Keeping the promise: Building Academic Bridges to Support Student Success
Temple University’s 24th Annual Faculty Conference on Teaching Excellence
January 7 & 8, 2026
Howard Gittis Student Center at Temple University
The Annual Faculty Conference is hosted by the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and co-sponsored by Temple Libraries, Office of Digital Education, Information Technology Services and the General Education Program.
Our theme this year is Keeping the Promise: Building Academic Bridges to Support Student Success.
What does it mean to truly welcome admitted students into our community of learners? Whether they are beginning their postsecondary education journey, finding their way in our disciplinary communities, entering professional or graduate studies or transitioning from students to practitioners, how can we keep the promise of discovery, access and academic excellence that we extend to our students? As our student population and the realities of teaching in higher education are continuously changing, so too must we adapt, thinking intentionally about ways to make learning accessible and meaningful to our richly diverse student population. What better way to continue growing as educators than with the support of our peers and experts in the field of higher education. Join us for the CAT’s 24th Annual Faculty Conference to gain practical ideas for designing learning experiences that leverage student assets, increase the accessibility of our courses and learning environments, and are grounded in evidence-based principles for how learning works. Keynote and plenary speakers Dr. Joshua Eyler and Dr. Tia McNair will share insights and actionable strategies based on their research into the science of human learning and how institutions can promote student success and achievement.
If you have any questions regarding our conference please contact cat@temple.edu
About the CAT
The Annual Faculty Conference on Teaching Excellence is hosted by Temple University’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching.
Learn more about the CAT by visiting the CAT webpage.
Guest Speakers
Dr. Joshua Eyler
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Joshua Eyler, Ph.D. is Senior Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning and Assistant Professor of Teacher Education at the University of Mississippi. He previously worked on teaching and learning initiatives at Columbus State University, George Mason University, and Rice University. Eyler is the author of Failing Our Future: How Grades Harm Students and What We Can Do About It, an indictment of the grading system in American schools and colleges―and a blueprint for how we can change it, and the acclaimed book How Humans Learn: The Science and Stories behind Effective College Teaching, which in 2019 Book Authority named one of the “100 Best Education Books of All Time”. Called a “splendid repository of ways to rethink how we teach college” by the Los Angeles Review of Books, it was named a “Book of the Year” in the Chicago Tribune. With his colleague Emily Donahoe, he has a new book called How to Grade: Alternative Models for the College Classroom under advance contract with Princeton University Press.
Dr. Tia Brown McNair
Plenary Speaker
Dr. Tia Brown McNair is a nationally recognized leader on inclusive excellence, high-impact practices, student readiness, equity in student outcomes, and campus climate. She is a Partner at Sova, a company that facilitates transformative change through actionable strategies and practical implementation support. Prior to joining Sova, she was the Vice President in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Student Success and Executive Director for the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers. In her senior leadership position at AAC&U, she oversaw both funded projects and AAC&U’s continuing programs on inclusive excellence, high-impact practices (HIPs), student success, and campus climate, and directed AAC&U’s Summer Institutes on HIPs and Student Success, and TRHT Campus Centers. She is the co-author of From Equity Talk to Equity Walk: Expanding Practitioner Knowledge for Racial Justice in Higher Education (January 2020) and Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success (July 2016 and August 2022 Second edition). McNair is the editor of Strengthening Campus Communities Through the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Framework published by Routledge in June 2024. In March 2025, she received the Facilitator Award at Stetson Law’s 46th Annual National Conference on Law & Higher Education. NASPA, the association of Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, named McNair the 2024 recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Higher Education Award. In May 2023, McNair received an honorary degree from Franklin Pierce University for her national work to dismantle a false belief in a hierarchy of human value.
What Past Attendees Have Said
“Loved the practical tips I can incorporate into my teaching right away, as well as the more ponderable thoughts I can digest over time. A nice mix of both!”
“As always, this is my third, the conference is well organized with awesome selections for the guest speakers, breakout sessions, and lightning talks.”
“The presentations were engaging, informative, and well articulated.”