Adelphi University
2024 Teaching & Learning Conference
Wednesday, May 8 | 9:30-5:00
Thursday, May 9 | 9:00-5:00
Virtual Conference


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Join us at Adelphi University’s 2024 Teaching and Learning Conference, where engaging discourse will revolve around the pivotal themes of Accessibility and Artificial Intelligence, in addition to other timely topics in teaching and learning. Connect with faculty, speakers, and other experts as we share insights and delve into innovative yet practical ideas and practices aimed at enhancing the faculty and student experience.



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Plenary Speakers

C. Edward Watson | May 8

Portrait of C Edward Watson

“Pedagogical Practice in the New Era of AI”

C. Edward Watson is Vice President for Digital Innovation at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). Prior to joining AAC&U, Dr. Watson was the Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Georgia (UGA) where he led university efforts associated with faculty development, TA development, learning technologies, and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. He continues to serve as a Fellow in the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education at UGA and recently stepped down after more than a decade as the Executive Editor of the International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. His most recent book is Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning. Dr. Watson has been quoted in the New York Times, Chronicle of Higher Education, Campus Technology, EdSurge, Consumer Reports, UK Financial Times, and University Business Magazine and by the AP, CNN, and NPR regarding current teaching and learning issues and trends in higher education.


Mehtab Khan | May 9

Portrait of Mehtab Khan

“Copyright, Generative AI, and Fair Use in Educational Institutions”

Mehtab Khan's scholarship intersects intellectual property, in particular copyright and trademark law, internet law, anti-discrimination, and AI Law. She is interested in how technology impacts society, and analyzing the role of law in mitigating and shaping that impact. Her recent academic scholarship includes articles on developing an accountability framework for large-scale AI training datasets, regulating automated content moderation and online speech tools, and the impact of AI on the creative industries.

Her current research at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University looks at the mechanisms for governing the practices involved in developing and deploying AI technologies. She is particularly interested in how to ensure diversity and representation in the development process, and the ways in which the harms and impacts overlook marginalized groups. Her doctoral dissertation, completed at Berkeley Law, examines the role of internet platforms in shaping fair use. This research was partly inspired by challenges internet users face to access knowledge and the ways platforms like Google and Wikipedia navigate complex copyright rules to make knowledge more accessible.

Mehtab Khan was previously a Resident Fellow at the Information Society Project at Yale Law School. At Yale, she was also the Program Director for the Yale/Wikimedia Initiative on Intermediaries and Information. She has been a visiting researcher at Stanford HAI. She is a recipient of numerous grants to work on the use of AI in hiring. She was a Fellow at the Center for Technology, Society and Policy in 2019, and a Research Grantee at the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity

Mehtab is a licensed attorney and she has previously worked as a lawyer in the United States, Malaysia, and Pakistan. She has done stints at the Wikimedia Foundation, Creative Commons, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation—three Bay Area institutions that have been at the forefront of many legal battles around digital rights. She holds an LLM and JSD from University of California, Berkeley School of Law.


Event Schedule

If you'd like a Google Doc version of the program click here

Jump to the Schedule for Day Two

Day One | Virtual Sessions

The conference will be held from 9:30 am - 5:00 pm. Zoom links are provided for each session.

  • 9:30 - 9:50 | Grounding Session
    Let’s Get Ready! Collective Grounding Session

    M. Gabriela Hurtado Alvarado, PhD

    Zoom Link

    During this time, let’s create a space to pause, take a mindful moment, and ground ourselves. During this 20-minute session, we will practice a mindfulness meditation and learn some grounding skills to help bring awareness to the present moment. We hope that this practice provides you with a smooth transition to the rest of the conference.


  • 9:50 - 10:00 | Provost's Opening Remarks
    Opening Remarks

    Provost Christopher K. Storm, PhD

    Zoom Link


  • 10:00 - 11:00 | Plenary Session
    Pedagogical Practice in the New Era of AI

    C. Edward Watson, PhD

    Zoom Link

    Generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and others, have had an astonishingly quick impact on the ways we learn, work, think, and create, and this evolution is clearly apparent on college campuses. As early as January 2023, approximately 9 out of 10 college students reported using ChatGPT, and that number, as well as student competency with AI, has only grown since then. As the spring semester ends this May, and we look towards summer and fall, AI will be present in our classrooms, presenting a range of opportunities and challenges as a result. Drawing from the presenter’s new book, Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning (Johns Hopkins University Press), this keynote is designed to provide participants with clear guidance as they prepare for the coming semesters. After a brief overview of the AI landscape, this session will shift to provide clear recommendations for pedagogical and classroom practice, including policy decisions, syllabus statements, grading, and academic integrity. Assignment design will be a hallmark of this keynote, and attendees can anticipate a discussion of if, when, and how we might embrace AI to achieve the learning goals of our courses. Examples will be provided throughout.


