solutions available to businesses of all sizes through Kirkwood Community College. Participants will learn how to identify skill gaps, customize training programs, and leverage funding opportunities to develop employees efficiently and effectively. Whether your goal is onboarding new hires, upskilling current staff, or planning long-term workforce development, this class will show you how Kirkwood can be your one-stop resource for all training needs.

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Ryan Dehner

Curious about the Fulbright experience? Join Ryan Dehner, who recently completed a Fulbright in Mexico training English language educators, as he shares insights from his time abroad. Through an engaging photo presentation, he will highlight what it is like to be a Fulbright U.S. Scholar, offer practical advice on the application process, and provide guidance on exploring awards in your own discipline.

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Ryan Strempke-Durgin

Presentation will discuss the Kirkwood Library's switch from Dewey Decimal Classification to the Library of Congress.

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Sarah Uthoff

A look both backwards and forwards at the culture of Agriculture as practiced in Iowa. We look at the practices, crops, and tools of the agricultural trade and how it affected people’s lives. In its original form, this program won a gold seal of excellence at the Iowa State Fair.

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Sarah Young

Meet the Kirkwood Archives! In this session, participants will learn about the historical documents and photos in its collection from the founding of KCC as “Area Ten Community College” in the 1960s to the present day and learn about how they can use and contribute to this historical repository.

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Seth VanderTuig

Join Seth Vander Tuig as he shares his decade-long (and ongoing) journey to see every FBS team in the nation. Beyond football’s pageantry and traditions, discover lessons in preparation, culture, and connection — and how passion and purpose can drive success on campus, in work, and throughout life.

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Sharon Falduto

An opportunity to share your passions and interests with your colleagues in a fun power point presentation!

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Thomas Javoroski

Bicycles are fantastic tools of exercise, practicality, and freedom. And there are some easy, do-it-yourself steps you can take that will keep your bike functioning safely, minimize wear and tear, and make your riding a lot more fun/less frustrating. Flat tire? Got you covered. Squeaky chain? That too. We'll also discuss a range of common and helpful bike technology, from hydraulic brakes to car-detecting radar and more. Bring your questions, and I'll try to bring some answers.

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Troy McQuillen

We want your feedback about all our Kirkwood spaces. Participants will learn about the current FMP timeline in addition to the themes we have already discovered. We still have a lot more work to do and this would be an opportunity to provide your feedback.

Register Here


Session 2: 11:20 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.

Andres Calvopina

Participants will use weeded books from the library to turn them into book clocks.

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Art Khaw

Retirement can be a traumatic time in an individual’s life since permanent departure from a job is an event of personal and social significance. Retirement is a challenge that, as a process, influences the individual’s available resources, expectations, life patterns, role, and status. As a recipient of the Endowed Chair Award, I conducted in-depth literature research review on life satisfaction in retirement resulting in identifying core and major themes of retirees who reported satisfaction in their retirement. In addition, I will share how this research has helped me implement my own retirement planning.

Register Here

Brett Baumgart

Visit the Michal J. Gould Kirkwood Recreation Center for a tour of the facility and learn more about the services offered throughout the year that include more than 70,000 entries annually, 400+ fitness classes, the 40 intramural events, or more than 75 community events offered to students each year.

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Carlos Ortega-Amparan

In recent years, there has been a greater emphasis on ensuring that English language learners (ELLs) find greater success in college. Despite this focus, there are still significant gaps among the students who are deemed “ready” and are actually persisting and finding that success. The learner profile of ELLs in higher education varies greatly and it is important that educators recognize these differences to provide appropriate support in the classroom.

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Cassie Brown

Finances can be a significant barrier to student success. Kirkwood's team of financial aid advisors are dedicated to helping students overcome these barriers. Learn how our team helps provide access to education through strategic advising.

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Christopher Gray

Join us for "Word Soup," an interactive performance where we "find" meaning in shared values. We’ll explore how our roles connect to a larger mission and shared daily values. It’s part game, part performance, and part collective reflection. Bring a hearty portion of curiosity, a decent helping of play, and a serving of willingness to engage.

