SMARTEACHING
Workshops
The Success Made for All: Revitalizing Teaching (SMART) series is designed to connect you to available campus resources, introduce you to the latest research on teaching, learning, and neurodevelopment, prepare you for challenges you may confront in the classroom, and introduce you to innovative ways that you can help prepare all of your students for success.
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The SMARTeaching workshops are the perfect way to ensure that faculty at Rutgers-Newark and graduate students preparing for a career in academia are working SMARTer toward our collective student success goals!
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Eligibility: The SMARTeaching workshops are open to all RU-N faculty, lecturers, and Ph.D. students.
Spring 2026 Schedule
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Teaching Portfolios for Future Faculty
Thursday, February 5, 2:30 - 3:50 PM (1 hour 20 minutes)
Presenters: Chris Drue, OTEAR
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This session is offered remotely via Zoom.
 
This workshop looks at how to effectively document your teaching and mentorship experiences in a teaching philosophy and a teaching portfolio. We'll cover how to present one's teaching experience, explore the structure of various types of teaching documentation, and discuss what evidence to include in each.
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Documenting Your Teaching Story: Evidence, Impact, and Philosophy
Wednesday, February 18, 2:30 - 3:50 PM (1 hour 20 minutes)
Presenters: Chris Drue, OTEAR, Christina Bifulco
This session is offered remotely via Zoom.
 
How do you make a compelling case that your teaching is effective? This session examines the kinds of evidence that most persuasively support promotion, reappointment, advancement, or applications for new positions. We take a broad view of what effective teaching encompasses and consider how to select evidence that reflects its many dimensions. We also look at how to write a teaching philosophy that strategically provides evidence to substantiate claims of effectiveness. Throughout the session, we emphasize that strong documentation requires not only presenting evidence but interpreting it for readers, guiding them toward clear and accurate conclusions about your impact.
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Teaching Excellence Roundtable
Monday, February 23, 11:30 AM - 12:50 PM (1 hour 20 minutes)
Presenter: Catherine Clepper
This session is offered remotely via Zoom.
 
A roundtable event discussing teaching challenges, solutions, and joys featuring the following award-winning teachers.
Come join our conversation!
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Ned Drew (Arts, Media, and Culture; Graphic Design), winner of the 2025 Undergraduate Teaching Award from SAS-N
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Ruth Feldstein (History, American Studies, Women & Gender Studies, Africana Studies), winner of the 2025 Graduate Teaching Award from SAS-N
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Jerry Kim (Management & Global Business), winner of the 2025 Presidential Fellowship for Teaching Excellence
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Stephanie Rodriguez (Spanish & Portuguese; Lives in Translation), winner of the 2025 Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching
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Jennifer Rosen Valverde (Law), winner of the 2025 Presidential Fellowship for Teaching Excellence
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Joshua Rutberg (Physics), winner of the 2025 Teaching Innovation Award from SAS-N
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Supporting Students' Mental Health and Wellness
Monday, March 2, 10:30 AM - 11:50 AM (1 hour 20 minutes)
Presenter: Theresa Tantay-Wilson, Director of Health Promotion Division
Location: Dana Library, Classroom 320/321.
Looking to support students compassionately, while holding them accountable? Familiar with some RU-N resources, but would like to learn more? Join this interactive workshop to hear directly from students and practice skills in:
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​Recognizing early signs of students in distress
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Knowing when and how to refer students to appropriate support resources
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Cultivating mindfulness within the classroom
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Reflecting on the impact of your well-being on students
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Fall 2025 Schedule
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Teaching Portfolios for Future Faculty
Thursday, September 18, 2:30 - 3:50 PM (1 hour 20 minutes)
Presenters: Chris Drue, OTEAR
This session was offered remotely via Zoom.
 
