Graduate/Post-doc Students Teaching in Higher Education Conference: Empowering the Next Generation of Educators
Where: Zoom
Cost: This is a free virtual event. Registration required. Registration will be available in June.
When: Friday, August 8, 2025, 9 am to 5 pm Pacific time zone
We are excited to announce the inaugural Graduate/Post-doc Students Teaching in Higher Education Conference: Empowering the Next Generation of Educators, a unique virtual gathering dedicated to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars who are actively engaged in teaching within higher education, either as sessionals/adjuncts, teaching assistants (TAs), or other teaching-type of positions.
This conference provides a platform for early career educators to share innovative teaching practices, explore new pedagogical strategies, and network with peers invested in improving teaching and supporting student learning. The sessions are organized so that you can engage with topics necessary to fulfill your role as a TA and/or instructor in higher education. It is designed to help you develop and improve your teaching skills and a great opportunity to connect and share your ideas and experiences with other graduate/post-doc students.
Attendees can expect to gain:
- Practical Strategies for Supporting Students’ Learning
- Innovative Teaching Practices
- Technology-enhanced Teaching Strategies
- Networking Opportunities
Interesting in being a presenter?
We invite proposals from graduate students and postdoctoral scholars who have experience as a teaching assistant, adjunct, and/or sessional, or other teaching position in higher education. This is an opportunity to showcase your work, gain valuable feedback, and contribute to the collective knowledge of the higher education community. By submitting a proposal, you will be interacting with 100s of peers.
Proposal Topics
We welcome a wide range of topics related to teaching and learning in higher education, including but not limited to:
- Innovative Teaching Methods: Share your experiences with new and effective teaching strategies.
- Technology Tools Used in Teaching: Explore the integration of digital tools and platforms in teaching.
- Assessment and Evaluation: Discuss methods for assessing student learning and improving feedback.
- Diversity and Inclusion: Present strategies for creating inclusive and equitable learning environments.
- Professional Development: Offer insights into career advancement and skill development for graduate/post doc students.
- Student Learning: Share how you are providing high support to students to advance their learning.
Submission Guidelines
Proposal Length: 100-250 words
Language of Conference: English (however, we encourage participants to provide additional materials, such as your PowerPoint slides or handouts, in French or other languages you feel comfortable in preparing).
Format: Include a title and abstract with a description of your session. Ensure the title will grab attendees’ attention. In the abstract, include reference to relevant educational literature.
Session Types:
- interactive workshop (60 minutes)
- oral presentation (30 minutes)
- poster (suitable for those who are in time zones that will make it difficult to attend synchronously on Zoom)
Submission Deadline: Monday, May 26, 2025, 5 pm Pacific Time
Selection Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Current graduate student or postdoctoral student at an institution any where in the world (keep in mind though if you are submitting a workshop the conference is synchronous on Zoom taking place during the Pacific time zone)
- Relevance to the conference theme and audience
- Clarity and coherence of the proposal
- Reference to relevant educational literature
- Originality and innovation of the topic
- Potential for engaging and interactive session on Zoom
Submission Process: Fill out the following form to stay updated about the conference and receive information about how to submit a proposal.
Recognition
If you are selected to be a presenter at this conference, you will receive an acknowledgement letter from the conference organizer to include in your teaching portfolio/dossier.
As an attendee, if you attend at least six sessions and submit a reflective one-page essay by the due date, you will receive a certificate acknowledging your commitment to enhancing your teaching.
Important Dates
Proposal Submission Deadline: Monday, May 26, 2025, 5 pm Pacific Time
Notification of Acceptance: Friday, June 6, 2025
Conference Date: Friday, August 8, 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Time
Certificate Essay Submission Deadline: August 15, 5 pm Pacific Time
Contact Information
For questions or more information, please contact Dr. Cynthia Korpan at info@iteachhe.com.
We look forward to receiving your proposals and welcoming you to a vibrant community of graduate and post-doctoral students dedicated to shaping the future of teaching in higher education. Join us in this exciting opportunity to learn, share, and grow together!
Testimonials:
The courses I have taken from Cynthia have provided me with a theoretical foundation that I use to better understand how to design classroom environments that promote learning. That foundation gives me an improved capacity to articulate pedagogical concepts so that I can perform effective literature searches to continuously improve my own teaching methods. Being able to engage literature effectively then gives me more confidence to take risks and evolve my courses at a faster rate.
Former faculty member student
Dr. Korpan is very skilled in online teaching and learning, using many effective options for learning in that environment and was able to give fulsome and helpful feedback to all students. Cynthia’s knowledge of learning and teaching in university settings is extensive. Her skills as an educator ensures that her courses and classes are organized, interesting, interactive, and engaging.
Peer colleague
Cynthia is a great instructor. Very knowledgeable about the subject matter. Good choices for assessment. Highly student–centered (i.e., not lecture–based) course activities. One of the best courses that I have taken or observed. Overall, she is a fantastic instructor and role model for teaching.
Former graduate student
Dr. Korpan is a delight to work with and is genuinely sincere, open, and considerate. She brings extensive research experience to her work and simultaneously helps others thrive in their own teaching and scholarship of teaching. Above all else, she understands educational excellence from a variety of perspectives: her extensive understanding of the research in the field; her own research studies and editing experiences; her program-building capabilities; and her hard work and innovation.
Peer colleague
Cynthia Korpan, PhD
Director
ITeach: Certification in Higher Ed Inc
About me
I have over 20 years experience in Educational Development in Higher Education and over 35 years related to workplace learning. As the former Director of Teaching Excellence at the University of Victoria, I garnered significant experience in developing programs and courses, teaching undergraduates, graduate students, and professors, and mentoring many about learning and teaching in higher education. In 2017, I was honoured with the Educational Developers Caucus Leadership Award for my national work related to educational development. My research focuses on early career academics’ first teaching in the academic workplace. This work and my expertise has been and continues to be shared with institutions around the world, such as Canada, the United States, China, Uganda, Pakistan, and Ghana.