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Claudio Hidalgo

Presentation and discussion of Art Exhibit at CSPS (Cedar Rapids) by chilean painters that address the issue of environmental decay in the coast of Arica and the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. Kirkwood Spanish students attended the Art Exhibit, watched videos of the region, and participated in conversation with one of the painters.

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David Heffer

Learn how to respond decisively in emergencies like fires, active threats, medical crises, and severe weather. This session covers the psychology of disaster response, college alert systems, and clear action steps like Avoid, Deny, Defend — equipping you with practical tools to stay calm, lead others, and protect yourself under pressure.

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Dawn Wood

Faculty will examine study abroad participation data, assessment outcomes, and program evaluations to identify trends, strengths, and areas for improvement. Through collaborative analysis and discussion, participants will develop recommendations for enhancing global learning opportunities at Kirkwood.

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Ethan Wykert

We’ve got college-wide access to Microsoft CoPilot now, but what can it do for you? Check out this session for some hands-on guidance on how to best use this tool to support your work, including how CoPilot can train you on its own use. Please bring your laptop!

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Emily McWorthy

We all know that building community with students and colleagues is important and leads to success in the classroom and the workplace. But, using traditional "icebreakers" may cause anxiety for some, or make others feel uncomfortable. Those that are naturally introverted often do not enjoy forced, spontaneous interaction. In this session, we will discuss, brainstorm, and participate in some introvert-friendly team building (note I'm NOT calling them icebreakers) that you can take back to your classroom or department.

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Eric Weiler and Kirkwood Foundation Planned Giving Committee Member: Madeline Hartley

What should you be doing now to prepare for retirement and plan your estate? No matter how near or far from retirement you may be, get the answer by attending this "how-to" session.

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Hannah Dunlap

Join us for a hands-on-terrarium-building workshop where you’ll create your own miniature ecosystem. Learn how to select plants suited for enclosed environments, layer materials for proper drainage and growth, and care for your terrrarium long-term. This session blends creativity, science, and mindfulness, all in a glass garden!

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Jakob Westpfahl

A tour through the history of the big 5 of Extreme Metal genres with accompanying music selections, as well as my personal applications of this type of music in my various roles in higher education.

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Jasmine Almoayyed

This session will explore key state and federal legislative priorities related to community colleges, including issues such as funding, access, and workforce development. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of current policy discussions.

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Jennifer Cunningham, Wendy Jamison, Lynne Zeman, Melissa Carnahan, and Ambre Benards

Ever wonder what would be required should a student submit a final grade or academic integrity appeal? What the process is, and what documentation might be needed? This session will include administrator and faculty perspective on the academic appeals process, opportunity for questions and feedback.

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Julie Petersen

Do you like to read? Do you like to talk about books? Come to the library for some informal discussion with fellow readers.

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Kasey Keeling

The Kirkwood Concurrent Enrollment Program boosts participation and student success through data-driven strategies and KPIs. Efforts focus on strengthening school district collaboration, integrating matriculation data, and aligning with Guided Pathways. The program refines strategies, builds partnerships, and targets support to drive improvement and future growth.

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Macee Tracy

Want to wow guests at the tailgate, Thanksgiving, or your next dinner party? Learn the essentials of cheese and charcuterie board design by balancing flavor, color, and texture to create spreads that impress without stress. Drawing from my retired business Mood Boards, you’ll leave with a simple template for building your own.

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Marwa Ibrahim and Stephanie Hasakis

Discover Kirkwood Community College workforce models. Learn how these flexible pathways connect students with credentials and careers, while meeting employer needs. This session highlights innovative approaches that merge education and workforce training to support diverse learners.

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Megan Thole and Saria Gassouma

Join us for an update on Kirkwood’s FY27 – FY30 Strategic Planning process. We’ll share where we are in drafting strategies for each of our five focus areas, walk through the structure we're using to guide this work, and highlight what’s coming next. This session is also a chance to gather your input, what resonates, what’s missing, and what should guide our next steps. Whether you've been closely involved or are just getting familiar, your perspective is valuable in shaping the direction ahead.

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Myranda Hadley

Come discover how the Learning Commons is evolving to meet student and faculty needs. We’ll share highlights from our most recent projects and explore opportunities for your own courses and programs to connect.

