Cia Verschelden most recently finished a two-year assignment with the American Association of Colleges and Universities.
Before that, she was Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at Malcolm X College – City Colleges of Chicago.
She taught for over 25 years at two- and four-year public institutions in social work, sociology, women’s studies, nonviolence studies, and first-year seminar.
Her administrative posts have included department chair, institutional assessment lead, and vice president of academic and student affairs.
Cia has a B.S. in psychology from Kansas State University, an M.S.W. from the University of Connecticut, and an Ed.D. from Harvard University.
The second edition of her first book,
Bandwidth Recovery: Helping Students Reclaim Cognitive Resources Lost to Poverty, Racism, and Social Marginalization,
was published in 2024 and
Bandwidth Recovery for Schools: Helping Pre-K-12 Students Regain Cognitive Resources Lost to Poverty, Trauma, Racism and Social Marginalization
in 2020.
Keynote Presentation:
9:00 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.
Bandwidth Tax of Uncertainty: Reclamation in Community
Bandwidth concept – scarcity steals available cognitive capacity
The cognitive resources we need for learning, working, and living – and helping students learn and develop – are diminished by the negative effects of persistent economic insecurity, childhood trauma, feelings of insecurity related to belonging, and concern about acceptance and safety based on aspects of identity. In addition, all of our lives have been disrupted over the past several years by a global pandemic and significant social unrest, adding to “normal” levels of uncertainty. Knowing that all of this can rob us of mental bandwidth, we can attempt to create learning and working environments in which everyone can reclaim their lost bandwidth so we can work in productive and affirming teams in which each of us can learn and thrive.
Main concepts:
Community – intentionality about building it
Bandwidth – what is it and how does it get depleted
Scarcity steals cognitive capacity
Uncertainty – the great bandwidth stealer
Reclaiming bandwidth in community
Community – intentionality about building
Cia Verschelden, Former Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Malcolm X College – City Colleges of Chicago
Special Workshop: Bandwidth Tax of Uncertainty: Helping Students Reclaim Cognitive Capacity
11:00am-12:00pm Lunch Break 1:00pm-3:00pm
The cognitive resources for learning of many of our students have been and are being diminished by the negative effects of persistent economic insecurity, childhood trauma, and discrimination and, over the past four years, by the levels of uncertainty related to the pandemic and social unrest. Recognizing that all students have comparable cognitive capacity, we can implement strategies and interventions – in and outside the classroom – that show promise in helping all students regain the cognitive resources they need to learn and thrive in school.
Participants will understand that:
Multitasking is a misnomer: cognitive capacity, attentional resources
Scarcity depletes mental bandwidth.
There are many kinds of scarcity – respect, dignity, safety, belonging, etc.
Psycho-social underminers, including stereotype/identity threat, belonging uncertainty, microaggressions, vicarious racism/trauma, and adverse childhood experiences, result in diminished bandwidth for our students.
Added to all of that, the uncertainty of health threats, economic insecurity, climate change, and political tensions, has further depleted the bandwidth of students.
We will learn about several interventions designed to help students recover bandwidth, beginning with a strengths perspective about what skills and abilities they are bringing to the table – “funds of knowledge.” The interventions include community-building, values affirmation, connecting the known to the unknown, growth mindset, and high-hope syllabi.
Participants will:
Think about the ways in which we can increase certainty for students (or at least not add to uncertainty).
Understand that students have “funds of knowledge” and that beginning with those strengths will help them recover bandwidth and increase the likelihood of academic success.
Be introduced to several evidence-based interventions that show promise in helping students regain bandwidth.
Reflect on the potential of the interventions for use in the classroom and in other settings with students.
Concurrent Session Schedule:
All sessions will be held in Memorial Union on Wednesday, May 21st, 2025.
Sit Less: Sitting Less for Engagement and Student Success SitLess is an active learning strategy that integrates brief movement breaks into large lecture classes to boost engagement and academic success.
This session will cover the theoretical framework, practical applications, and student feedback on SitLess, offering attendees evidence-based insights and techniques to promote active learning and reduce sedentary time in their courses. Grounded in research on the benefits of reducing sedentary behavior, SitLess includes activities like standing discussions, dynamic stretches, and guided breathing exercises. These breaks enhance attention, participation, and knowledge retention, creating a more interactive and inclusive learning environment.
