Morning Blend is a weekly discussion on a specific topic that affects teaching and/or scholarship. The program will run on Wednesdays from 8:45 to 9:15 a.m. in the Heilman Dining Center (Upstairs in the South Dining room).

Morning Blend sessions are loosely structured to give you a chance to learn from and share with your colleagues around a specific topic. Although we plan for 30 minutes, participants may feel free to engage for any time period that their schedule allows.

We invite faculty to show up at 8:30 to grab breakfast, and join us on the dates below!

This semester's offerings

Assessment in the Age of AI (organized by Andrew Bell and Ryan Cales)

Sept 3 -- The Writing Process
An exploration of how AI intersects with drafting, revision, and reflection, with attention to guiding students through transparent and intentional writing processes.

Sept 10 -- Scaffolding Assignments
A discussion of assignment scaffolding techniques that help students document their process, build skills step by step, and make clear how AI is (or isn’t) part of their work.

Sept 17 -- Creative Projects
A look at ways to design creative assignments that balance originality and engagement with the use of AI tools.

Sept 24 -- Oral Assignments
A conversation on oral and in-class assignments as approaches to engagement and assessment in a time when AI can generate polished written work.

Battling the Semester Scaries (organized by Kitty Maynard)

Oct 1 -- The Grade Reaper: Taming the Pile of Doom
Don’t let grading haunt your sleep—discover and share tricks to keep grading manageable.

Oct 8 -- Nightmare in Week 7

Mid-semester and things aren’t going to plan? Learn how to reimagine your course...before it’s too late.

Oct 15 -- When AI Goes Bump in the Night
Sharing strategies to rethink our approaches to academic integrity.

Oct 22 -- Skeleton Crew: Teaching When You Have Nothing Left to Give
What to do when you're running on fumes—recognize the signs of burnout and build habits of rest and resilience.

Oct 29 -- The Participation Séance: Summoning Life into the Classroom
Raise the energy in your class with techniques to awaken disengaged students.

Gratitude (Various presenters)

Nov 5 --Thank your future-self: Bringing Joy to Teaching/Research

Share and/or discover your go-to practices for bringing joy to teaching and research

Nov 12 – Share the Love: Shout out a Colleague

Shout out a colleague for their innovative teaching/research, exceptional support for colleagues/students, or general awesomeness as someone who you get to work with on a regular basis

Nov 19 – Learning from Students: What do students appreciate?

Hear from our IP3 student consultants about what they are learning from their work with faculty this semester and what they appreciate most about their courses

Morning Blend: Fall 2025