Dear Colleagues:
I’m pleased to announce that the registration portal is now open for the
UT System Virtual Conference on Teaching in Texas, 7-9 April 2021, hosted by The University of Texas System Academy of Distinguished Teachers. My Academy colleagues and I would like to involve all recipients of the Regents Outstanding Teaching
Award, members of campus Academies of Distinguished Teachers, campus Teaching and Learning Centers, and other interested faculty and staff in this landmark event.
I ask that you please forward this email to staff and faculty colleagues who may wish to take advantage of this remarkable opportunity to hear from and collaborate with colleagues from across the UT System. Our goal is to provide ample space for
participant engagement and interaction, and we’ve organized the conference in a way that employs the best principles of effective online learning and collaboration. Each day will focus on a different theme that is relevant to our creating a positive, productive,
and inclusive future for the students, faculty, and staff in the UT System. I’ve pasted summaries of those themes below. We thought it especially important to include student voices in each day’s schedule.
My colleagues and I look forward to seeing all of you (virtually) next month. We’re confident that all participants will enjoy this unique opportunity to take part in shaping a unified vision for the future of higher education in Texas.
See you soon,
Bob
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7 APRIL Improving the Culture of Teaching and Learning on Campus
All members of the university community—students, faculty, and staff—benefit when our collective efforts are organized around
the goal of creating and nurturing a culture of successful teaching and learning. Following introductory remarks from Chancellor Milliken, the day’s sessions will focus on identifying meaningful indicators of the teaching culture on individual campuses and
developing action plans for making tangible improvements in all aspects of the Learning
Objectives: (1) identify at least three campus indicators that gauge the culture of teaching and learning on your campus; (2) identify at least three realistic campus changes that will improve the culture of teaching and learning on your campus.
8 APRIL Creating a Culture of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Events over the past year have heightened awareness of the many disparities that exist among various
segments in our society. Many structural barriers to equity and inclusion have been brought to light, as have a number of personal and cultural practices that serve to distance or exclude individuals from full participation in the opportunities our universities
can provide. The sessions in Day 2 will focus on ways to recognize impediments to creating a welcoming and inclusive learning and working environment and on developing individual and institutional procedures that effectively remove these impediments. Learning
Objectives: (1) identify at least three teaching strategies or interventions that you will implement to create a classroom that values and leverages diversity, inclusion, and equity; (2) identify at least three ways you can reduce implicit bias or microagressions
in your teaching practice.
9 APRIL Fostering Compassion, Connection, and Change
Institutions function most effectively only if individuals believe that they are welcome contributors in a collegial community.
Meaningful relationships are essential components of personal well-being, and there are numerous structural and individual actions that can facilitate the well-being of students, staff, and faculty. The sessions in Day 3 will focus on identifying tangible
approaches to increasing the sense of community and caring on our campuses, both at the institutional level and in terms of the behavior of individuals in the community. Learning
Objectives: (1) identify two or three simple but powerful ideas for creating trusting connections, empathetic teamwork, and a renewed passion for learning; (2) identify one measurable change in pedagogy that will enhance engagement with students; (3) identify
one or more strategies of self-care to enhance your own well-being and your ability to engage with students compassionately.
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Robert A. Duke, PhD
Marlene and Morton Meyerson Centennial Professor and Head of Music and Human Learning
University and University of Texas System Distinguished Teaching Professor
Clinical Professor, Dell Medical School
Director of the Center for Music Learning
Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music
The University of Texas at Austin
bobduke@austin.utexas.edu