Message ACADEMIC EXCELLENCEWORKSHOP Walking Together in Times of ChangeFriday, August 15, 2025
Coffee and Donuts | Claver Main Entrance Patio Lunch (provided)Closing | Continuing the Conversations at Goldspot with Provost Bucher and ColleaguesACADEMIC EXCELLENCEWORKSHOP Walking Together in Times of Change8:30 a.m.1:00 p.m.10:00 a.m.9:30 a.m.2:00 p.m.11:45 a.m.10:30 a.m.3:00 p.m.4:00 p.m.Shared Strength, Shared MissionModerated by Dave Law Concurrent Session OneFederal Updates Chief Legal Officer Janelle Ramsel, JD, PhD Resource FairConcurrent Session TwoWelcome | Interim President Rev. D. ScottHendrickson, S.J., D.Phil & Provost Jake Bucher, PhD
ABOUT TODAYCOMMUNITY REFLECTIONShared Strength, Shared MissionModerated by Dave LawJoin us for a transformative session that harnesses the power of collectivewisdom. This session invites faculty and staff to reflect together: How do wewant to be known to each other? and How do we want to be known to ourstudents, alumni, and surrounding community? We'll begin by celebrating the assets that define us—our passion,commitment, and unwavering dedication to finding good in all situations.Through guided reflection and small group discussions, we'll explore wherewe find joy as members of this community and how that joy fuels ourmission. Come prepared to listen, share, and walk alongside one another, as wenavigate change together, drawing strength from our collective andindividual experiences and our shared commitment to students. Signaling the start of the new academic year, the Annual Workshop isan invitation for our community to come together to learn and grow.After a year of varied and significant difficulties, and with a yearahead of us with known and unknown obstacles, we want to use thisyear’s workshop to nurture our shared identity, strengthen ouralignment with mission, and evolve our teaching and service. Thisworkshop provides opportunities for learning, discussion, training, andreflection on some of the new and continuing issues facing ourstudents and community, in the context of mission and identity. Thankyou for your participation and contributions to the day, and for yourengagement in the conversations and work that will continue into theyear.~Jake
Claver 315Claver 307Beyond the Basics: Unlocking the Power ofD2L/WorldClass Zero to GenAI: What AI Is, What AI Isn’t, and Where toBegin - A No-Fluff Map to Today's AI Landscape CONCURRENT SESSION ONEPerfect for AI beginners! Get oriented to the AI landscape:ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and specialized tools. Discover"context engineering" over complex prompting with oneuniversal template. Designed for faculty wanting to understandwhat's available and how to get started. No technicalexperience required.Looking to get more out of D2L/WorldClass? This session willexplore both foundational and advanced features of theplatform, including tools for communication, engagement, andassessment. Whether you’re just getting started or ready tolevel up, you’ll leave with practical strategies to enhance yourteaching. Irina Wagner, PhD, Senior UX Researcher of GenAI atJohnson & JohnsonLing Thompson, PhD and Jonnia Torres Carolan, PhDTeaching and Learning ExcellenceClaver 309Right Here, Right Now: Teaching at the Speed ofHuman ConnectionJohn O’Malley, PhDWhat if the best teaching moments aren’t in your lesson planbut already in the room? This interactive session explores howto work with the real-time emotional and relational dynamics ofyour classroom. These are the moments that surprise, challenge,or move us. Grounded in group therapy principles (shoutout toIrvin Yalom), we’ll practice staying present, respondingspontaneously, and helping students make meaning from whatis happening right now. We’ll also play with a big Jesuit idea:Finding God in All Things—or meaning, or insight, or whateverfits your worldview. Don’t worry, we won’t get preachy. Even forthose not grounded in a religious or spiritual tradition, we’llexplore how this value can align with who you are and how youteach. Because sometimes the most powerful lessons aren’tplanned. They are alive, right now.
Claver 307AI is changing the landscape of higher education, and not just forstudents. In this interactive session, we’ll explore how faculty andstaff can thoughtfully and effectively use AI tools to supportteaching, advising, and their own productivity. Whether you’rebrand new to AI or already experimenting, this session will offerspace to reflect, share ideas, and walk away with strategies you canactually use. People, Times, and Places: The Classroom as a Sacred Placeof Encounters CONCURRENT SESSION TWOClaver 315Smarter, Not Harder: Practical AI Uses for Faculty Claver 309Fr. Fernando Álvarez-Lara, S.J.Claire Critchlow, PhD, Amanda Gibson, PhD, Doug Hart,PhD, and Mike Ennis, PhDJoin us to explore how to transform academic spaces into sacredplaces of meaningful encounter and learning. Rooted in the Jesuittradition of finding God in all things, we'll examine how one cancreate atmospheres of safety, welcome, and genuine connection inand out of the classroom. Participants will share experiences,discover practical strategies for creating welcoming environments,and develop concrete plans for implementing sacred spaceprinciples that support both learning and flourishing in their owneducational contexts.Super-Hybrid Learning: Extending the ClassroomExperienceThis presentation explores a "Super-Hybrid" course model,emphasizing the integration of classroom, remote synchronous, andremote asynchronous learning environments. It focuses onmaximizing student learning opportunities and expanding marketreach through efficient use of technology. Key technological toolsdiscussed include Yellowdig for fostering student interaction anddiscussion, and VoiceThread for facilitating student presentationsand whole-brain learning. This presentation also explores the impactand ethical integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into thecurriculum, advocating for its use to enhance, not replace, studentcritical thinking, while acknowledging the increased instructorworkload required for successful implementation of thiscomprehensive approach.Steve Willie, MBA
Community Partners:BakewellBook GiveBrooklyn’s PizzaDenver Urban Gardens/RegisCommunity GardenDubbel Dutch Discover university resources that elevate your academic impact andlocal community partners offering special perks and promotions.RESOURCE FAIRJoin us at Goldspot with Provost Bucher and Colleagues! CONTINUING THE CONVERSATIONRegis University Partners:Center for Career and ProfessionalDevelopment (CCPD) Dayton Memorial Library (DML)First TracksFitness CenterInformation Technology Services (ITS) Magis CollectiveOffice of Mission Outdoor Adventure Program (OAP)Regis BookstoreRiley, the AI advising toolStudent Disability ServicesStudent SuccessTeaching and Learning ExcellenceThe Table Visit Website Visit Website Visit Website Visit Website Visit Website Visit Website
Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring,Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish,Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew’d,Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life? Answer.That you are here—that life exists and identity,That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse. O Me! O Life! Walt Whitman