Under Construction: Crowdsourcing the Brand

FSI was founded between 1996-1997 when the Presidents and Chancellors of Illinois public universities called for the development of an Inter-institutional Faculty Summer Institute on Learning Technologies. Since then, this popular conference has been supported by the Illinois Board of Higher Education as well as various private sponsors, directed by a succession of steering committees, and enjoyed by all who appreciate the ideas and information shared at this annual event.

FSI recently celebrated our 25th anniversary, and the current Steering Committee thinks this might be a good moment for a bit of "re-branding." As the conference has grown, our participants have expanded well beyond a group of faculty exploring information technology. Some of us wear many hats, and our community comprises information technology experts, instructional designers, librarians, administrators, and many other professional roles--including, of course, faculty--who work together to cultivate a healthy learning environment for the students we serve.

In the months leading up to our 2023 meeting, we are exploring possible names that better reflect who we are. We are more than "faculty"--and more than just a "summer" event--and our name should reflect this. The Steering Committee invites all past participants, as well as those registering for the 2023 meeting, to share their ideas for names (or logos or designs) that convey to the world who we are and what we are about.

Please feel free to share your suggestions using this form.

You can find inspiration from a walk down memory lane (past FSI programs are available at conferences.illinois.edu/fsi/past-conferences) or by browsing the ongoing crowd-sourced list of suggestions.

The Steering Committee will announce its decision about the new name (and any related logos or designs) at our meeting in May 2023.