By Design, Not by Chance:
Connecting Ideas, People, and Disciplines for Transformative Learning
2027 University Teaching and Learning Symposium
Join ISU's largest conversation about teaching and student learning on Wednesday, January 6, 2027 at the Bone Student Center.
Meet the Keynote Speaker
Dr. Charles Henderson is a Professor of Physics and Director of Interdisciplinary STEM Education at North Carolina State University. Prior to joining NC State in 2025, he was a Distinguished Professor of Physics at Western Michigan University (WMU), where he also served as Director of the Mallinson Institute for Science Education and co-Founder of the WMU Center for Research on Instructional Change in Postsecondary Education (CRICPE). His research program focuses on understanding and promoting change in higher education, with an emphasis on improving undergraduate STEM instruction Henderson’s work has been supported by over $11M in external grants and has resulted in over 100 peer-reviewed publications. Learn more about Henderson’s scholarship and service.
Henderson is also a Fulbright Scholar, a Fellow of AAAS and APS, was Chief Editor of the journal Physical Review Physics Education Research for twelve years and has served on 3 National Academy of Sciences Committees. He is a member of the STEM DBER Alliance Organizing Committee, which seeks to build a cross-disciplinary community of researchers engaged in Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER) across the STEM fields.
The theme for this year’s Symposium is By Design, Not by Chance: Connecting Ideas, People, and Disciplines for Transformative Learning. Illinois State University’s strategic plan, Excellence by Design 2026-2030, challenges us to create learning experiences that prepare students to become informed, engaged, and responsible members of society. As our world connects and changes through social and environmental challenges, how we learn, work, and communicate continues to evolve. Universities can intentionally design learning opportunities that enable students to develop the skills to navigate complexity, collaborate across differences, think critically, solve problems, communicate effectively, and adapt to change.
Join faculty, course instructors, staff, and graduate students from across the University in an exploration of scholarly teaching practices. The 2027 Symposium will be held at the Bone Student Center on January 6, 2027, with sessions facilitated by Illinois State faculty and staff throughout the day. Lunch will be provided. The day will also include a special workshop and a keynote address.
The University Teaching and Learning Symposium is hosted by the Center for Integrated Professional Development (CIPD) and sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Alice and Fannie Fell Trust
Past Symposia
For more than 25 years, the Center for Integrated Professional Development and its predecessor departments have hosted the largest single-day conversation about teaching and student learning at Illinois State University. View Past Symposia