Center for Teaching, Learning, and Leadership
The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Leadership (CTLL) supports the University of North Georgia’s commitment to “academic excellence in a student-focused environment.” Through our programs and outreach, CTLL seeks to foster our community of scholar teachers as they pursue research-based design and implementation of significant educational experiences.
Upcoming CTLL Events
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Friday Writing Session: Methods, Methodology (and IRB)
January 23 (Friday)
Noon — 1:00 PMMethods, Methodology (and IRB)
Presented by J. Michael Rifenburg
The method we choose and the methodology that guides our selection of method is foundational to an academic argument—no matter if you are an art historian or an organic chemist. In this Friday Writing Session, we will gather and talk through qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research design and look to John Creswell’s Research Design to guide our time together. And, of course, we will talk a little about the Institutional Review Board (IRB), which oversees human subject research! -
Online Academic Alerts
January 26 (Monday)
Noon — 1:00 PMÌìÃÀÉçÇø Online Academic Alerts
Speaker: Deanna Simonds, DETI
The Online Student Success Team is committed to assisting faculty with student outreach regarding concerns for students enrolled in their ÌìÃÀÉçÇø Online courses. The purpose of the Academic Alert system is to provide additional outreach, outside of the outreach conducted by instructors, to students who are not consistently logging into the course and/or completing assignments, who may need assistance with navigating the D2L environment or with the online learning format, or who may need additional ÌìÃÀÉçÇø academic resources (Tutoring, Accessibility Services, etc.). The Academic Alert form is most effective if completed earlier in the semester when issues arise so we can encourage at-risk students to complete their coursework or to consider withdrawing from the class if they do not feel as though they will be able to successfully pass the course. -
Well-Being Series: Effective Listening
January 28 (Wednesday)
Noon — 1:00 PMWednesday, January 28, 2026
12 p.m.-1 p.m.
Zoom
Effective Listening
Led by Simon Cordery, Director of Student Counseling
Everyday communications are fraught with misunderstandings. This seminar will teach you a new way of listening that will help avoid misunderstandings, resolve conflict, and help you understand what others are really saying. This technique is helpful in both professional and personal situations. -
Well-Being Series: Managing Classroom Behavior
January 29 (Thursday)
12:30 PM — 1:30 PMThursday, January 29, 2026
12:30-1:30 p.m.
ZoomManaging Classroom Behavior
Led by Simon Cordery, Director of Student Counseling
Based on Brian Van Brunt’s excellent Book: A Faculty Guide to Addressing Disruptive and Dangerous Behavior, this seminar explores 10 simple, easy to remember concepts in getting ahead of situations that may escalate into disruptive or dangerous situations in the classroom. -
Becoming a Research Mentor and Recruiting Students
January 30 (Friday)
Noon — 1:00 PMBecoming a Research Mentor and Recruiting Students
Led by Efren Velazquez
This session will cover strategies for engaging students in undergraduate research projects. -
Shut Up & Write February
February 3 (Tuesday)
12:30 PM — 1:30 PMShut Up & Write provides participants with a structured time to make progress on research and writing. We will work in one block of fifty minutes with a five-minute block of talking at the beginning and a five-minute block of talking at the end.Ìý
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Teaching Conversations: Approaching Alternative Assessments in the World of AI
February 4 (Wednesday)
Noon — 1:00 PMApproaching Alternative Assessments in the World of AI
Led by Ralph Hale and Susan Brantley
Zoom
In this session, we will explore strategies to create assessments and evaluate students to ensure they are genuinely engaging with and understanding the material, rather than relying on AI to complete their work.
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HIPs: Prepping for Work-Based Learning
February 5 (Thursday)
12:30 PM — 1:30 PMPrepping for Work-Based Learning
Led by Jennifer Sears
In this session you will be able to participate in and see how we can prepare students for one of the most important parts of work-based learning - the interview. Using mixed reality simulation, participants will see how teacher candidates are currently being prepared for the interview process. -
AI Faculty Fellows Series: Using NotebookLM to Support Teaching and Learning in College Classrooms
February 6 (Friday)
Noon — 1:00 PMUsing NotebookLM to Support Teaching and Learning in College Classrooms
Led by Ralph Hale and Jennifer Sears, AI Faculty Fellows
This presentation will demonstrate how NotebookLM, an AI-powered tool, can be applied in higher education to provide student resources, assist with course development, and strengthen classroom pedagogy. We will also discuss how artificial intelligence can reduce faculty workload on increasingly complex tasks while promoting student success. -
FRAME: Moderating Classroom Incivilities
February 9 (Monday)
Noon — 1:00 PMTopic: Moderating Classroom Incivilities
We strongly encourage all full-time and part-time faculty at ÌìÃÀÉçÇø to participate in the FRAME program, a series of six workshops across the full academic year offered online via Zoom. There will be about 15 minutes of open socializing time before and after each session.