Outcomes: – Confirm movement enhances engagement and learning. – Learn simple, scalable strategies that can be implemented in your own courses. – Understand active learning benefits everyone.
Dr. Daniel Credeur, Associate Teaching Professor of Food Nutrition Exercise Physiology College of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
11:00am-11:50am
Writing with the Machine: High Impact Lessons from a GenAI Writing Classroom
This workshop shares lessons from Writing with Generative AI, a Writing Intensive course offered this semester at Mizzou.
In the class, students worked with tools like ChatGPT to think critically, ethically, and creatively. They learned to write with AI, while exploring its ethics, biases, limits, and impact. The course guided students through a major research project using AI-assisted brainstorming, drafting, and revision. In this session, participants will get hands-on practice with advanced prompting for research and writing. We’ll also reflect on how to use GenAI in class while keeping academic integrity and deep learning. Whether you’re excited or unsure about using AI in your teaching, this workshop will offer practical tools, real examples, and key takeaways from the classroom.
Outcomes: – Apply advanced prompting strategies to enhance student research and revision of writing through a collaborative approach to using AI in the classroom. – Learn to design GenAI-supported assignments that prioritize critical thinking over simple content generation. – Reflect on the ethical, pedagogical, and practical challenges of integrating generative AI into writing instruction, ensuring a balanced and thoughtful approach to its use in the classroom.
Dr. Kevin Brown, Associate Professor of Theater Performance Studies College of Arts & Sciences
12:00pm-12:50pm
Awards Luncheon
Join us in celebrating faculty excellence! This fun, long-standing tradition will be cohosted by Dr. Jim Spain, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies, this year’s conference chair, Dr. Wayne Brekhus, and The Campus Writing Program (CWP). CWP will celebrate innovation and achievements in Writing Intensive teaching by presenting their Writing Intensive Teaching Awards. The Teaching for Learning Center will honor this year’s T4LC Faculty Fellows.
1:00pm-1:50pm
Bringing AI into your Classroom Without Stress.
In the first act of this session, we will be discussing how to address concerns related to the use of AI, and what to do to prepare to introduce ai in your class. In the second act, we will be discussing the basics of prompting writing and how to teach our students how to check the accuracy and trustworthiness of AI-generated output. Finally, in the third act, we will be discussing how instructors can incorporate AI in various class activities and assignments.
Outcomes: At the end of this session, attendees will be able to: – Develop their own use of AI for class activities and their expectations for student use of AI for class activities. – Apply basic concepts of how to write prompts to generate useful output. – Apply basic concepts of how to verify the quality of AI-generated information. – Apply basic concepts of how to introduce AI to class activities.
Dr. Mauro Palmero, Associate Teaching Professor of Hospitality Management College of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
1:00pm-1:50pm
Breaking the Lecture Barrier- Advancing Inclusivity in Classrooms Through Small Scale Active Learning Strategies
Active learning has been widely recognized for improving student engagement and comprehension in undergraduate STEM education.
However, fostering inclusivity remains challenging due to variations in participation, accessibility concerns, and students’ external responsibilities. This session explores small-scale, low-prep active learning strategies that promote inclusivity in undergraduate biochemistry courses. Findings from a mixed-methods approach, integrating traditional lectures with interactive techniques, will be presented. Effective active learning strategies and practical recommendations for building inclusive STEM classrooms will be showcased. These insights aim to empower faculty to create dynamic, equitable, and supportive learning environments for all students.
Outcomes: – Reflect upon common challenges related to inclusivity in active learning environments. – Explore the use of low-prep active learning strategies in a mixed method classroom. – Develop an actionable plan to implement inclusive active learning techniques in their own classrooms.
Dr. Ritcha Mehra-Chaudhary, Assistant Teaching Professor of Agriculture Biochemistry College of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
1:00pm-1:50pm
Teaching with Literature: Embedding and Deep – Diving into Sources to Enhance Science Comprehension
Comprehension and communication of science are critical determinants of success that rely on understanding, assessment and use of current sources (1).
