Symposium on Innovation in Teaching Excellence
Overview
The CITE Symposium is a 3-day event that brings MSU educators together to exchange effective teaching practices, explore emerging ideas in teaching and learning, and engage in meaningful dialogue across disciplines. This annual gathering celebrates the expertise of our faculty and strengthens a collaborative community committed to innovation and student success.
General Sessions
The symposium features panel discussions, faculty presentations, and special interest groups exploring timely topics in teaching and learning. Sessions address practical classroom strategies, professional development, student perspectives, and emerging practices—from engaging students effectively to learning from teaching challenges and integrating new approaches thoughtfully. Sessions take place throughout each day in the Grisham Room at Mitchell Memorial Library, beginning at 9 AM. Light refreshments will be available throughout each day.
All general sessions are open to walk-in attendees; no registration required. View the full schedule below for session details and descriptions.
Classroom Observations
The classroom observation component offers a unique opportunity to visit colleagues' real classrooms and learn from their teaching in action. Observations take place Monday, March 23 and Tuesday, March 24, with participating faculty opening their classes to peers. A schedule of available classes, times, and locations is provided below.
All participating instructors and observers will gather for a collaborative debrief session on Thursday, March 27 from 3:00-4:00 PM in Coskrey Auditorium, Memorial Hall, where volunteer instructors will share insights and participants can discuss what they observed.
Registration is required to participate in classroom observations.
Classroom Observation Sign Up Link
Amber Robinson
Calculus II
Monday March 23 | 9-9:50 | Old Main 2240
Monday March 23 | 12-12:50 | Duff 1150
Differential Equations
Tuesday March 24 | 9:30-10:45 | Old Main 1220
Tuesday March 24 | 2-3:15 | Old Main 2240
Kim Walters
Math in Your World
Monday March 23 | 10-10:50 | Allen 23
Monday March 23 | 12-12:50 | Allen 31
Calculus for Business and Life Sciences
Monday March 23 | 8-8:50 | Old Main 2240
Tuesday March 24 | 11-12:15 | Old Main 1200
Dr. Kelly Marsh
Intro to Literature
Tuesday March 24 | 11-12:15 | McCain 190
British and Irish Novel Since 1900
Tuesday March 24 | 2-3:15 PM | McCain 180
Dr. Robert Banik
Differential Equations
Monday March 23 | 8-8:50 AM | Old Main 1220
Monday, March 23 | 9-9:50 AM | Old Main 1220
Dr. John Ball
Sensor Processing for Autonomous Vehicles
Monday March 23 | 2-3:15 PM | Rula 2080
Note: Dr. Ball will hold a debrief directly after the conclusion of his class instead of at the scheduled 3-4 PM timeslot on Thursday. If you choose to observe him, please keep this in mind.
Keynote Address and Luncheon
From Fear to Flourishing: Redesigning Leadership, Learning, and Formation in a Post-AI World
Friday, March 27 | 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Coskrey Auditorium, Memorial Hall
The symposium concludes with a luncheon and keynote address by Sarah Gibson, an AI strategist, university leader, and nationally recognized voice on human-centered artificial intelligence. She serves as Director of the School of Communication and Faculty Fellow of AI at Lipscomb University and Senior Advisor to the Council of Independent Colleges. 
Artificial intelligence has disrupted higher education faster than most institutions were prepared for—yet beneath the disruption lies a deeper question about identity. Who are we becoming as leaders, educators, and learners in an AI-native world? Professor Gibson will challenge us to move beyond debates about regulating AI and toward intentional redesign, guiding us through an emotional and leadership arc from fear and uncertainty to clarity and flourishing.
Drawing on her experience helping institutions navigate AI integration, Sarah Gibson will explore how faculty roles are shifting from content authority to formative guide, how AI is exposing long-held assumptions about teaching and assessment, and what must be redesigned so that human agency, discernment, and intellectual formation remain central. Her talk will conclude with actionable strategies for thriving in the post-AI classroom—practical approaches for educators ready to embrace their evolving role.
With over 17 years in higher education, Sarah Gibson has spoken to thousands of educators and institutional leaders about redesigning leadership and learning in a post-AI world. She is the founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of Human-Centered AI: Creativity and Practice and executive producer of the podcast AI and the Kid, co-created with her 10-year-old daughter.
Lunch will be served at 11:30 with the presentation beginning at 12:00 PM. Registration is required to attend the keynote luncheon.
