Navigating Change: Centers for Teaching & Learning in the Age of Transformation
Event Details
The Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) invites you
Event Details
The Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) invites you to attend “Navigating Change: Centers for Teaching & Learning in the Age of Transformation,” on Friday, June 5, 2026, Presented by the SOCHE Faculty Development Committee, this event will take place from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. ET at Cedarville University’s Stevens Student Center.
This one-day, in-person program is designed to help CTL and faculty development professionals respond strategically to a higher education landscape shaped by generative AI, shifting faculty roles, and increasing resource pressures. The day begins with a keynote, “Leading Through Change,” by Dr. Jared Pyles, who will explore how leadership evolves when the pace of change is beyond one’s control — highlighting the importance of supporting people through uncertainty, division, and complex institutional challenges.
Participants will engage in interactive morning workshops, choosing between sessions focused on building cross-disciplinary faculty communities or strengthening professional development for contingent faculty. Each session emphasizes practical approaches and peer exchange to address current needs on campus.
In the afternoon, all attendees will participate in a hands-on session, “What We Protect: Priorities as a CTL Efficiency Strategy for Change That Matters.” This working session guides participants through identifying institutional priorities, making informed decisions about where to focus limited resources, and developing a clear, actionable next step for one program or service.
The program also features a panel discussion examining the structural changes reshaping faculty and student experiences, including the impact of generative AI, financial constraints, and evolving expectations of higher education. Panelists will explore how CTLs can move from reactive responses to more intentional, strategic approaches that support innovation and institutional effectiveness.
The day concludes with a facilitated peer reflective practice session, offering time to synthesize insights, share perspectives, and identify next steps.
This event provides a focused opportunity for CTL teams and faculty development personnel to exchange ideas, explore practical strategies, and strengthen their impact in a rapidly changing environment. We hope to see you there!
REGISTER BY WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, FOR THE BEST RATES!
REGISTRATION CLOSES ON THURSDAY, MAY 21
When: Friday, June 5, 2026 | 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Where: Cedarville University Stevens Student Center (251 N. Main St., Cedarville, OH)
Cost:
- Faculty, Staff & Administrators: $35 per person through May 13 (price increases to $45 on May 14)
- Students: $15 per person through May 13 (price increases to $25 on May 14
[Note: This fee is is reserved for individuals who are students only, not for personnel pursuing continuing education.]
Registration Cancellation Policy
Registration for this event closes on Thursday, May 21.
Event Program
| Time | Session | Location |
| 9:00-9:30 a.m. | Event Check-In and Continental Breakfast | Event Room 240 |
| 9:30-9:45 a.m. | Welcome and Opening — Dr. Victoria DeSensi, Wilmington College |
Event Room 240 |
| 9:45-10:30 a.m. | KENOTE – Leading Through Change Presenter: Dr. Jared Pyles, Cedarville University In a year marked by rapid institutional adoption of generative AI, this keynote reflects on what it means to lead when the pace of change is beyond your control. Drawing from firsthand experience, it explores how leadership shifts from managing outcomes to stewarding people — especially when innovation creates division, uncertainty, and moral tension. |
Event Room 240 |
| 9:30-10:45 a.m. | Break and transition to morning workshop sessions | |
| 10:45-11:30 a.m. | Morning Workshops (choose one at registration) • Building Community Among Faculty Founding a community of interconnected cross-disciplinary faculty learners to promote teaching excellence, student success, and discover how colleagues teach and feel about teaching. Facilitator: Dr. Kevin Coghlan, Edison State Community College • Helping Contingent Faculty Navigate the Changing Higher Ed Landscape through Faculty Professional Development College and university administrations are increasingly relying on contingent faculty to meet institutional teaching needs. These faculty require professional development opportunities to effectively serve the institution’s educational mission, and faculty development centers need to account for this in their programming. In this workshop, we will share practices we have found helpful in the UCBA Learning + Teaching Center such as the Adjunct Convocation, postcards, and Canvas resource site. Participants will engage in discussion and activities to explore new ideas for supporting contingent faculty at their institutions. Facilitators: Dr. Joseph Baumgartner and Dr. Brenda Refaei, University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College Moderator: Dr. Victoria DeSensi, Wilmington College |
Event Room TBD
Event Room TBD |
| 11:30-12:30 p.m. | Lunch and Connection Time Catered by Rudy’s Smokehouse, Springfield Menu: Pulled chicken (GF/DF) | Beef brisket (GF/DF) | Sweet BBQ sauce (GF/DF/vegetarian) | Hot BBQ sauce (GF/DF/vegetarian) | Sandwich Buns (vegetarian) | Green salad (GF/DF/vegan) with dressings on side | Roasted red skin potatoes (GF/DF/vegan) | Mac-N-Cheese (vegetarian) |
Event Room 240 |
| 12:30-1:15 p.m. | What We Protect: Setting Priorities for Change That Matters When resources are tight, the hardest part isn’t finding ideas—it’s deciding what to protect, what to change, and what to stop without lowering learning quality. This session helps CTL leaders make those choices explicitly. Participants will complete a 5-point semantic differential Value Profile to surface what they prioritize for change that matters (e.g., building faculty capability through work on real course artifacts such as assignments, assessments, activities, and rubrics; criteria-based feedback and iteration; increasing visible student thinking; protecting rigor; supporting adoption; expanding reach; and sustaining the center). Participants will then apply their profile to one offering (program, service, or resource) to identify mismatches, make a Keep-Modify-Sunset decision, and select one redesign move that is both high-value and realistic. You’ll leave with a clear priorities profile, a defensible decision about one offering, and a concrete next step that fits limited resources. Facilitators: Dr. Gregg Wentzell and Dr. Ellen Yezierski, Miami University Moderator: Dr. Victoria DeSensi, Wilmington College |
Event Room 240 |
| 1:15-1:30 p.m. | Break | |
| 1:30-2:30 p.m. | PANEL – Changes in Higher Education That Are Reshaping the Faculty and Student Experience Higher education is undergoing structural transformation driven by generative AI, educational value, financial pressures, and shifting student expectations. These converging forces require systemic institutional responses from administrators, faculty, and staff. Higher education, as we know it, is changing. There is a need to shift from reactive adaptation to strategic design. This panel will discuss how CTLs can serve their members and stakeholders given these changing needs. Panelists will explore the evolution of faculty roles in an AI-enabled environment, the shift toward student ready institutional models, and structures that support innovation under financial constraint. Moderator: Ryan Liming, Cedarville University Panelists: Dr. Romena Holbert, Wright State University; Dr. Jessica McKinley, Sinclair College; Rita R. Thomas, Central State University; and Dr. Ellen Yezierski, Miami University. |
Event Room 240 |
| 2:30-3 p.m. | Closing: Peer Reflective Practice — Dr. Victoria DeSensi, Wilmington College |
Event Room 240 |
Time
Location
Cedarville University Stevens Student Center
251 N. Main St.