This workshop series will offer topics of interest to new faculty representing resources and departments from around the university. New faculty will need to attend a minimum of 3 workshops in their first semester. There will be virtual, face-to-face, and hybrid options.
Please click on the session title to for the description and option to register.
- Mar10Tue
Creative Commons 101: Navigating copyright language when selecting open access course materials – (March 10, 2026 09:30 AM – 10:30 AM)
Location:TLPDC Room 153
2802 18th Street
Lubbock, TX 79409Room: TLPDC 153
Available Seats: 29
This introduction to Creative Commons Licensing demystifies the use of copyright and other licenses. We will discuss the 6 different Creative Commons licenses & how they relate to copyright, as well as how to find and use them. They will also learn how to license their own materials. This workshop session is designed to be delivered in a face-to-face format; however, we understand that you might need to attend remotely for a variety of reasons. Please use this link to join the conversation remotely: Teams Link Meeting ID: 267 873 332 380 18 Passcode: rD62tt76
- Mar10Tue
When Students Stop Showing Up: Considering Revisions to OP 34.04 – (March 10, 2026 12:30 PM – 01:00 PM)
Location:Virtual Session
Room: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZDhmZjE3YjctNDFkMy00ZmI3LWI3NmYtYjE2OWU0YjU3NDQ5%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22178a51bf-8b20-49ff-b655-56245d5c173c%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22ba9b8010-8915-4519-9909-b02ad2d5002c%22%7d
Available Seats: 272
Faculty across disciplines report declining student attendance and growing frustration with how absences affect learning, classroom engagement, and instructional planning. This workshop provides space to acknowledge these challenges while examining the importance of attendance for student success. We will consider a proposed extension of OP 34.04, focusing on the definition of excused absences, including the rationale behind the change and its implications for course design and attendance expectations. Teams link Meeting ID: 265 396 538 106 09 Passcode: Pu24AZ7t
- Mar11Wed
STEP Partnerships Power Hour – (March 11, 2026 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM)
Location:TLPDC Room 150
2802 18th Street
Lubbock, TX 79409Room: TLPDC 150
Available Seats: 29
The STEP Faculty & Student Partnerships Program Power Hour, held in the Teaching, Learning & Professional Development Center (TLPDC), is an open-format, bi-weekly conversation designed by faculty, for faculty. Twice per month, a STEP Program Scholar will share a specific, actionable tip to enhance the classroom experience for both instructors and students. You'll hear directly how the implementation of these tips has transformed classroom dynamics. Half of our time will be dedicated to collaborative discussion on adapting these suggestions to fit your unique classroom environment. You will leave with a clear implementation strategy, ready for use in your very next class period. All Instructors of all ranks are invited and lunch is provided.
- 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: 18
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
- Mar12Thu
Reclaiming Attention: Digital Detox Strategies for Higher Ed Faculty – (March 12, 2026 03:00 PM – 03:50 PM)
Location:Virtual Session
Room: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NzA0YzM4NmEtZjRlMi00YTIwLWFjNjctMTU3NDg0NzU4YWMz%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22178a51bf-8b20-49ff-b655-56245d5c173c%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22ba9b8010-8915-4519-9909-b02ad2d5002c%22%7d
Available Seats: 72
Presenter: Lisa Low This session introduces a "Digital Detox" approach, helping faculty reclaim focus and joy by limiting digital distractions and fostering deeper, uninterrupted work. Participants will explore the cognitive impact of multitasking, dopamine-driven tech habits, and strategies for implementing focus-oriented routines. Key takeaways include understanding the brain's limits on multitasking, applying the Ivy Lee method for priority management, adopting the Pomodoro Technique to tackle procrastination and sustain deep work, and incorporating movement “snacks” into daily routines. This session empowers attendees to guide students and themselves toward healthier digital habits and improved academic engagement. Teams Link Meeting ID: 272 264 333 387 88 Passcode: Qi7Kv9SE
- Mar24Tue
STEP Partnerships Power Hour – (March 24, 2026 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM)
Location:TLPDC Room 150
2802 18th Street
Lubbock, TX 79409Room: TLPDC 150
Available Seats: 34
The STEP Faculty & Student Partnerships Program Power Hour, held in the Teaching, Learning & Professional Development Center (TLPDC), is an open-format, bi-weekly conversation designed by faculty, for faculty. Twice per month, a STEP Program Scholar will share a specific, actionable tip to enhance the classroom experience for both instructors and students. You'll hear directly how the implementation of these tips has transformed classroom dynamics. Half of our time will be dedicated to collaborative discussion on adapting these suggestions to fit your unique classroom environment. You will leave with a clear implementation strategy, ready for use in your very next class period. All Instructors of all ranks are invited and lunch is provided.
