This e-memo is being sent to you on behalf of David W. Gardner, Deputy Commissioner, Academic Planning and Policy/Chief Academic Officer, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

E - M E M O R A N D U M

August 14, 2013

TO:                   Chief Academic Officers and Chief Instructional Officers

FROM:              David W. Gardner 

SUBJECT:          AY 2013/2014 Reinventing Instruction and Learning Webinars

                As you may be aware, faculty members have advised that the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) not hold the face-to-face Reinventing Instruction and Learning Conference during an academic term due to their academic responsibilities during this time; instead, faculty members have let us know that they would prefer that the conference be held over the summer so they would have more opportunity to attend. In response to faculty feedback, the THECB will be hosting four webinars during Academic Year 2013/2014 in preparation for the next face-to-face Reinventing Instruction and Learning Conference (RILC) to be held during summer 2014. In order to draw the largest audience to these free faculty webinars held in place of the 2013 face-to-face conference, we are soliciting input from faculty and staff on topics/speakers of interest.

                Please share the following link with members of your faculty and staff so they can provide input for the two fall 2013 webinars as well as the two spring 2014 webinars:  https://www.RILC_AY2014.com.

                We hope that these webinars will address timely faculty development needs without interfering with their campus academic responsibilities. In addition to the live webinars we plan to hold during AY 2013/2014, each webinar will be archived at the RILC website at www.txcollegeteaching.org and will be made available free of charge to interested parties. The face-to-face Reinventing Instruction and Learning Conference will reconvene in Austin during summer 2014. Information on exact dates for the webinars and the conference will be forthcoming.

                Thank you, your faculty, and your staff for your service to Texas and for the needed feedback regarding how we can best contribute to faculty development needs and interests.