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Engaging Pedagogy Exchange: Tools for Student Engagement
February 11 (Wednesday)
Noon — 1:00 PMTopic: Tools for Student Engagement
Speaker: Eric Wilk
This workshop is designed to develop methods that demonstrate how the academic material that we talk about in class impacts them personally. It will also focus on using pop culture material to illustrate how the complex and philosophical topics we discuss in class might be realized in the real world.
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AI² - Academic Integrity & Artificial Intelligence
February 12 (Thursday)
12:30 PM — 1:30 PMThis workshop will be offered at two different times:
Thursday, February 12, 2026 | 12:30-1:30 p.m. OR
Friday, February 13, 2026 | 12-1 p.m.
Zoom
AI² - Academic Integrity & Artificial Intelligence
Led by: Richelle Keilholz, Assistant Dean of Students, Student Conduct and Integrity; and Caitlin Blank, Coordinator, Student Conduct
This program is designed to explore the academic integrity issues (including artificial intelligence) facing higher education. Join Dr. Richelle Keilholz and Caitlin Blank, from the Office of Student Integrity, to learn more about trends, prevention techniques, and much more! We will also have plenty of time for Q&A! -
AI² - Academic Integrity & Artificial Intelligence
February 13 (Friday)
Noon — 1:00 PMThis workshop will be offered at two different times:
Friday, February 13, 2026
12-1 p.m.Zoom
AI² - Academic Integrity & ArtificialÌýIntelligence
Led by: Richelle Keilholz, Assistant Dean of Students, Student Conduct and Integrity; and Caitlin Blank, Coordinator, Student Conduct
This program is designed to explore the academic integrity issues (including artificialÌýintelligence) facing higher education. Join Dr. Richelle Keilholz and Caitlin Blank, from the Office of Student Integrity, to learn more about trends, prevention techniques, and much more! We will also have plenty of time for Q&A! -
Leadership in Focus: Leading with Integrity in Higher Education
February 16 (Monday)
Noon — 1:00 PMTopic: Considering Ethics: Leading with Integrity in Higher Education
Speaker: Steven LloydEthical leadership isn’t just about compliance – it's about inspiring your team, driving meaningful change, and upholding the values of higher education. This session will discuss navigating the complexities of ethics in decision-making to foster trust and innovation within your department.
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AI Awareness, Critical AI Literacy, and AI Fluency: Foregrounding Agency
February 17 (Tuesday)
12:30 PM — 1:30 PMAI Awareness, Critical AI Literacy, and AI Fluency: Foregrounding Agency
Led by Members of the English Department’s Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) NetworkÌý
In this session, we will look at three frameworks for addressing generative AI in classroom spaces: awareness, critical literacy, and fluency. These frameworks reject binaries such as boomer/doomer or embrace/resist when it comes to generative AI. We will highlight the questions and assumptions underlying each approach and introduce resources and writers who have adopted them. Finally, we’ll examine how each approach supports both teachers and students as agents whose scholarly labor should be valued.
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Friday Writing Session: Writing About Your Teaching
February 20 (Friday)
Noon — 1:00 PMWriting About Your Teaching
Presented by J. Michael RifenburgÌý
Whenever you step into a classroom, you are stepping into a research moment. Instructors try new assignments, activities, and textbooks. Instructors adapt to new population of students, new course schedules, and new course deliveries. In this Friday Writing Session, we will draw from Mick Healey, Kelley Matthews, and Alison Cook-Sather’s Writing About Teaching and Learning in Higher Education to frame our conversation. We will imagine (and then plan out!) how your teaching experiences might be the seeds of a future journal article, book chapter, or conference presentation. -
Well-Being Series: Promoting Student Success Through Advocacy, Care, Accountability, and Support
February 23 (Monday)
Noon — 1:00 PMMonday, February 23, 2026
12-1 p.m.
ZoomPromoting Student Success Through Advocacy, Care, Accountability, and Support
Led by Glen Harris, Jr., Senior Dean of Students
The Office of the Dean of Students advocates for and supports students as they pursue their goals at ÌìÃÀÉçÇø. There, students get connected with resources when life is complex, and unforeseen circumstances or hardships arise. DOS helps students navigate university policies and processes, and provides intervention and accountability measures to promote integrity, safety, and well-being for all campus community members.
Need Our Assistance?
We are available for a one-on-one session to assist and help.