- Mar25Wed
Teaching (Media) in Times of Crisis: Lessons from the 2025 Society for Cinema and Media Conference – (March 25, 2026 12:00 PM – 01:00 PM)
Location:Virtual Session
Room: https://texastech.zoom.us/j/92215697244
Available Seats: 291
Dr. Fareed Ben-Youssef comes to the TLPDC in a Zoom workshop to detail the key lessons of The Society for Cinema and Media (SCMS) Conference. Ben-Youssef will share how the conference presentations have informed his teaching practice, and he will ask attendees to reflect on how they work to become more nimble and empathetic educators ready to effectively teach (media) literacy and curiosity in times of ever-evolving crisis.
SCMS Conference is the major academic meeting in Film & Media Studies. It features panels sponsored by the Critical Media Pedagogies Scholarly Interest Group where media scholars from across the world probe the challenges and histories of teaching media. At the 2025 edition, the pallor of crisis colored the proceedings. These crises were not only related to the cultural climate but also to the rise of A.I. and the potentially atrophying attention of students raised in a social media dominated landscape. How can we get students to engage with movies of substantial duration when they have grown used to micro-length TikToks? At the SCMS Conference, the challenges facing media pedagogy today were a potent prism to explore the problem of teaching at the university today as well as the possibility, in the words of one presentation, to imagine the creation of a "pedagogy of care."
Bio: Fareed Ben-Youssef is Associate Professor in Film & Media Studies in the Department of English at Texas Tech University. His first book is No Jurisdiction: Legal, Political, and Aesthetic Disorder in Post-9/11 Genre Cinema (SUNY Press, 2022). He is also the Film Review Editor of Surveillance & Society. His classes at TTU have centered on topics like Border Western, UFOs, animation, Tarantino, the post-human, adaptation, trauma, censorship, (neo-)imperialism, and surveillance, as well as film and media pedagogy.
Zoom link: https://texastech.zoom.us/j/92215697244 - Mar30Mon
Building Bridges, Not Walls: A Fresh Approach to Academic Integrity – (March 30, 2026 3:00 PM – 3:50 PM)
Location:Virtual Session
Room: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZTEwMzdmODMtNWJlZi00MjYwLTljZDctYzM1ZWY0OWE1ZTg2%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22178a51bf-8b20-49ff-b655-56245d5c173c%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22ba9b8010-8915-4519-9909-b02ad2d5002c%22%7d
Available Seats: 276
Why do some students see academic integrity as an outdated formality while faculty view it as fundamental to education? This interactive workshop facilitated by Barbie Chambers and Mitzi Ziegner from the TLPDC explores the gaps that shape how we and our students approach academic honesty. You'll discover practical strategies for moving beyond rule enforcement to meaningful conversations about character and professional preparation. Through real scenarios and discussion, we'll explore innovative ways to help students embrace integrity as a cornerstone of their Red Raider identity. Join us to transform how you think about and teach academic honor! Teams link Meeting ID: 213 766 984 396 53 Passcode: hv9Ca3rS
- 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: 25
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
- Apr2Thu
Building Bridges, Not Walls: A Fresh Approach to Academic Integrity – (April 2, 2026 12:30 PM – 1:50 PM)
Location:TLPDC Room 153
2802 18th Street
Lubbock, TX 79409Room: TLPDC 153
Available Seats: 33
Why do some students see academic integrity as an outdated formality while faculty view it as fundamental to education? This interactive workshop facilitated by Barbie Chambers and Mitzi Ziegner from the TLPDC explores the gaps that shape how we and our students approach academic honesty. You'll discover practical strategies for moving beyond rule enforcement to meaningful conversations about character and professional preparation. Through real scenarios and discussion, we'll explore innovative ways to help students embrace integrity as a cornerstone of their Red Raider identity. Join us to transform how you think about and teach academic honor! Lunch will be provided.
