Teaching-Line Faculty Mini-Retreats
Mini-Retreats for teaching-line faculty to share innovative teaching practices, build community, and discuss timely topics.Overview
Join colleagues from across Northwestern at Teaching-Line Faculty Mini-Retreats, a new quarterly gathering created in response to what teaching-line faculty told us they value most: community, meaningful conversations, and opportunities to learn from colleagues and subject matter experts on topics that directly impact their work. This mini-retreat was intentionally designed with teaching-line faculty feedback and experiences at the center.
Fall Gathering: Tuesday, December 1, 2026 | 11:00 am–1:00 pm | Ver Steeg Faculty Lounge
Teaching, mentoring, and supporting students can be deeply rewarding, but they also demand significant time, energy, and attention. Faculty are continually balancing student needs, professional responsibilities, and competing demands. Selected by participants of the spring mini-retreat, our fall topic is managing the relational work of teaching.
During the retreat, Distinguished Fellows will share the practices, boundaries, and habits that have helped them sustain their work, navigate complex relationships, and remain engaged educators over time. A seasonal lunch will be served at 11:45 AM.
Never been to the Ver Steeg Faculty Lounge? We'll help you find it.
Eligibility
All teaching-line, clinical, and NTE track faculty.
Time Commitment
Participants are welcome to attend any or all portions of the two-hour retreat.
- 11:00–11:45 AM—Session 1: TBA
- 11:45–12:15 PM—Lunch and Collegial Conversation
- 12:15–1:00 PM—Session 2: TBA
Registration
Past Topics
Spring 2026
Selected by participants of the winter mini-retreat, our spring topic is strengths-based learning. This two-hour mini-retreat offers two interactive 45-minute sessions where you will hear from Searle Center Distinguished Fellows and Northwestern instructors on the practices they use in their courses to harness students’ strengths for deep learning. Between sessions, continue the conversation and share your own on-the-ground expertise with colleagues over a seasonal lunch.
Winter 2026
Our first topic is grading, one of the most complex aspects of teaching. This two-hour mini-retreat offers two interactive 45-minute sessions: Searle Center Distinguished Fellows—recipients of the University Teaching Awards—will share practices they use in their courses, and members of Northwestern's Community for Ongoing Reflection in Education (CORE) will discuss how they have implemented alternative assessment across a range of disciplines. Between sessions, continue the conversation and share your own on-the-ground grading expertise with colleagues over a seasonal lunch.