This workshop looks at how to effectively document your teaching and mentorship experiences in a teaching philosophy and a teaching portfolio. We'll cover how to present one's teaching experience, explore the structure of various types of teaching documentation, and discuss what evidence to include in each.
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​Leaning Into Discomfort through Civil Discourse
Wednesday, October 15, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM (1 hour 30 minutes)
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Facilitated by P3 Collaboratory Scholar in Residence Dr. Laura Porterfield, this workshop offers faculty the opportunity to examine the pedagogical possibilities of activating racial discomfort as a pathway to civil discourse. Attendees will receive specific strategies and resources to foster honest, rigorous, and productive conversations in the classroom and beyond!
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Join the workshop and get closer to earning your P3 Mentoring Matters badge!
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​Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence​
Wednesday, October 15, 2:30-3:50 PM (1 hour 20 minutes)
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This session is offered remotely via Zoom.
As generative AI tools become more integrated into higher education, it’s essential that we collectively explore their impact on academic integrity, teaching practices, and student learning.
Workshop Highlights:
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Explore the capabilities and limitations of AI detection tools
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Discuss practical approaches to syllabus design and classroom communication around AI
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Contribute to a collaborative, student-centered culture of academic integrity
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The session included a presentation by Dena Novak (Office of Online Educational Services), with time for open discussion.
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Centering Access: Disability Rights, Student Advocacy, and Inclusive Teaching in Higher Education
Monday, October 20, 1:00-2:20 PM (1 hour 20 minutes)
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This session is offered remotely via Zoom.
Colleges and universities have long been contested spaces for disabled students—shaped by legal struggles, student leadership, and changing institutional and pedagogical approaches. In this shared presentation and dialogue, three leaders bring their perspectives to the table:
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Mary Ciccone, JD (Director of Policy, Disability Rights NJ) shares on the legal landscape of disability rights and the precedent set by the American with Disabilities Act (1988; ADA)
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Krystle Allen (current RU-N student, founder of Eyes Like Mine, Inc.) shares about her student experience and work in blindness empowerment and advocacy
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Dena Novak, EdD (Director of Instructional Design, UOES) discusses the applications of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a pedagogical approach to granting broader educational access to all students
Together, they will map the challenges and opportunities for advancing accessibility in higher education today. The session also serves as a foundation for a subsequent discussion on new ADA Title II standards for digital accessibility.
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Empathy First, Compliance Second: A Learner-centered Approach to ADA Title II Accessibility Changes
Wednesday, October 29, 2:30-3:50 PM (1 hour 20 minutes)
Presenter: Dena Novak, Director of Instructional Design, UOES, Michelle Meyer, Manager, RADR, and Joy McDonald, Associate Director, Academic Technology Services (ATS)
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This session is offered remotely via Zoom.
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This workshop introduces faculty to an "empathy first" approach to ADA Title II that prioritizes student learning. Participants will explore proactive strategies to remove barriers and create inclusive learning environments for all students, with emphasis on prioritizing actionable changes and setting realistic implementation goals. We will also highlight key campus resources to help you create more accessible learning environments for all students.
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Transforming Undergraduate STEM Education
Wednesday, November 5, 10:00-11:30 AM (1 hour 30 minutes)
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This session is offered remotely via Zoom.
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The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened an ad hoc committee to, through a consensus study process, develop a framework for “equitable and effective teaching in undergraduate STEM and identify policies and practices at the departmental, programmatic, and institutional levels that can facilitate implementation of the principles.”
Join an interactive presentation on this report facilitated by a member of the committee, the founding director of Rutgers University-New Brunswick's new Institute for Teaching, Innovation, and Inclusive Pedagogy, Dr. Tracie Marcella Addy.
Find out more about the report through the links below. Although not required, it is recommended to review the Report Highlights and Interactive Overview prior to the session for helpful contextual information.
Consensus Study Information and Full Report
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Participants who are interested in continuing the conversation will have the option to join a Faculty Learning Community to dive deeper into the NASEM report and its recommendations.
Resources
If you would like to partner with the P3 for future workshops, please visit our contact us page or email p3colab@newark.rutgers.edu.
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If you'd like to see videos of previous SMARTeaching workshops, please visit the SMARTeaching Archive (via Canvas).
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