Fall 2026 CIRTL Network Programming

Fall 2026 CIRTL Network Programming includes 6 workshops, two courses, 3 single-session events, and one event series for graduate students and postdocs pursuing teaching careers in higher education, in addition to our year-round self-paced courses. You can read detailed descriptions of this programming below, and at the bottom of this page you can find a matrix showing how each offering addresses CIRTL’s learning goals:

• Goal 1: Develop evidence-based teaching knowledge
• Goal 2: Connect with community to enhance teaching
• Goal 3: Cultivate teaching skills through reflective improvement
• Goal 4: Prepare for an impactful career

Anyone can register to attend programming, but participants from CIRTL member institutions and alumni will receive priority when registering for programming with limited seats; capped programming typically reaches capacity within a week of registration opening.

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive programming updates. Questions? Contact CIRTL’s help desk at registration@cirtl.net.

Workshops

Writing an Effective Teaching Philosophy Statement (Synchronous)

In this interactive two-part workshop participants will learn what a teaching philosophy statement is and how it’s used on the academic job market, discuss ideas and ask questions about your own statement, then draft a statement and refine it in a writing group of peers from your discipline. This workshop meets in Zoom on Monday, September 14 and 21 at 4-5:30pm Eastern / 3-4:30pm Central / 1-2:30pm Pacific/Arizona.

• CIRTL learning goals: 4
• Cap: 50; registration opens on Monday, August 31st at 10am CT

Writing an Effective Teaching Philosophy Statement (Self-paced)

Learn what a teaching philosophy statement is, brainstorm what you might write about in yours, and draft your own statement in this self-paced workshop. Participants who complete this workshop will be invited to attend a synchronous session where you can refine your draft with a writing group of peers from your discipline. Coming soon.

• CIRTL learning goals: 4
• Cap: none; registration TBD

Rethinking Assessment Design in the Age of AI: A Practical Framework

This one-session workshop introduces a practical framework for redesigning assessments in the age of AI by shifting the focus from answer generation to evidence, reasoning, decision-making, and reflection. Through examples from multiple disciplines, participants will explore practical strategies for redesigning existing assessments while maintaining alignment with course learning outcomes. This online workshop meets in Zoom on Wednesday, September 30th at 7-8:15pm Gulf / 11am-12:15pm Eastern / 10-11:15am Central / 8-9:15am Pacific/Arizona.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 2, 3
• No cap; registration opens on Tuesday, September 8th at 10am CT

A Student-Centered Approach to Plagiarism in the Age of Generative AI

In this two-part workshop, participants will learn about the current state of research on plagiarism, how cognitive load theory can help explain certain kinds of student responses to writing or coding tasks, and how those ideas are reflected in our assessments. Participants will workshop an existing assessment with other participants, and open up a discussion about how this approach could be applied to grading. This online workshop meets in Zoom on Tuesday, October 13th and Wednesday, October 14th at 9-10:30pm Gulf / 1-2:30pm Eastern / 12-1:30pm Central / 10-11:30am Pacific/Arizona.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 2, 3
• No cap; registration opens on Monday, September 21st at 10am CT

Designing Assignments with UDL: Supporting Student Emotional Capacity

In this two-session workshop, participants will explore how the design of course assignments can either encourage learning or create unnecessary emotional barriers to it, and develop concrete strategies for assignment design that help students direct their emotional resources toward successful learning rather than avoidable frustration. This online workshop meets in Zoom on Monday, October 19th and 26th at 8-10pm Gulf / 12-2pm Eastern / 11am-1pm Central / 9-11am Pacific/Arizona.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1
• Cap: 70; registration opens on Monday, October 5th at 10am CT

Teaching with Objects – An Effective Teaching Method for Future Faculty

In this one-session workshop, participants will be equipped with the foundational skills and confidence to integrate object-based learning into their teaching across all disciplines, and use these skills to design effective assignments, practice leading object-based discussions, and navigate campus resources and expert collaborations. This online workshop meets in Zoom on Tuesday, October 27th at 10-11:30pm Gulf / 2-3:30pm Eastern / 1-2:30pm Central / 11am-12:30pm Pacific/Arizona.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Cap: 30; registration opens on Monday, October 12th at 10am CT

Preparing Your Teaching Demo for a Job Interview

As part of the interview process for a faculty position in the U.S., you may be asked to lead a teaching demonstration. In this one-session workshop, we’ll discuss ways to go into your teaching demo with preparedness, confidence, and adaptability. This workshop meets on Thursday, October 29th at 10-11:30pm Gulf / 1-2:30pm Eastern / 12-1:30pm Central / 11am-12:30pm Arizona / 10-11:30am Pacific.

