Faculty Retreat 2026
Faculty Retreat 2026
Adapting Teaching and Learning for a Changing Higher Education Landscape
A dedicated space for faculty to pause, reconnect, and swap strategies for navigating today's complex teaching landscape over two energizing half-days.
Our Framework
Connect
Build community and reduce isolation through reflective practice and authentic dialogue.
Co-Create
Develop actionable tools for navigating challenging conversations with students and colleagues.
Carry Forward
Establish networks that support long-term wellness and professional growth.
The Spring 2026 Annual Faculty Retreat brought educators together from across campus to connect, share ideas, and reflect on the evolving work of teaching.
Building on our goal to connect, co-create, and carry forward, the Faculty Retreat has been redesigned into a series of 5 events—two half-day events (highlighted with calendars below) and three 1.5-hour collaborative sessions—offering greater flexibility and more opportunities to engage with colleagues throughout the year.
These gatherings are intentionally designed to create space for our updated event lineup:
- Event 1: Where We Begin: Building Community in Teaching and Learning 📅
In person / Illini Union | Tuesday, September 22nd | 12:00 pm to 4:30 pm (lunch included) | Register for Event 1 - Event 2: Collaborative Session 1: Responding to Current Events, Uncertainty, and Change
Virtual | October 23rd | 11:30 am to 1:00 pm | Register for Event 2 - Event 3: Collaborative Session 2: Teaching Responsible Choices in an AI-Enabled World
Tuesday, November 3rd | 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm | Register for Event 3 - Event 4: Collaborative Session 3: Breaking Out of the Echo Chamber: Helping Students Navigate an Algorithmic World through Curiosity, Critical Thinking, and Dialogue
Wednesday, January 27th | 11:30 am to 1:00 pm | Register for Event 4 - Event 5: Where We Continue: Celebrating Growth, Connections, and New Possibilities 📅
In person / Illini Union | Friday, March 5th | 8:30 am to 1:00 pm (lunch included) | Register for Event 5
Whether you come to spark new ideas or simply to reconnect with colleagues who care about teaching, the Faculty Retreat is a place to step back, lean in, and recharge.
More details are coming this fall. We look forward to continuing the conversation together!
Retreat Agenda
Tuesday, September 22, 2026
| Time | Session Details |
|---|---|
| 12:00 – 12:45 PM | Lunch & Informal Community Building All |
| 12:45 – 1:00 PM | Welcome & Framing the Afternoon Manny Rodriguez Rivera, Dana Rabin, Michel Bellini, Amy Santos |
| 1:00 – 1:15 | Where We Are and Where We Are Going Provost |
| 1:15 – 2:00 | Warming Up Activity: Conocimiento Amy Santos |
| 2:00 – 2:15 | Break |
| 2:15 – 2:45 | Student Perspectives Panel: When Life Enters Learning Student Panel |
| 2:45 – 3:00 | Teaching When the Work Feels Different Emily Van Duyn & Kevin Tan |
| 3:00 – 3:30 | Topic Roundtables: What Are We Seeing? Emily Van Duyn & Kevin Tan / Table Facilitators |
| 3:30 – 4:00 | Case Study Conversations: How Would You Navigate This in Your Discipline? Emily Van Duyn & Kevin Tan / Table Facilitators |
| 4:00 – 4:15 | Share out |
| 4:15 – 4:30 | Closing Reflection & Connection Forward Dana Rabin (closing), Amy Santos, Manny Rodriguez Rivera |
Friday, March 5, 2027
| Time | Session Details |
|---|---|
| 8:30 – 9:00 | TBD |
| 9:00 – 10:15 | TBD |
| 10:15 – 11:30 | TBD |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | TBD |