Gravitational Leadership

Sixteenth Annual
Successful Teaching Conference
For Faculty by Faculty

October 30-31, 2008
Ramada Inn Hotel and Conference Center
Ithaca, New York

This annual conference is co-sponsored by the teaching and learning centers of Broome, Corning and Tompkins Cortland Community Colleges of New York and the Institute for Community College Development (ICCD). Full- and part-time community college faculty share their expertise and offer innovative teaching techniques in small groups. Themes of active learning, student learning assessment and integrating technology are explored. The conference is held for one full day plus optional events the evening before.

Program

Registration

• Brochure

For more information, contact ICCD at iccd@cornell.edu.

History of the Conference

In the fall of 1991 the teaching centers at Broome Community College and Tompkins Cortland Community College collaborated to provide a low-cost professional development opportunity for their faculty. With the support of the New York State Association for Two Year Colleges, the two colleges pooled resources and planned a Successful Teaching Conference for the spring of 1992. The goal of the conference was to provide a low-cost, high-quality professional development opportunity for and by faculty that would allow educators to participate, present, network, and talk pedagogy with their peers. The conference was well received and the planning team decided to repeat the event, this time inviting the Teaching Center at Corning Community College to join the collaborative effort. For the next six years the planning team from the three colleges planned and organized the conference, allowing their faculty to share ideas, methodology and techniques to enhance teaching effectiveness. In addition to presentations, the conference GIFTS (Gathering Ideas for Teaching Success) session provided a great way for faculty to share best practice and teaching tips.

In 1999 the Institute for Community College Development at Cornell University joined the team. The conference increased in scope with the assistance of ICCD. The Institute manages conference logistics and provides a great deal of support, including conference coordination, program planning, and a web page. The conference rotates around the upstate NY region, with the three colleges alternating responsibility as host.