Research shows that High Impact Practices (HIPs), such as collaborative assignments and undergraduate research increase student’s confidence and competence in assessing and analyzing literature by strengthening collaboration, communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills (2-5). However, scalability and feasibility of these HIPs are challenges that instructors face, particularly in introductory and intermediate courses, often needing to prioritize disseminating factual knowledge over literacy skills (6). We will present “embedding” and “deep diving” as two strategies for teaching with literature as bridges meant to enhance reading comprehension, which in turn will prepare students for HIP experiences. Finding primary or secondary research-based examples to illustrate concepts can be a time-consuming task for educators; thus, using participants’ selected topics, we will leverage the use of AI tools to help participants identify suitable literature examples for their own classes.
Outcomes: – Gain knowledge about two strategies to promote collaboration and critical thinking skills in the classroom. – Learn about how literature comprehension and assessment are necessary skills for success in High Impact Practices. – Familiarize themselves with AI tools that can help identify and design suitable literature-based examples.
Amanda Paz Herrera, Assistant Teaching Professor Honors College Dr. Amanda Durbak, Associate Teaching Professor Division of Biological Sciences
2:00pm-2:50pm
Equity Considerations for Artificial Intelligence in the College Classroom
Our workshop will overview the role of equity and accessibility in the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
As AI becomes more prominent in the classroom, it is important to consider access based on both equity and ability. We first consider the role of equity in AI and how instructors can make sure they use AI equitable ways. After broadly exploring equity, we consider how AI both positively and negatively impacts AI. We overview ways that AI has expanded accessibility for students as well as discuss limitations that AI has with accessibility. The goal of our presentation is to have instructors consider how they can make their use of AI both more equitable and accessible in the college classroom.
Outcomes: After our session our participants will be able to: – Describe the role of equity in using AI in the college classroom. – Explain how AI both hinders and helps with accessibility. – Prepare at least 1 strategy to make their use of AI in the college classroom more equitable.
Dr. Caroline Waldbuesser, Assistant Teaching Professor College of Arts & Sciences Kendal Lyssy, University of Missouri Graduate Evan Kirksey, University of Missouri Graduate
2:00pm-2:50pm
Embedded Tutors and Supplemental Instruction in Anatomy Labs
Embedded Tutor Supplemental Instruction (ETSI) at the University of Missouri Learning Center, integrates peer tutoring and Supplemental Instruction to support high-demand, challenging courses like Human Anatomy.
ETSI places undergraduate tutors within lab courses as Teaching Assistants (TAs), who also lead evening small group tutoring sessions and exam reviews. This approach makes tutoring more accessible and welcoming, reducing stigma and encouraging students to seek help. The Human Anatomy Lab ETSI program saw student engagement rise from 52 to 458 in its first full semester.
Outcomes: – Raise awareness of the model. – Lay the groundwork for future faculty partnerships. – Gain a broader understanding of support resources on campus.
William Thomas Office of the Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Studies Christopher Dobbs, Senior Assistant Director of Student Support Services
2:00pm-2:50pm
Utilizing AI: Practical Research Applications and Ethical Considerations
AI research tools are transforming the way researchers (and our students!) gather, analyze, and synthesize information.
Join this session to go beyond GenAI and explore the capabilities and limitations of various AI research tools through real-world examples from recent classroom experiences. We will analyze the results, discuss strategies for effective prompt generation, and examine the ethical implications of using AI in research, including concerns related to environmental impact and copyright. Attendees will see multiple AI research tools in action and will take away practical methods for implementation.
Outcomes: – Increase awareness of AI research tools, including capabilities and limitations. – Develop critical evaluation skills of AI-generated results, identifying gaps, inaccuracies, and potential bias. – Understand ethical insights and awareness that plays a role in any use of AI.
Kimberly Moeller, Instructional Services Librarian, Library AI Faculty Fellow MU Libraries
3:00pm-3:50pm
Improving Student Success in Large Lectures: A College Algebra Story
In Fall 2024, the presenters initiated a comprehensive redesign of College Algebra to improve student outcomes in a large-lecture setting.