  • 11:10 - 12:00 | Coffee Discussion Topic
    Supports & Accommodations - Best Practices in Supporting Mental Health and Wellness in College, Daily Living, or Workplace with a Strengths-Based Approach

    Marcella Pizzo, PhD, LMHC - Adjunct Faculty, Social Work; Mr. Nicholas Giampetruzzi, LMHC, NCC - Adjunct Lecturer at The City University of New York

    Zoom Link

    This presentation will engage participants in a critical discussion about ways to support the needs of neurodiverse students. As such, Dr. Pizzo and Mr. Giampetruzzi will share best practices for developing inclusive activities that will add to the promotion of equity for neurodiverse students.There is an ongoing debate among scholars about the best pedagogical practices for neurodiverse college students. Further, pedagogical interventions are part of a broader conceptualization of creating inclusive spaces for neurodiverse college students. Neurodiverse students in higher education face various challenges that can impact their mental health and academic performance. The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an effective approach to pedagogy. Dr. Pizzo and Mr. Giampetruzzi will present the use of a UDL approach guided by differentiated instruction tools to address the needs of diverse learners. They will discuss using scaffolded journal prompts within the context of course lectures to successfully enhance critical thinking and reflective practices. This employs a strength-based approach to learning as students can choose to explore a topic or prompt that resonates with them. Similarly, the presenters will discuss an incentive (green ribbon extra credit assignment) for students to promote interpersonal skills, build connections and address mental health stigma.


  • 12:00 - 1:00 | Lunch & Lounge
    Café Connect: Networking, Lunch, and Raffles

    Zoom Link

    Join us in our Lunch & Lounge Room, Café Connect, to meet new and old friends during the lunch hour (12:00–1:00) and to be eligible to win exciting raffle prizes!

    Come back to the Café Connect room after and between conference sessions to meet with colleagues or continue an interesting conversation you started in a workshop. Talk in the main room or request a breakout room for small group discussion.


  • 1:00 - 1:50 | Coffee Discussion Topic
    Future-Proofing Education: AI Policies and Best Practices for a New Era

    A. Hasan Sapci, MD - Associate Professor and Program Director, Health Informatics; Chair, Faculty Senate AI Committee

    Zoom Link

    In this session, we will evaluate academic institutions' Artificial Intelligence (AI) policies to identify benchmarks for best practices in academia's use of AI technologies, aiming to provide a comprehensive analysis of current policies, guidelines, and resources dedicated to AI in education globally. Emphasizing the unique policies developed within higher education, we will discuss institutions' approaches to training faculty and students in AI technologies and enhancing the teaching and learning experience. Through examining various academic policies and resources, we aim to pinpoint common elements and showcase unique strategies adopted by different institutions. Adelphi University, for instance, is committed to fostering a deep understanding of AI's role in education and promoting its practical and innovative applications. Ultimately, identifying best practices and leveraging AI technologies can significantly improve educational experiences for both faculty and students.


  • 2:00 - 2:50 | Praxis Modeling Session
    Imploding GPT: Teaching Process over Product in the Post AI World

    Micah Oelze, PhD - Associate Professor, History; Christopher Davis, PhD - Associate Professor, African, Black and Caribbean Studies

    Zoom Link

    Students value ChatGPT because they see college assignments such as essays as tedious tasks only aimed at answering professors' questions. As professors, our grading practices reinforce this message: we often assess only the final product. But we can render AI bots and Large Language Models largely irrelevant if we as educators learn how to assess based on process. Our goal here is a new assessment style that cultivates within students the kind of regular habits that develop creativity, synapse connections, self-expression, and a confidence in scholarly conversations. Come to this praxis modeling workshop to learn three types of assignment "pivots" that actually allow you as a teacher to encourage and then assess students as they sit down daily to engage the creative thinking process.


  • 3:00 - 3:50 | Faculty Panel
    Strategies for Student Success, Engagement, and Belonging

    Anthony Dotterman, PhD - Associate Teaching Professor, Adelphi Plus; Jessie Klein, PhD - Associate Professor, Sociology; Matthew Wright, PhD - Associate Professor and Chair, Physics

    Zoom Link

    The pandemic disrupted education at all levels, leaving many students struggling with burnout, lack of engagement, and a diminished sense of belonging. This workshop presents a holistic toolkit for restoring student success through strategies that interweave academic rigor with mental health support and community-building. Explore methods to "reacclimatize students to studying," and address challenges of higher learning through peer support networks. Learn empathy-fostering practices like breathwork, restorative circles, and destigmatizing disability to cultivate an accessible, inclusive classroom climate. Leave equipped with approaches that compassionately nurture the whole student while upholding high academic standards.