- Apr7Tue
STEP Partnerships Power Hour – (April 7, 2026 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM)
Location:TLPDC Room 150
2802 18th Street
Lubbock, TX 79409Room: TLPDC 150
Available Seats: 28
The STEP Faculty & Student Partnerships Program Power Hour, held in the Teaching, Learning & Professional Development Center (TLPDC), is an open-format, bi-weekly conversation designed by faculty, for faculty. Twice per month, a STEP Program Scholar will share a specific, actionable tip to enhance the classroom experience for both instructors and students. You'll hear directly how the implementation of these tips has transformed classroom dynamics. Half of our time will be dedicated to collaborative discussion on adapting these suggestions to fit your unique classroom environment. You will leave with a clear implementation strategy, ready for use in your very next class period. All Instructors of all ranks are invited and lunch is provided.
- 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: 12
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
- Apr7Tue
Beyond Text Generation: Using ChatGPT to Design Canvas Pages (No Coding Required) – (April 7, 2026 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm)
Location:TLPDC Room 150
2802 18th Street
Lubbock, TX 79409Room: TLPDC 150
Available Seats: 37
Faculty often spend significant time formatting Canvas pages, troubleshooting HTML, and striving for visual and structural consistency across course modules. While generative AI tools are frequently associated with text generation, their potential as instructional design partners remains underutilized. This workshop introduces faculty to practical strategies for using ChatGPT to support Canvas page design, HTML generation, and course organization without requiring prior coding knowledge. Drawing from authentic course development experiences, participants will explore how AI can assist with creating visually structured module pages, reusable design elements, callout boxes, accessible layouts, and consistent formatting patterns across courses. Through demonstration and guided examples, the session will highlight how AI can reduce cognitive load associated with technical formatting tasks while preserving educator agency in pedagogical decision-making. Participants will leave with transferable prompting strategies, reusable design approaches, and a workflow model for integrating AI into course development processes. This workshop session is designed to be delivered in a face-to-face format; however, we understand that you might need to attend remotely for a variety of reasons. Please use this link to join the conversation remotely: Teams link Meeting ID: 276 430 204 066 9 Passcode: yk99Rg9T
- Apr9Thu
Identifying and Destigmatizing Burnout – (April 9, 2026 11:00 am – 12:00 pm)
Location:TLPDC Room 150
2802 18th Street
Lubbock, TX 79409Room: TLPDC 150
Available Seats: 39
Feeling overwhelmed and unmotivated? Struggling to focus? Already dreading tomorrow today? Join Suzanne Tapp and Mitzi Ziegner for a workshop on the topic of burnout based on the research and work of Rebecca Pope-Ruark. They will share ideas to help you reboot and refocus on your sense of purpose, compassion, connection and balance.