• CIRTL learning goals: 3, 4
• Cap: 50; registration opens on Monday, October 12th at 10am CT

Courses

The College Classroom

Get an introduction to key learning principles and the basics of effective, evidence-based teaching practices in this 10-week course about teaching in the college classroom. This course meets online in Zoom on Tuesdays, September 8 through November 10, at 1–2:30pm Eastern / 12–1:30pm Central / 10–11:30am Pacific.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 3
• Cap: 100; registration opens on Monday, August 17th at 10am CT

UDL + AI Design Studio

The UDL + AI Design Studio is a 6-week short course where instructors improve one real teaching challenge using Universal Design for Learning (UDL)—a widely recognized, research-grounded framework for designing learning experiences. This studio reframes UDL as a practical design cycle that makes redesign manageable and actionable. AI functions as a design partner, helping instructors apply UDL more efficiently to refine activities and assessments with clarity and precision. Participants leave with a ready-to-implement artifact and a clear plan to pilot it. This course meets in Zoom on Fridays from October 9 to November 20 at 11am-12pm Eastern / 10-11am Central / 8-9am Pacific.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Cap: 10-15; registration applications open on Monday, September 21st at 10am CT

Events

Thinking Like a Search Committee: Packaging Your Experience for a Tenure Track Faculty Position

This single-session event will pull back the curtain on the academic hiring process of tenure-track faculty roles. By viewing the hiring process through the eyes of a search committee, participants will learn exactly how their application materials are screened, scored, and short-listed. Attendees will gain actionable insights into committee processes and practices and learn how to strategically align their CVs, cover letters, and research statements with institutional expectations. Schedule TBD.

• CIRTL learning goals: 4
• No cap; registration TBD

Real-World and Hands-On Learning: Learning-Centered Teaching Strategies for Student Success.

In this single-session event, discover the power of learning-centered teaching in this engaging, hands-on workshop. Participants will explore practical strategies that actively engage students, understand the “why” behind these approaches, and gain tools to immediately apply in their own teaching. This online event meets in Zoom on Friday, October 2nd at 7-8:30pm Gulf / 11am-12:30pm Eastern / 10-11:30am Central / 8-9:30am Pacific/Arizona.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 3
• No cap; registration opens on Monday, August 17th at 10 am CT

Neuro-Affirming Course Design: Designing Course with Neurodiversity In Mind

This single-session event will help graduate students and postdoctoral instructors take a neuro-affirming approach to course design by highlighting the elements of a neuro-affirming approach to learning and instruction and exploring some instructional strategies. Participants will then draw on the UDL +1 approach to consider small changes they can make to various course elements to make them neuro-inclusive. This online event meets in Zoom on Thursday, November 12th at 10pm-12:00am Gulf / 1-3pm Eastern / 12-2pm Central / 11am-1pm Arizona / 10am-12pm Pacific.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 3
• Cap: 75; registration opens on Monday, October 26th at 10 am CT

Event Series

Exploring Career Paths with CIRTL Alumni

Learn about different career paths in academia and beyond in conversation with CIRTL alumni in this 4-part event series. Each event in the series will focus on a different career path: teaching careers at research universities, teaching careers at teaching-intensive institutions (liberal arts colleges, community colleges, etc.), and non-faculty careers in academia. Events in this series take place on Mondays, November 2, 9, 16, & 23 at 9-10pm Gulf / 12-1pm Eastern / 11am-12pm Central / 10-11am Arizona / 9-10am Pacific.

• CIRTL learning goals: 4
• No cap; registration opens on Monday, August 17th at 10 am CT

Fall Programming & CIRTL Learning Goals

All programming aligns with CIRTL’s 4 learning goals. Here, you can see how our fall programming provides learning experiences for the different learning goals.