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Renee Price

The Iowa Equestrian Center at Kirkwood is proud to be the Midwest's premier Equine Event Center. Nearly every weekend of the year we host a variety of events, from world and national qualifying competition to regional and local shows.

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Sarah Barfels

Frustrated by a world entreating you to do more? Looking for ways to do less? Join us for a short journey into aimlessness as a door to liberation. Check out a few tools that might help water the seeds of compassion, loving kindness, and equanimity in you as you grade, interact with students and family, or just try to get a good night's sleep.

Register Here

Sarah Dollmeyer

Our Aviation Maintenance Technology program builds community to boost student retention and recruitment. Through events, recognition, industry partnerships, and campus resources, students develop pride, belonging, and engagement. Participants will explore strategies to foster connection, celebrate achievements, and strengthen program identity in high-rigor, resource-limited environments.

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Shawnacy Kiker Perez

Let's talk about talking! Meaningful conversation across differences--while seeming more and more difficult-- is at the heart of a healthy campus community. In this session, we’ll explore how to foster civil discourse in classrooms and co-curricular spaces, drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives and collaborative practice. Together, we’ll share tools, reflect on challenges, and practice strategies for more respectful, productive dialogue.

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Shelby Myers

Learn about 2025 study abroad trip to Morocco from group leader and global service awardee perspectives. Participants will reflect on opportunities for guiding students to be travellers not tourists. We will share insights from our experience with international partners in the GEN program and our in-country guides - and have tea!

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Slav Sharapov

We will learn and dance a few easy to moderate dances from various regions of the world. This is a fun and aerobic activity which will introduce you to a new cultural experience, as well as allow you to meet new people across the college. No previous experience is necessary.

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Tara Allen

Teach students "how" to learn before "what" to learn in this interactive workshop. We will be doing 5 rounds of reading techniques you can teach your students that will at least double their reading speed and comprehension. We will also learn how to remember names, make notes (not just take notes), and learn how to remove the Subvocalization within our minds.

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Yasemin Onder and Aicha Rochdi

Experience the art of Turkish and Moroccan tea and coffee making in this hands-on cultural session. Learn the brewing techniques, explore the traditions and customs behind these beverages, and enjoy tastings that highlight how sharing tea and coffee fosters hospitality, community, and cultural understanding.

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Lunch: 12:10 – 1:35 p.m.

Provided in Iowa Hall

Session 3: 1:40 – 2:30 p.m. (Academic Affairs Only)

Aicha Rochdi

In this workshop, participants will explore how generative AI can support the research process, from brainstorming ideas and  identifying related research, to organizing data and refining writing.  Participants will discover practical tools that can can be used at each stage of the research process and discuss how to use AI ethically in scholarly work. Whether you're conducting discipline specific rsearch. Scholarship of  Teaching and Learning. or deve, this session will help you make informed, responsible choices about when and how to integrate AI into your research workflows.

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Becky Weininger

Attend this hands on training to learn about the Program Profiles Tableau, an easy to use tool with historical data about Kirkwood students. Measures like enrollment headcount and credit hours, awards earned, persistence, retention, graduation, transfer, course retention and success rates are all available through this great tool.

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Heather George & Kristina Murphy

We will show you some Excel concepts that you didn't know were so easy to do!

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Lindsay Miles

This workshop is intended to equip participants with skills and knowledge needed to properly support student mental health needs (regardless of severity). It is also intended to ensure proper and efficient use of Kirkwood Community College’s Counseling Services team.

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Alan Peterka

Explore the various H5P activity types and discuss possible applications for both online and face-to-face courses. Bring your laptop, and get started creating interactive elements for your courses.

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Alex Lubbers

Instructional strategies targeted for English Learners benefit ALL students, not just ELs!

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Ambre Bernards and Patrice Becicka

This presentation explores strategies for fostering a culture of belonging in the college classroom by centering dignity, mutual respect, and inclusion. We will highlight practical approaches to building trust, strengthening student-instructor collaboration, and creating learning environments that encourage authentic relationships and diverse perspectives essential to student success.

