Key Takeaways
- • Arkansas State University's Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) successfully launched its inaugural Summer Teaching Summit, engaging 18 faculty members across disciplines in evidence-based pedagogical practices.
- • The two-day summit curriculum focused on three core educational priorities: meaningful technology integration, support for multilingual learners, and enhanced student engagement strategies grounded in research.
- • Leadership included internal faculty facilitators Dr. John Hershberger (chemistry) and Dr. Loretta McGregor (psychology/education), supplemented by external keynote speakers from peer institutions—Dr. Claire Major (University of Alabama Teaching Academy) and Dr. Amy Hawkins (University of Central Arkansas).
- • Interim Chancellor Calvin White Jr.'s institutional vision positions teaching excellence as a defining competitive strength for A-State, with CETL Director Dr. Jill Simons framing the summit as operationalizing this strategic priority across the faculty base.
- • Participating faculty spanned nine departments including nursing, criminology, physical therapy, veterinary medicine, molecular biology, and teacher education, indicating broad cross-disciplinary adoption of professional development in instructional methodology.
Summary
Arkansas State University completed the inaugural Summer Teaching Summit in August 2026, convening 18 faculty members through its Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) to advance institutional teaching methodology. The program reflects interim Chancellor Calvin White Jr.'s strategic vision of establishing teaching excellence as a core institutional differentiator.
The two-day summit curriculum emphasized three evidence-based educational pillars: integrating technology meaningfully into instruction, supporting multilingual student populations, and increasing classroom engagement through research-backed practices. Programming was delivered by two internal faculty-in-residence—Dr. John Hershberger, associate professor of chemistry, and Dr. Loretta McGregor, associate dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Science—alongside external expertise from Dr. Claire Major (faculty director of the University of Alabama Teaching Academy) and Dr. Amy Hawkins (assistant provost at the University of Central Arkansas).
According to CETL Director Dr. Jill Simons, the summit's foundational objective was to "create learning experiences that help every student succeed by drawing on evidence-based practices." This positioning aligns the initiative with broader institutional positioning where "teaching has always mattered, but now more than ever it is central to who we are as an institution and to the success of our students."
Participating faculty represented cross-disciplinary engagement, including Nicole Arnell (graphic design), Dr. Binol Balachandar and Dr. Michael Cooper (nursing), Dr. Angelo Brown (criminology), Dr. Kelsie Clark (physical therapy), Dr. Maureen Dolan (molecular biology), Dr. Matthew Harmon (nursing), Dr. Mark Herman (philosophy), Dr. Chad Martin (teacher education), Cassaundra McCauley (writing/transition studies), and Dr. Philip Johnson (veterinary medicine), among others. This breadth suggests systematic institutional investment in faculty development across academic colleges rather than disciplinary concentration.
The two-day summit curriculum emphasized three evidence-based educational pillars: integrating technology meaningfully into instruction, supporting multilingual student populations, and increasing classroom engagement through research-backed practices. Programming was delivered by two internal faculty-in-residence—Dr. John Hershberger, associate professor of chemistry, and Dr. Loretta McGregor, associate dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Science—alongside external expertise from Dr. Claire Major (faculty director of the University of Alabama Teaching Academy) and Dr. Amy Hawkins (assistant provost at the University of Central Arkansas).
According to CETL Director Dr. Jill Simons, the summit's foundational objective was to "create learning experiences that help every student succeed by drawing on evidence-based practices." This positioning aligns the initiative with broader institutional positioning where "teaching has always mattered, but now more than ever it is central to who we are as an institution and to the success of our students."
Participating faculty represented cross-disciplinary engagement, including Nicole Arnell (graphic design), Dr. Binol Balachandar and Dr. Michael Cooper (nursing), Dr. Angelo Brown (criminology), Dr. Kelsie Clark (physical therapy), Dr. Maureen Dolan (molecular biology), Dr. Matthew Harmon (nursing), Dr. Mark Herman (philosophy), Dr. Chad Martin (teacher education), Cassaundra McCauley (writing/transition studies), and Dr. Philip Johnson (veterinary medicine), among others. This breadth suggests systematic institutional investment in faculty development across academic colleges rather than disciplinary concentration.
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