General Information

The theme of this year’s retreat is “The Power of Engagement: Igniting Students’ Passion for Learning.” When we think of engagement, most likely the first thing that comes to mind is active learning, an instructional method where the students are not only performing meaningful activities, but also reflecting on what they are doing. An anticipated goal is not only improved achievement, but also increased retention. In thinking about engagement, we should not discount the role of emotions in engagement and learning. Excitement and curiosity can ignite passion in our students to be intrinsically motivated to learn.

Our campus vision is to impact locally, nationally and globally through transformational learning experiences and groundbreaking scholarship. At the retreat, we will take the opportunity to share the stories of several of our peers who have successfully and creatively implemented ways to bring out the passion for learning in our students. We will feature short videos, teaching simulations, and interactive activities by our exemplary teachers. We encourage attendees to apply for retreat grants to implement ideas inspired during the retreat.

Goals of the Retreat

The goals for the Annual Faculty Retreat are to build on our collective knowledge about teaching and learning, to share innovative ideas and approaches, and to promote partnerships within and beyond the campus community.