Preparing Students for the Future

This event focuses on supporting faculty in designing learning experiences that are authentic, career-connected, and sustainable. Explore program-to-career alignment, skill scaffolding across courses, and real-world evidence of learning through measurable competencies and performance tasks. This day offers practical takeaways on building internship and partnership pipelines, strengthening retention through timely outreach, and integrating AI in discipline-specific work students will encounter in the workplace.  

Tracks and Possible Topics

Authentic Learning and Assessment
Real-World Tasks, Performance Evidence, and Evaluation
  • Authentic assessments (cases, simulations, real clients/problems)
  • Performance-based tasks and measurable competencies
  • Rubric design and transparent criteria
  • Feedback loops and revision cycles that improve learning outcomes
  • Designing authentic tasks that incorporate AI
Experiential Learning Pathways
Internships, Partnerships, and Department-Driven Connections
  • Internships/practicums: pipeline building, supervision, evaluation, and reflection
  • Partnerships that generate course-based projects (client/community/employer)
  • Disciplinary advisory councilsto build content and internship pipelines
  • Scaling partnerships sustainably across programs and modalities
  • Partner-informed AI competencies: integrating employer expectations into curricula
  • Partner projects that leverage AI for research, analysis, and solution development
From Classroom to Career
Applied Learning That Builds Employability
  • Professional communication and workplace expectations
  • Program-to-career alignment and skill scaffolding across courses
  • Helping students translate learning into resumes, interviews, and professional narratives
  • Teaching AI as a workplace tool: discipline-specific use cases and workflows
Retention and Persistence by Design
Advising-Aligned Teaching, Early Momentum, and Course Navigation
  • Early momentum (Weeks 1–3): onboarding, purpose-setting, and quick wins
  • Radical hospitality: progress monitoring, timely outreach, check-ins, nudges, and targeted support.
  • Setting students up for success with communication, predictable rhythms, clear directions, workload planning.
  • AI-supported student success strategies: study planning, time management, and self-check prompts
  • AI to strengthen instructor responsiveness: drafting announcements, outreach messages, and feedback plans
For more information, visit the Faculty Development Day Fall 2026 page on our website to view a complete list of tracks and to submit a proposal.

Resources

Career Readiness in Your Course

Simple ways to highlight transferable skills in your syllabus, assignments, and student communications.