The 4th Annual Faculty Senate Teaching and Research Conference

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Deadline for proposals : June 27, 2025 at 5pm

We invite proposals for the 4th annual Faculty Senate Teaching and Research Conference, sponsored by the Faculty Senate and the Office of the Provost. This collaborative, faculty- and staff-led event celebrates the innovative, scholarly, and student-centered work taking place across UCM.

This year’s theme—"Innovate to Educate: Bold Ideas for Scholarship and Pedagogy"—encourages creative and research-informed approaches to teaching and academic work. This theme celebrates the intersection of scholarly inquiry and meaningful student learning. It highlights how faculty and staff integrate research and pedagogy to foster deeper engagement, curiosity, and learner success. We welcome presentations that showcase experimentation, interdisciplinary thinking, and the reinvention of academic practice in support of student outcomes.

We invite proposals for 45- minute sessions, including individual presentations or faculty/staff panels, in the following pedagogy-focused tracks:

• Innovative Teaching Strategies – What bold or creative instructional methods have transformed your classroom experience? How have you reimagined assignments, assessments, or student engagement to improve learning?

• Pedagogy-Informed Scholarship – How does your research enhance your teaching—and vice versa? What scholarly approaches, disciplinary insights, or frameworks inform how you design and deliver instruction?

• Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Teaching Practices – How do you design learning experiences that cross boundaries—whether disciplinary, cultural, or methodological? What strategies promote inclusivity, curiosity, and collaboration?

• Technology-Enhanced Teaching – How are you leveraging learning management systems (like Brightspace), AI, multimedia, or digital tools to improve instruction? What’s working, what’s challenging, and what’s next in the evolving tech-enabled classroom?

Presenters will receive professional development funds (up to $1,000 per session, divided among co-presenters). Please remember that presenting can also count as an “other activity” in promotion and tenure documentation. 

Proposals must include the following (max 250 words):

1. Session topic: Provide a clear and concise summary of your proposed session’s focus. Include your presentation objectives, the key questions or problems you plan to address (and, if applicable, how your session aligns with the theme of the conference). Be sure to highlight what attendees from a variety of disciplines—including faculty, staff, or administrators—can expect to take away from your presentation.

2. Description of session format: Describe how you plan to structure your session and actively engage the audience. For example, outline whether your session will be a lecture, workshop, panel, case study,  interactive demonstration, etc. Outline any opportunities for interactive elements such as small-group activities, hands-on practice, polls, Q&A, or collaborative problem-solving.

3. Your experience/relevant scholarly frameworks: This might include professional or teaching experience, research you’ve conducted, or ongoing scholarly interests related to the topic. You are encouraged to cite relevant theories, models, or frameworks that inform your approach. If your session is more practice-based, describe how it has been implemented and what outcomes or lessons you've observed.

All proposals will be peer-reviewed using a rubric based on these elements.
Accepted presenters will be notified by the end of July.

Submit your proposal by June 27, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.

Submissions can be made on the following Google Form  by 5 August, 2024.

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Faculty Senate 

Warrensburg, MO 64093

660-543-4149

ucmo.edu/facultysenate