2026 General Session Schedules
Teaching Together: When Group Work Goes Right (and Sometimes Doesn't)
Presented by Karyn Brown
9:00 - 10:00 AM | Grisham Room
This workshop explores practical strategies for designing and managing effective student group work. Drawing on classroom experience, it addresses common challenges such as participation, resistance, and assessment, and offers adaptable approaches to improve collaboration.
Making the Big Class Work
Presented by Dr. Jim Giesen
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Grisham Room
This talk discusses the range of challenges and opportunities of teaching large lecture classes at MSU. It will offer practical strategies for engagement, lecturing, building a persona, and sustaining student attention in big rooms.
Faculty Panel: What I Wish I Knew When I Started Teaching
Panel Members: Jacob Tschume, Dr. Lesley Strawderman, Dr. Melissa Moore
1:00 - 2:00 PM | Grisham Room
In this insightful panel discussion, Grisham Master Teachers share the lessons they wish they had known when they first entered the classroom. Panelists will reflect on practical strategies for navigating the demands of teaching including balancing scholarly productivity with effective instruction, managing workload, and leveraging campus resources they didn’t discover until later in their careers. Attendees will gain actionable advice, hear real stories from award-winning educators, and leave with a clearer sense of how to thrive as an instructor on the MSU Campus!
Assessment as Dialogue: Summative Tools That Reveal Student Needs and Formative Tools That
Presented by Aaron Grimes
3:00 - 4:00 PM | Grisham Room
This session introduces the key differences between formative and summative assessment and demonstrates how each appears in both rubrics and instructor feedback. Participants will explore how formative assessment naturally emerges in draft feedback within the writing classroom, helping students make meaningful connections between their current work and future professional success while giving instructors clearer insight into gaps in student learning. The presentation will conclude with an overview of how summative elements are embedded in the Shackouls Technical Communication Program’s assignment rubrics and how these rubrics are used programmatically to evaluate course effectiveness in alignment with ABET standards.
Special Interest Group: Mentoring
Presented by Dr. Leslie Burger and Dr. Shannon Harmon
4:15 - 5:00 PM | Grisham Room
The Mentoring Special Interest Group is gathering faculty who are curious about or interested in mentoring. This initial gathering will gauge interest in identifying shared needs and consider what a supportive mentoring community could look like. Faculty who are eager to enhance their practice or looking to connect with others invested in this work are encouraged to join.
Best Practices for Peer Observation
Presented by Dr. Kelly Moser
9:00 - 10:00 AM | Grisham Room
This session explores strategies for engaging in peer observation to encourage collaboration and discussion about teaching.
Stop Presenting Information. Start Designing Learning Experiences.
Presented by Dr. Greg Francom
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Grisham Room
This interactive session will challenge faculty to shift from content delivery to designing meaningful learning experiences.
Topics covered include learning experiences that are no longer relevant, learning assessments for generative AI, and learning experiences that work best for the Information Age.
Flourishing Through Teaching Flops
Presented by Kim Walters and Dr. Robert Banik
1:00 - 2:00 PM | Grisham Room
A comprehensive discussion of teaching best practices informed by more than 50 years of combined professional experience, with insights gained through continuous reflection and learning from practical application.
Student Panel: What I've Learned from Both Sides of the Classroom
Panel members: Essence Baker, Kelsey Danley, Bella Ruth Steward, and Jordan Ann Winborne
3:00 - 4:00 PM | Grisham Room
Having served as a bridge between faculty and freshmen, First Year Experience Peer Leaders offer an inside look at the first-year college experience. Join us for an honest conversation about what students are experiencing in the college classroom, and what that means for the educators who teach them.
Special Interest Group: Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL)
Presented by Dr. Holli Seitz and Dr. Shannon Harmon
4:15 - 5:00 PM | Grisham Room
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Special Interest Group is gathering faculty who are curious about or engaged in research on teaching and learning. This initial meeting is simply an opportunity to gauge interest, learn who wants to be involved, and explore what a SoTL community could look like on our campus.
The Status of State: What AI Currently Looks Like at MSU
Presented by Dr. Julie Jordan
9:00 - 10:30 AM | Grisham Room
Join Dr. Julie Jordan for an overview of AI's current presence at Mississippi State, followed by an open Q&A addressing faculty questions about AI use in the classroom.