Greetings, Friends, 

At ITL last week, a presenter noted that part of their goal was to help students “become more aware of uncertainty”--not to discourage them, but to help them learn to actively map their own learning more effectively, building momentum as analysts and knowledge creators. 

Mid-semester can seem like a large marsh of uncertainty, even when the rest of the world isn’t already, y’know <waves hands around head>. That’s one reason October has our highest number of opportunities for you to come join us, and especially join a community of colleagues also mapping their own learning and teaching journeys. 

Whatever's boosting your uncertainty meter--AI, grading, discussions, motivation, feedback, writing -- we probably have a conversation that can help you find some solid footing. See below and check out our Events Calendar. 

And if you see Tom Polk or a WAC Committee member or just your favorite teacher who assigns writing this week, please congratulate them on being part of a Top 20 Writing in the Disciplines Program according to US News & Word Report! 

Along with our partners (including the Office of the Provost, Faculty Affairs and Development, Writing Across the Curriculum, Mason Impact/Undergraduate Education/CECiL, Graduate Education, GradLife, University Libraries, and Information Technology Services) we wish you stable paths and affable journey companions! 

E Shelley Reid, Ph.D. 

Executive Director

Whether you're an AI-enthusiast or AI-resister, you’re invited to join the CORE+AI Design Program! As a scholarly designer, you'll tackle an instructional challenge, redesign course components, earn up to $450 in stipends, connect & share with colleagues across disciplines, and contribute to research on faculty design reasoning in the AI era.  

Discover the Stearns Center Spotlight, our new blog dedicated to celebrating teaching wins, faculty achievements, and innovative stories about teaching across George Mason. Posts are published monthly at the bottom of our home page. Our Spotlight offers inspiration, highlights dynamic faculty, and showcases impactful teaching. Have a story or idea to share? Suggest a Spotlight topic.

We invite teams of faculty from all departments, programs, colleges, and schools at George Mason University to submit proposals for our NEW Engaged Teaching Curriculum and Teaching Leadership (CTL) Funds: High Impact Projects for Spring 2027! Faculty teams may include full-time and part-time faculty involved in high-impact teaching and learning projects. 

We also invite faculty to apply for one of two NEW Engaged Teaching Faculty Associate opportunities for Spring 2027. Selected faculty will co-develop and facilitate faculty development that supports instructional faculty as they incorporate engaged teaching into their courses. 

The David J. King Teaching Award is given annually to a faculty member who has made significant, long-term contributions (over the course of 20 years or more) to the overall educational excellence of the university. Read more on our website; nominate a colleague via email to stearns@gmu.edu by Friday November 20, 2026.

Are you experienced with alternative grading and looking for community? Join colleagues who are actively implementing alt grading practices to share what's working, troubleshoot challenges, and talk through big questions together. Each session has a theme, but you can always bring your own concerns and questions to the group. We meet via Zoom every 3rd Monday at 2PM, starting September 14 and continuing through to May 2027. This month, we meet on October 5 and 26. Please register for each meeting that fits your schedule. 

ITL-26, Liz Roll Photography.

Yesterday we published a first ever, very special episode: Finding Inspiration at George Mason's Teaching Conference! Guests Cindy Parker of Costello College of Business, Colleen Reynolds of English, Lorena Jordan of Libraries at Schar School of Policy and Government, and Sanja Avramovic of the College of Public Health share practical teaching ideas they took away from this year’s Innovations in Teaching and Learning Conference (ITL).

On October 14 we will release another very special episode in which we introduce our NEW host, Breana Bayraktar! Tune in to hear how we plan to shape the future of the podcast, and please consider taking a few minutes to complete our NEW Podcast Listener Survey!

Then, look forward to October 28 when we will publish an episode featuring Naomi Martinez-Jones and Jamilah Anderson of Disability Services. 

✅ Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts to stay tuned for <25-minute episodes where you can discover small change strategies you might try now in your classrooms! 

Do you have writing goals this semester? Join our Faculty Writing Sprints, which are a fantastic opportunity to schedule dedicated writing time and connect with a supportive community of faculty writers. 

The In-person Sprints are every Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in JC 239A.

The Online Sprints are every Friday, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. on Zoom.

Imagine what’s next for Faculty Affairs & Development at Mason!

Your voice. Your ideas. Our future.

We are bringing together department or unit leaders for Blue Sky Focus Groups to generate bold ideas and explore opportunities to help shape faculty affairs at George Mason. This is your opportunity to think big, challenge assumptions, and help envision what’s possible!

Choose to attend the session that works for you:

Please join us to share your insights! Send questions to FacAffs@gmu.edu.

How can community perspectives inform teaching, curriculum, and community-engaged learning? Join GMU faculty, staff, students, and community partners for a conversation on healthcare access, equity, barriers, and community solutions. Gain insights to integrate community perspectives into your courses, research, and community-engaged teaching.

Thursday, October 15 | 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Johnson Center, George’s Café