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April Bohnenkamp

This session will highlight how the table can support core Anatomy and Physiology learning outcomes while addressing common student challenges, from spatial reasoning to clinical relevance. We'll discuss strategies for integrating virtual dissection into existing curricula and share insights on improving engagement and retention.

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Colleen Schmitt

As teachers, we often observe small group discussions that are dominated by a few group members, remain superficial, go off track, or become heated over being "right".  This simple discussion protocol encourages collaboration, active listening, curiosity and academic excellence by ensuring that all students are seen and heard.  Often, students in my classroom have continued this discussion routine after it's not "required" because it is so helpful.  Come try it out with your instructor peers!

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Darek Benesh

Collaborative learning, different from group work, engages all students in the activity of learning. We will work through an example with the hope that you can implement strategies into your own classes. (Repeat session from last year, but with a different central topic.)

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Dave Harper

Team Based Learning is an evidence based teaching strategy. Student teams work together on quizzes, case studies and assignments. Perhaps you'd like to consider this strategy for one of your courses. Or, a specific method used in this course might work well in one of your classes. For example, Learning Catalytics is a software program for students to take a quiz individually and in a team and average their scores.

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David McMahon

Maintaining a shared sense of nationhood has always been a special challenge for the United States. Learn how Kirkwood students are introduced to debates over America’s origins and competing national myths in order to create a new national narrative—an initiative with Nationhood Lab, and best-selling author, Colin Woodard.

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Dawn Wood

Research shows high impact practices create more successful, engaged students. This session will tour Global Learning facilities and feature globally-experienced faculty sharing examples of teaching methods and strategies for Virtual Exchange, Study Abroad, and cultural exchange (K-ACE). Participants will gain practical resources for integrating global learning opportunities into their classrooms.

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Finn Kolsrud

We explore the meaning of civic courage—the ability to speak up, listen deeply, and engage ethically. The session will discuss examples of civic courage from our community and beyond, showing how the efforts of local community members can empower individuals to become thoughtful leaders and engaged citizens.

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Jed Peterson

We will work together on ways that we can bring more African and African-American based themes into our courses and our classrooms.

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Jeff Sadler

Join us to workshop ideas on how we can better engage students using case studies, guided inquiry lab activities or whatever other creative ideas we can come up with. The goal is to bring instructors from A&P and various healthcare programs together to workshop ideas that excite our students.

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Josh Madsen

Have you ever been intrigued to see how others organize material, present information, give feedback, proctor assessment, or use Talon in any way that you don't? Now is the chance to see what your peers are doing and maybe pick up some new ideas for your courses.

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Judy Stoffel

Part-time students bring many strengths to the classroom, while balancing multiple responsibilities outside of the classroom. So how can we best support their commitment to learn? In this session, participants will explore current data and insights about our own part-time student population. Together, we will examine promising classroom practices from across higher education that improve outcomes for part-time students. This session will equip you with a clearer understanding of how we can create a learning environment that responds to the needs of part-time students.

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Kai Plews

Worried by widgets? Confused by columns? Talon homepages are powerful tools you can actually make use of with a little bit of guidance and a touch of design.

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Marla Grosvenor and Lauri Hughes

Since 2010 there has been a shift from children who experienced play-based activities to children experiencing phone-based activities. Due to this shift, we have seen rising rates of anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide amongst adolescents. These children are now part of our student population. Join us as we unpack the impact this shift has had on mental health of our young people and the need for collective action to address these issues and support our students. 

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Matt Thomas

Ungrading is a form of assessment that minimizes or eliminates letter grades and points. It has been the subject of a number of recent articles and books, and is gaining acceptance across disciplines and institutions. This session will explain what ungrading is, its benefits, and how instructors might incorporate it.

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Mike Dillon

Objective assessments utilize question types including multiple-choice, true-false, and fill-in-the-blank. In this session, participants will learn some interesting ways to use objective assessment questions in unique and interesting ways to support formative assessments and other classroom activities.

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Molly Schwarz

Academic advisors are educators who teach students to navigate college successfully. Kirkwood's new Academic Advising Syllabus, launched at orientation, formalizes this teaching role by establishing clear learning outcomes, expectations, and partnership parameters. This presentation demonstrates how the syllabus transforms advising from transactional service to intentional pedagogy, building student autonomy and success from day one.

