Greetings, Friends, 

At Stearns Center we like to talk about teaching -- but some of our best moments come when we’re quiet and learning from you. Every event we design, from the shortest workshop to the seminars to our ITL Conference, invites your questions, perspectives, and insights. So as we wrap up this spring, we wanted to say thank you to everyone who Zoomed in, raised their hand, wrote a question or comment or nomination, or helped a peer feel better about their teaching.  

Wrapping up in May, we’ll still be learning from you: about AI tools and teaching, about alternative grading, about your STEM or WAC or Core teaching projects. We hope you’ll scroll down or check our Event Calendar for the full list of upcoming workshops, podcasts, opportunities, and events. Our newsletter will take a brief summer break -- but you can already take a peek at our plans for August, when we’ll be back with even more ways to hear from you! 

E Shelley Reid, Ph.D. 

Executive Director

This two-part experience supports faculty in moving from ideas to implementation in alternative grading. In the Design Studio, you will build a practical, testable grading approach through structured reflection and design activities. In the Design Charrette, you will share materials and receive feedback in a collaborative setting. 

Learn more and Register here for the online option before Monday, June 1:

This full-day symposium, offered in person at James Madison University and online, explores how educators can respond to AI through intentional teaching and curriculum design. Participants will learn the Critical AI Literacy Cultivation Framework and work hands-on with the SKEPTICS framework to design activities that help students assess AI’s impact on learning. The in-person attendance registration deadline is Monday, May 11, and the online attendance registration deadline is Friday, May 15. This event is organized by JMU’s Center for Faculty Innovation, JMU Libraries, UVA’s Center for Teaching Excellence, and George Mason’s Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning. It is funded by an FFEI grant administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).

Join us for a two-day, five-workshop series from May 12-13 designed to help you make intentional decisions about AI in your courses. Through interactive, hands-on sessions, you’ll explore strategies for integrating AI, designing resilient assessments, and communicating expectations while aligning your approach with your teaching values. Do all five workshops and earn the Teaching with AI Level 1 Credential, or choose a workshop that fits your needs and schedule! Click on each workshop below to register:

10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

To AI or Not to AI?: Key Considerations for Your Classroom

11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Artificial Intelligence Tools and...Inclusive Teaching?

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Communicating with Students About Ethical AI Use

10:15 - 11:15 a.m.

Can AI Write My ----------?

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

AI Test Kitchen: Classroom Discussion

We invite teams of faculty from all departments, programs, colleges, and schools at George Mason University to submit proposals for STEM or WAC Curriculum and Teaching Leadership (CTL) Funds: Extended Projects for AY27! Faculty teams may include full-time and part-time faculty involved in high-impact teaching and learning projects.

*NEW for AY27: If you are applying for a STEM or WAC CTL Fund, you may choose your preferred semester for the funding period. Please indicate on your proposal submission form whether you are requesting funding for Fall 2026, Spring 2027, or Summer 2027.

Looking for a meaningful way to strengthen your teaching and earn a credential along the way? Our upcoming workshops and clusters offer valuable opportunities for faculty of all appointment types, experience levels, and disciplines:

Through the High Impact Practices (HIPs) Cluster on Monday, May 18 and Wednesday, May 20 from 10AM-12PM, you can explore strategies that help students connect their learning to experiences in and beyond the classroom while also earning the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Level 1 Teaching Essentials credential.

If you teach Mason Core courses, completing both the HIPs Cluster and Solving the Puzzle: Engaging Non-Majors in Mason Core Courses on Friday, May 22 from 10-11AM can earn you the Certified Mason Core Instructor credential through the Mason Core Instructor Certification Program (MC-ICP).

And if your schedule only allows an hour, Fundamentals of Effective Teaching on Thursday, May 14 from 10-11AM is a required CPD Level 1 workshop that provides practical, high-impact strategies you can put to use right away.

This summer, consider enrolling in the AI Mini Course: Introduction to AI-Enhanced Teaching Practices (formerly called Intermediate AI Inspired Pedagogies). This six-session course beginning on June 8, 2026 from 9-10:30AM will introduce you to working with AI tools and have you thinking about how AI impacts best teaching practices. No prerequisites required! Registration will be limited to the first 40 participants.

Episode 35: Mental Health Matters is a special Hear From Your Host episode in which our producer, Kelly Chandler, speaks with our regular host, Rachel Yoho, to explore why mental health matters in higher education and how support, connection, and shared responsibility strengthen teaching and student success.

In Episode 36: Recognizing the Value of Investing in Teaching, our guest, Christi Wilcox, invites George Mason faculty to consider how investing in teaching—through development, recognition, and advocacy—can strengthen professional growth, support student success, and elevate the value of effective teaching across career stages.

And in our *first episode featuring students*, Episode 37: The Inside Perspective from Graduate Students Who Teach, Yasmin Rahmani and Sehaj Gill share their experiences as graduate student instructors featuring fresh insights on teaching, communication, and building supportive learning environments.

Next, look forward to May 20 when we will publish our final episode of Season 4; we will return with Season 5 on August 5, 2026!

✅ Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts to stay tuned! 

Hoping to start the summer off with some writing momentum? Attend the Faculty Writing Retreat! This retreat offers an active approach to uninterrupted writing time and a chance to connect to a community of writers across Mason. Happening on Wednesday, May 20 & Thursday, May 21, 2026, 8:30-4:00pm, both in-person in Horizon Hall and online.

Join the Graduate Division for its biannual faculty mentorship professional development training in Fall 2026. The Entering Mentoring training was developed by the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) and is led by CIMER-trained George Mason faculty and staff. Register to secure a spot in the training, or reach out to Dr. Alyssa Bivins for more information (abivins2@gmu.edu).