- Apr10Fri
Finding Accessible Materials: How to leverage Open Educational Resources for your courses – (April 10, 2026 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM)
Location:TLPDC Room 153
2802 18th Street
Lubbock, TX 79409Room: TLPDC 153
Available Seats: 33
Using Open Educational Resources opens up a collection of resources to fill gaps in instructional materials. This session would allow instructors time to discuss the gaps that exist in their current materials, and they will be guided through finding resources in the library and locating Open Resources. With time to learn and explore, instructors will leave with an actionable item to use immediately. This workshop session is designed to be delivered in a face-to-face format; however, we understand that you might need to attend remotely for a variety of reasons. Please use this link to join the conversation remotely: Teams link Meeting ID: 273 825 931 978 14 Passcode: nX9Wx6MS
- Apr10Fri
Strengths Part 2: Activating Your Strengths in Your Academic Life
Location:Virtual Session
Room: Virtual Session
Available Seats: 292
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 - Apr15Wed
Matters of Importance: Employing the concept of “Mattering” to better serve students – (April 15, 2026 2:00 PM – 2:50 PM)
Location:TLPDC Room 153
2802 18th Street
Lubbock, TX 79409Room: TLPDC 153
Available Seats: 25
Student success is often framed through the lens of “sense of belonging,” yet emerging research shows that the deeper driver of engagement and persistence is the feeling that one matters. Or in other words: that one’s presence, contributions, and experiences are noticed and valued. This workshop introduces the concept of mattering as a transformative framework for supporting students. Through discussion and applied strategies, participants will learn how to identify gaps in mattering, redesign touchpoints in advising and teaching, and implement communication practices that affirm students’ significance. Attendees will leave with actionable tools to foster environments where students not only fit in or belong for a certain period of time, but genuinely feel that they matter.
- Apr16Thu
Mentorship Series: Maintaining Effective Communication – (April 16, 2026 02:00 PM – 03:20 PM)
Location:TLPDC Room 153
2802 18th Street
Lubbock, TX 79409Room: TLPDC 153
Available Seats: 20
Facilitator: Dr. Barbie Chambers
Effective communication is foundational to successful mentoring relationships. While many recognize good communication when they experience it, mentors must deliberately cultivate and practice these skills. In this interactive session, participants will identify key characteristics of effective communication and engage in practical exercises to strengthen their mentoring dialogue.TLPDC 153 and TEAMS:Microsoft TeamsMeeting ID: 290 423 492 793 30Passcode: Zf6GA7EU - Apr17Fri
Compelling Conversations: Developing Effective Communication Through Myers-Briggs Type – (April 17, 2026 11:00 AM – 02:00 PM)
Location:TLPDC Room 151
2802 18th Street
Lubbock, TX 79409Room: TLPDC 151
Available Seats: 68
Facilitator: Dr. Barbie Chambers This workshop will explore how personality preferences shape communication patterns in academic and professional settings. Using the Myers-Briggs framework, participants will explore their type preferences, identify strengths and growth areas, and develop strategies to enhance their communication effectiveness. After registering, participants will receive an invitation to take the MBTI®. The assessment must be completed by Wednesday, April 2nd. During the workshop, the facilitator will provide an overview of MBTI concepts so individuals can receive their verified, personalized results reports. Lunch will be provided!
Microsoft TeamsMeeting ID: 245 201 724 972 94Passcode: UJ3Si3qy - 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: 65
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
- Apr24Fri
The Swings That Have Missed – (April 24, 2026 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
Location:TLPDC Room 153
2802 18th Street
Lubbock, TX 79409Room: TLPDC 153
Available Seats: 29
This discussion invites participants to rethink the role of failed attempts in academic life—not as a flaw or a dead end, but as an essential and often unseen part of growth, learning, and persistence. The Swings That Have Missed will center on the moments that don’t make it onto résumés or CVs: the rejected proposals, unsuccessful teaching techniques, misses in mentorship, and other paths that didn’t unfold as planned this semester. It may feel vulnerable to participate in a conversation about endeavors we wish would have turned out differently and share stories about the successes that were not to be, but it is important for our wellbeing to be able to do so. It is our hope that participants can find a supportive space and think about how setbacks shape our academic journeys at every stage and feel comfort that we are not alone as we “swing and miss”. Join Mitzi Ziegner, Associate Director at the TLPDC, for a facilitated discussion that will help us acknowledge that both wins and losses are a normal part of our academic journeys. By the end of the conversation, we hope to foster resilience, authenticity, and connection. This session is designed for anyone navigating academic spaces who seeks a more honest, compassionate, and realistic in their approach to achievement.