The sessions listed on this page are only for members on Path II of the 2025-2026 Institute for Faculty Excellence Cohort.
- Feb19Thu
What Empathy is – And Isn’t: Understanding Empathic Connection in Teaching, Learning and Leadership – (February 19, 2026 02:00 PM – 03:20 PM)
Location:TLPDC Room 151
2802 18th Street
Lubbock, TX 79409Room: TLPDC 151
Available Seats: 30
Empathy is widely recognized as essential in teaching and learning spaces, yet it is still often misunderstood. This interactive workshop will explore what empathy actually is, what it isn’t, and why this distinction matters for building supportive learning and working environments. Drawing from the principles of Nonviolent Communication (NVC), we will examine how genuine empathic connection supports clarity, reduces reactivity, and helps navigate conflict without sacrificing accountability or standards. The session will be co-facilitated by Dr. Kerry Griffis-Kyle (Department of Natural Resources Management) and Dr. Lisa Garner Santa (Director of the Institute for Faculty Excellence). Together, we will discuss how different communication and processing styles can shape empathic exchanges. Participants will:
- Differentiate between empathy and sympathy
- Identify habitual communication patterns that can block empathic connection
- Learn simple, repeatable practices for offering empathy in real time
- Explore how neurotype, sensory experience, and cognitive processing can influence how empathy is expressed and received
- Practice short, guided exercises that support self-connection and presence
- Feb27Fri
Pause: A Retreat focused on Conscious and Compassionate Renewal – A blended NVC/MBSR experience with Dr. Lisa Garner Santa and Dr. Angela Mariani Smith – (February 27, 2026 11:00 AM – 03:00 PM)
Location:Cotton Court Hotel map
1610 Broadway St, Lubbock, TX 79401
Lubbock, TX 79401Room: Cotton Court Ballroom A
Available Seats: 15
Off campus at the Cotton Court (Shared – Path I and Path II)
February 27th, 2025 10:30 AM – 03:00 PM, Cotton Court
Facilitators: Dr. Lisa Garner Santa & Dr. Angela Mariani Smith Faculty roles require emotional steadiness, thoughtful communication, and the ability to navigate shifting demands with care. This retreat offers a restorative afternoon dedicated to supporting those capacities through a blend of Nonviolent Communication and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction practices. Participants will engage in guided mindfulness, structured reflection, and gentle relational exercises designed to:- Build resilience and internal steadiness
- Support communication grounded in presence rather than urgency
- Recognize habitual stress patterns
- Develop practices for recalibrating throughout the academic week
- Mar3Tue
ONLINE: Neurodiversity on Campus – Supporting Autistic College Students – (March 3, 2026 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM)
Location:Virtual Session
Room: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89717228460
Available Seats: 273
NEURODIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION: ONLINE MINI-SERIES with the Association for Autism and Neurodiversity (A.A.N.E.) Facilitator: Jay Eveson-Egler is an autistic self-advocate and current Senior Manager of Individual & Family Services with AANE. They’ve worked with neurodiversity-based organizations in a variety of roles, including as a 1:1 community companion, teacher, recruiter, and administrative assistant. Jay’s primary interests lie in assisting autistic individuals with transition into post-secondary educational settings, supporting autistic peer-to-peer connections, and understanding LGBTQ+ issues, and their intersections with autism. They have prior experience founding and facilitating neurodiverse peer support groups at both Holyoke Community College and Mount Holyoke College and remain active as an adviser with the Neurodiverse Students Association at Mount Holyoke, where they graduated with their bachelor’s degree in psychology and education in 2020. Creating responsive and inclusion campus cultures is a priority for colleges across the country. This workshop will highlight how colleges can create classrooms and campus communities that are responsive to the needs of autistic and otherwise neurodivergent students. Through a universal design lens, this workshop will help college professionals build and develop a neurodiversity lens and learn concrete, practical strategies to make their classrooms and campus communities inclusive for neurodivergent students. Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89717228460
- Mar11Wed
Strengths Part II: Activating Your Strengths in Your Academic Life – (March 11, 2026 2:00 PM- 3:20 PM)
Location:TLPDC Room 153
2802 18th Street
Lubbock, TX 79409Room: TLPDC 153
Available Seats: 24