The redesign was informed by current research in foundational STEM education, as well as insights gained through discussions with the Teaching for Learning Center, instructional designers, and faculty from a variety of disciplines who shared their experiences with large lecture courses. We adopted a high-structure format, which research has shown to support student learning through a scaffolded approach: pre-class content engagement and formative assessment, in-class active learning and problem-solving, post-class review and additional formative assessment, and frequent summative assessments. All components of this model were implemented, with the exception of pre-class assignments, which will be introduced in Fall 2025 to complete the transition. Preliminary course data indicate an increase in average GPA and a significant reduction in DWF rates. This session will share the redesign process, outcomes, and future directions.
Outcome: – Participants will learn practical strategies for implementing evidence-based, high-structure practices in large-enrollment courses.
Luiza DeSouza, College Algebra Coordinator College of Arts & Sciences Kristina Hahn, Instructor
3:00pm-3:50pm
The Journey to Professional Well-being – Overcoming Burnout
Overall well-being is essential for happiness, with professional well-being being the most influential component.
Burnout, a major threat to professional well-being, is measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the gold standard across industries. In 2023, burnout affected 41% of workers in the U.S., impacting both blue and white-collar individuals and students. To thrive, understanding and mitigating burnout is crucial. This presentation will outline the five components of well-being, focusing on professional well-being, and provide evidence-based strategies to combat burnout at individual and organizational levels, emphasizing professional fulfillment and engagement.
Outcomes: – Learn the five components of overall well-being and why professional well-being is key to one’s overall well-being. – Understand how professional well-being and burn-out are measured. – Emphasizing how burnout impacts our professional well-being.
Dr. Karen Thies, Associate Professor of Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology School of Medicine
3:00pm-3:50pm
Lessons from the Frontlines: Designing and Teaching a GenAI Course
As generative AI rapidly transforms creative industries, educators face the challenge of integrating this technology into various curricula.
This talk will share insights from designing and teaching a college-level Generative AI Media Design course, highlighting both successes and obstacles. Attendees will gain practical strategies for structuring lessons, fostering critical discussions, and balancing technical skills with ethical considerations. The session will also cover student engagement, assessment approaches, and preparing students for an AI-driven creative landscape. Whether developing new courses or adapting existing ones, attendees will receive valuable takeaways for integrating generative AI into education.
Outcomes: – Learn methods for incorporating generative AI into lessons and enhancing assignments. – Explore approaches to encourage discussions on the ethical implications of generative AI, helping students understand the broader impact of their work. – Gain insights into evaluating student engagement and creativity in a generative AI context, equipping educators with effective assessment techniques. Chip Gubera, Associate Teaching Professor Department of Engineering and Information Technology
Keynote Speaker: Cia Verschelden author of "Bandwidth Recovery"
Cia Verschelden most recently finished a two-year assignment with the American Association of Colleges and Universities. Before that, she was Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at Malcolm X College – City Colleges of Chicago. She taught for over 25 years at two- and four-year institutions in social work, sociology, women’s studies, nonviolence studies, and first-year seminar. Her administrative posts have included department chair, institutional assessment lead, and vice president of academic and student affairs. Cia has a B.S. in psychology from Kansas State University, an M.S.W. from the University of Connecticut, and an Ed.D. from Harvard University. The second edition of her first book, Bandwidth Recovery: Helping Students Reclaim Cognitive Resources Lost to Poverty, Racism, and Social Marginalization, was published in 2024 and Bandwidth Recovery for Schools: Helping Pre-K-12 Students Regain Cognitive Resources Lost to Poverty, Trauma, Racism and Social Marginalization in 2020.
most recently finished a two-year assignment with the American Association of Colleges and Universities. Before that, she was Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at Malcolm X College – City Colleges of Chicago. She taught for over 25 years at two- and four-year institutions in social work, sociology, women’s studies, nonviolence studies, and first-year seminar. Her administrative posts have included department chair, institutional assessment lead, and vice president of academic and student affairs. Cia has a B.S. in psychology from Kansas State University, an M.S.W. from the University of Connecticut, and an Ed.D. from Harvard University. The second edition of her first book, Bandwidth Recovery: Helping Students Reclaim Cognitive Resources Lost to Poverty, Racism, and Social Marginalization, was published in 2024 and Bandwidth Recovery for Schools: Helping Pre-K-12 Students Regain Cognitive Resources Lost to Poverty, Trauma, Racism and Social Marginalization in 2020.