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Nathan Dickman

Literacy rates are declining across most demographics in the US. One way to help students improve their reading ability is by returning to tried and true basics in reading comprehension — the question-answer relationship.

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Phil Brown, Sharon Blanchard, Jeff Hembera, Ash Harger, Wanda Johnson, and Sara Roberts

Do you have a classroom challenge in search of a technological solution? Stuck in a rut because you need to grade that quiz instead of researching new technologies? Join the Tech Scouts as they showcase some of their favorite apps and tech tools for education. Participants will be introduced to various tools that they can integrate into their classes. Highlights of what will be presented: Meta glasses, z-Space VR, and Axon's Draft One.

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Rachelle Biderman

This session introduces PitchVantage, a digital tool that allows students to practice and record speeches both inside and outside the classroom. Faculty will see how PitchVantage can streamline speaking assignments, provide students with immediate, personalized feedback, and create more opportunities for skill-building.

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Samantha Hench

Learn how the Quality Matters (QM) framework can support course revisions and improve student outcomes. This session highlights available resources and shares data showing reduced DFW rates following a QM self-review and transition to a hybrid format — demonstrating the impact of intentional, research-based course design.

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Slav Sharapov

This workshop is modeled after Hawaii Great Teachers Seminar. Each participant is requested to bring a typed paragraph or two of a success story/innovation from their personal experience teaching, and a paragraph or two of a challenge they have encountered in the classroom. We will share and discuss our stories in small groups.

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Sondra Gates and Timothy Robbins

Tim and Sondra researched the use of AI in writing instruction and then allowed students in their writing courses to use AI without penalty. Come hear about how that went — the successes, the fiascos, and what we plan to do differently next time.

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Todd Jamison

This interactive workshop helps faculty make small, practical course design changes that improve inclusion for neurodivergent learners. Participants will identify common barriers, explore five simple strategies, and revise a resource, activity, or assessment. AI will be used as a supportive tool, with takeaways ready to apply immediately.

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Yasemin Onder

Want to make your course materials more accessible without extra downloads or tech hassles? YuJa Panorama, now built into Talon, replaces Ally and makes it easy to improve accessibility right where you work. It even creates alternative formats like audio, ePub, and tagged PDFs so students can choose what works best for them. Join this hands-on session to see how Panorama identifies accessibility issues, provides instant feedback, and helps you create more inclusive courses with just a few clicks.

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Session 4: 2:40 – 3:30 p.m. (Academic Affairs Only)

Alan Peterka

In this session, I’ll summarize the course development process, review the roles and expectations, and who is automatically included in the process. Most importantly, your feedback will be helpful as we continue to improve the process making it a productive and positive experience for everyone.

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Art Khaw

Retirement can be a traumatic time in an individual’s life since permanent departure from a job is an event of personal and social significance. Retirement is a challenge that, as a process, influences the individual’s available resources, expectations, life patterns, role and status. As a recipient of the Endowed Chair Award, I conducted in-depth literature research review on life satisfaction in retirement resulting in identifying core and major themes of retirees who reported satisfaction in their retirement. In addition, I will share how this research has helped me implement my own retirement planning.

Register Here

Cara Picton

Explore innovative ways to integrate ChatGPT into classroom activities that foster engagement and adaptability. This session features a recorded in-class project, while also inviting colleagues to share strategies and collaborate on creative approaches to enhance student learning across disciplines.

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Claire Grinstead and Julie Petersen

Learn about resources a little outside of the box that can be applied to both student and faculty research!

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Emily McWorthy and Jennifer Cunningham

Love a good read? Join us for a fun, book-club-style gathering where everyone brings a favorite read to share. No required reading, no homework — just an open conversation full of recommendations, discoveries, and book-inspired chatter. Sorry, no personal pan pizzas will be provided.

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Hannah Dunlap

Learn the art of bouquet-making in this interactive foral design workshop. Discover which cut flowers grow well in Iowa, how to harvest and prepare them, and master techniques for arranging beautiful, balanced bouquets using ergonomic and mindful practices.