Facilitator: Dr. Barbie Chambers In this workshop, faculty will develop a deeper understanding of CliftonStrengths, engagement, leadership, and collaboration. It will build on the concepts presented in Strengths Part 1. Participants will engage in discussions and activities about cultivating a strengths-based culture, identifying strengths in others, facilitating strengths-based conversations, using strengths to lead teams, and leveraging strengths for career enhancement. Participants must have completed the Strengths Part 1 workshop to register. TLPDC 153
- Apr1Wed
Full Disclosure: Paths, Pivots and Possibilities – (April 1, 2026 1:30 PM – 2:50 PM)
Location:TLPDC Room 153
2802 18th Street
Lubbock, TX 79409Room: TLPDC 153
Available Seats: 28
In this candid panel discussion, faculty reflect on the realities of pursuing promotion to full professor: the choices they made, the unexpected turns, and the insights they gained along the way. Panelists will discuss navigating shifting priorities, balancing teaching and scholarship, and redefining success across different career stages. Participants will leave with practical perspectives, reassurance, and a clearer understanding of the many viable pathways toward Full Professor. Colleagues share what they’ve learned, and unlearned, on the journey to full professor (panel to be announced) TLPDC 153 & TEAMS Microsoft Teams: Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 243 250 449 943 8/Passcode: U8NV9EU9
- Apr7Tue
AI-Workshop (Formal Title Forthcoming) – (April 7, 2026 12:30 PM-2:00 PM)
Location:TLPDC Room 153
2802 18th Street
Lubbock, TX 79409Room: TLPDC 153
Available Seats: 22
Facilitator: Dr. Shan Xu Full description to come. Below is the current content provided by Shan:
- Research evidence on effective human–AI collaboration (including two studies from her lab)
- Teens and their AI companions
- How AI shapes student learning
- How AI is reshaping the job market
- Apr10Fri
Strengths Part 2: Activating Your Strengths in Your Academic Life
Location:Virtual Session
Room: https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/ap/t-59584e83/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fteams.microsoft.com%2Fl%2Fmeetup-join%2F19%253ameeting_ZjRiNmJiYmQtZjY0MC00MzUyLWEwNmEtNDk0NTU0M2ZhYmIx%2540thread.v2%2F0%3Fcontext%3D%257b%2522Tid%2522%253a%2522178a51bf-8b20-49ff-b655-56245d5c173c%2522%252c%2522Oid%2522%253a%2522ba9b8010-8915-4519-9909-b02ad2d5002c%2522%257d&data=05%7C02%7CTrisha.D.Pettiet%40ttu.edu%7C63c4f0e935494580b28008de642dcfb7%7C178a51bf8b2049ffb65556245d5c173c%7C0%7C0%7C639058345071461056%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ovUHmCY%2FQavry2h%2B%2B4po%2FT6VhVJ%2B2olM1SVwbtUEmsY%3D&reserved=0
Available Seats: 300
In this workshop, faculty will develop a deeper understanding of CliftonStrengths, engagement, leadership and collaboration. It will build on the concepts presented in Strengths part I. Participants will engage in discussions and activities about cultivating a strengths-based culture, identifying strengths in others, facilitating strengths-based conversations, using strengths to lead teams, and leveraging strengths for career enhancement. Participants must have completed strengths 1 to register.
Microsoft TeamsMeeting ID: 288 563 757 862 49Passcode: AV6W6A6H - Apr22Wed
Power Over & Power Under vs. Power With: Reimagining Power in Higher Education – (April 22, 2026 1:30 PM – 2:50 PM)
Location:TLPDC Room 151
2802 18th Street
Lubbock, TX 79409Room: TLPDC 151
Available Seats: 66
Facilitator: Dr. Lisa Garner Santa This session invites faculty to examine how power dynamics shape our work in higher education, both in formal structures and in everyday interactions. Using core processes from Nonviolent Communication (NVC), we will explore the distinctions between “power over,” “power under,” and “power with,” and consider how these patterns influence communication, decision-making, and relationships across campus. Through guided reflection, NVC-based exercises, and small-group discussion, participants will reimagine power as a collaborative, generative force that supports mutual respect, shared purpose, and a healthier academic culture. TLPDC 151 or TEAMS Microsoft Teams: Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 287 597 623 005/Passcode: f5dV3wi9
- May7Thu
IFE Graduation and Celebration – (May 7, 2026 01:30 PM – 02:30 PM)
Location:TLPDC Room 151
2802 18th Street
Lubbock, TX 79409Room: TLPDC 151
Available Seats: 74
Join us as we honor the accomplishments of the 2025–2026 Institute for Faculty Excellence fellows. This gathering recognizes participants’ commitment to growth, reflection, and community, and offers space to share insights, express appreciation, and look ahead to the work yet to come. We conclude the academic year with a joyful celebration of our shared work and the vibrant IFE community. TLPDC 151 or TEAMS for remote faculty Microsoft Teams: Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 246 076 288 982 10/Passcode: ov2Fj3U3