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Heather Hippler and Blais Richlapp

Join us for a DayOneDigital (D1D) Information Session to explore how digital course materials can enhance student success, affordability, and equity. Learn how our DayOneDigital program works, its benefits for faculty and students, and how to implement it in your courses.

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Jakob Westpfahl

A tour through the history of the big 5 of Extreme Metal genres with accompanying music selections, as well as my personal applications of this type of music in my various roles in higher education.

Register Here

Kate Cameron

The checklist approach to information evaluation doesn't work anymore. Learn how to use lateral reading (a.k.a. SIFT) to quickly determine the likely reliability of an information source, and get materials to support teaching your students these essential skills.

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Macee Tracy

Faculty face unique challenges in teaching, course design, and student engagement. This listening forum offers a candid, constructive space to share what’s on your plate. Your input will guide priorities for resources and support, ensuring faculty voices directly shape what comes next.

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Mark Fuller

This fully interactive class reveals the psychology, sensory design, and performance secrets behind terrifying haunted attractions. From building innovative props with Monster Mud to mastering makeup, costumes, and character work, you’ll learn to create unforgettable multisensory scares that linger after the lights go out.

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Mike Dillon

Competency-based education (CBE) is an approach to course design and development that brings together a variety of unique characteristics and educational best practices. In this session, participants will learn about the Kirkwood-defined characteristics of competency-based courses.

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Molly Schwarz and J Heim

Academic Advising Director, Molly Schwarz, and Associate Director, J Heim, present 2022-2024 appointment data analysis revealing a substantial increase in appointments and evolving student needs. Learn how research informs strategic decisions, upcoming departmental initiatives, and Guided Pathways implementation, connecting individual advising work to institutional priorities and evidence-based practice.

Register Here

Sarah Barfels

Frustrated by a world entreating you to do more? Looking for ways to do less? Join us for a short journey into aimlessness as a door to liberation. Check out a few tools that might help water the seeds of compassion, loving kindness, and equanimity in you as you grade, interact with students and family, or just try to get a good night's sleep.

Register Here

Sarah S. Uthoff

This session will show you what the library can add to your class. We will go over materials like articles and videos you can use in class or drop into your class materials, services like teaching library literacy to classes, and tools like research guides and an accessible scanner.

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Shawn Lampe

Discover how students navigate their capstone journey as it was integrated into two technical programs in the BIT department, highlighting growth, challenges, and innovation.

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Shawnacy Kiker Perez

Step into the game! This session explores how escape rooms can be used as a creative model of authentic assessment. We’ll talk through the design process, share classroom applications, and then you’ll team up to tackle a live escape room challenge. Learn, play, and unlock new ways to assess student learning!

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Slav Sharapov

Learn the history of tea, the types of tea existing in the world, and the ways to enjoy it. You will try samples of tea from the full spectrum of the leaf processing and, possibly, get some new favorites.

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Tad Fundermann

Join us as we continue our work towards creating a culture of academic integrity through a deep dive into the Academic Integrity Reporting process. We will review the existing model and framework, reflect on its effectiveness, and collaborate on a robust approach in addressing key concerns with the reporting process.

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Timothy Robbins

This dialogue connects the history of academic freedom to the urgent need for strategies against its modern threats: legislative censorship, social media outrage, and the "student-as-customer" model of higher education. Our goal is to collectively affirm our professional autonomy and develop concrete methods to protect free inquiry in the classroom.

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Todd Saville

Are you mindful or mindless about money? Is your “money mindset” affecting how you deal with money? Come discover what a money mindset is and examine when, where, why and how they are developed, and most importantly: what you can do if you want to change yours.

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Trisha Swartzendruber

Like music? Like to dance? Submit your favorite songs in advance and follow along as you are guided through fun dance moves to those songs. No experience or "talent" needed, just a willingness to have fun and move your body!

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Yasemin Onder

Want to make your course materials more accessible without extra downloads or tech hassles? YuJa Panorama, now built into Talon, replaces Ally and makes it easy to improve accessibility right where you work. It even creates alternative formats like audio, ePub, and tagged PDFs so students can choose what works best for them. Join this hands-on session to see how Panorama identifies accessibility issues, provides instant feedback, and helps you create more inclusive courses with just a few clicks.

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