  • 4:00 - 4:50 | Praxis Modeling Session
    Integrating AI into Graduate Online Social Work Education: Pedagogy for Critical Thinking and Ethical Application

    Patricia Joyce, DSW - Associate Professor and Director of Online MSW Program, Social Work

    Zoom Link

    Graduate social work programs continue to emphasize trauma-informed content alongside the heightened need for trauma-responsive pedagogy resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic (Jun et al., 2021). The Council on Social Work Education mandates social workers "critically evaluate and apply" knowledge for client assessments (2022, p. 11). As AI models become more integrated into behavioral healthcare (e.g., Qin et al., 2023; Wu et al., 2023), this workshop gives online graduate social work faculty a framework for teaching students to use these tools responsibly in diagnosis and treatment planning courses. This workshop aims to provide participants with tools to help online graduate social work students understand the strengths and limitations of using AI tools in online courses. Students complete a written discussion forum assignment to compare an AI tool with their diagnostic skills to assess PTSD and evaluate evidence-based interventions.


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Day Two | Virtual Sessions

The conference will be held from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. Zoom links are provided for each session.


  • 9:00 - 9:50 | Praxis Modeling Session
    “Epic” AI: Pedagogical Strategies for Accessibility and Information Literacy

    Anthony Dotterman, PhD - Associate Teaching Professor, Adelphi Plus

    Zoom Link

    Explore an innovative assignment using AI to build accessibility to complex literary texts and develop students' information literacy skills. This session shares a project implemented in a Humanities course where students remediated foundational epics like The Iliad into new multimedia formats with AI tools. By translating culturally dense works into more accessible forms, students gained deeper understanding while critically evaluating the cultural biases inherent in both the original texts and AI language models themselves. Engage with student reflections illuminating how structured AI assignments can open paths to comprehending challenging material, adapting it across linguistic and cultural boundaries, and probing the encoded perspectives within essential AI technologies we increasingly rely upon. Leave with insights into designing AI-centered curricula that expands learning inclusivity and empowers students as discerning AI information consumers.


  • 10:00 - 10:50 | Coffee Discussion Topic
    Confronting the Challenge of Generative AI: Insights and Ideas from the International Center for Academic Integrity Conference, March 2024

    Michael LaCombe, PhD - Associate Professor, History; Academic Integrity Officer; Chair, Provost's Committee for Academic Integrity

    Zoom Link

    Join us for this enlightening and informative session, to be led by Michael LaCombe, esteemed Academic Integrity Officer and Chair of the Provost's Committee for Academic Integrity. Drawing upon his wealth of knowledge gathered from the forefront discussions at the recently-held Annual ICAI Conference, Dr. LaCombe will share and explore the critical theme of preserving integrity in today's dynamic environment, where the emergence of AI-generated content poses fresh tests to conventional notions of authenticity and originality.


  • 11:00 - 12:00 | Plenary Session
    Copyright, Generative AI, and Fair Use in Educational Institutions

    Mehtab Khan, JSD

    Zoom Link

    Companies developing and deploying Generative AI tools have been on the receiving end of multiple copyright infringement lawsuits in recent months. There are ongoing debates about how fair use may or may not apply in these cases. However, there is an underlying concern raised by these lawsuits that is currently not being given enough attention: fair use is being conflated with AI governance questions. We need a better accounting of these lurking AI governance questions while we also attempt to answer the fair use question. Furthermore, we need to better integrate these concerns as they will emerge in educational and research contexts. In this talk, I identify key AI governance questions that need attention as raised through these copyright lawsuits. I offer a framework to align the fair use assessment in Generative AI cases with AI governance principles of transparency and contestability. My analysis would allow fair use to be more attentive to the rapidly evolving AI regulation landscape, while also retaining a balance between copyright holders and the public's interest in research and innovation.


  • 12:00 - 1:00 | Lunch & Lounge
    Café Connect: Networking, Lunch, and Raffles

    Zoom Link

    Join us in our Lunch & Lounge Room, Café Connect, to meet new and old friends during the lunch hour (12:00–1:00) and to be eligible to win exciting raffle prizes!

    Come back to the Café Connect room after and between conference sessions to meet with colleagues or continue an interesting conversation you started in a workshop. Talk in the main room or request a breakout room for small group discussion.


  • 1:00 - 1:50 | Coffee Discussion Topic
    Examining Race, Racism and Justice (ERRJ) General Education Learning Goal

    Rani Varghese, EdD, MSW - Associate Professor, Social Work; Kathryn Krasinski, PhD - Associate Professor, Anthropology; Clara Bauler, PhD - Associate Professor, The School of Education; Christopher Davis, PhD - Associate Professor, African, Black and Caribbean Studies; Damian Stanley, PhD - Assistant Professor, Psychology

    Zoom Link

    This session will engage participants interested in aligning their courses to the new AU ERRJ General Education learning goal. We will provide an overview of the learning goal, application requirements, and a space for participants to share ideas and ask questions. This is a supportive session designed to help applicants with the process.


  • 2:00 - 2:50 | Praxis Modeling Session
    Using Generative AI for Productivity and Content Creation

    Aaron Chia Yuan Hung, EdD - Associate Professor, College of Education and Health Sciences

    Zoom Link

    Generative AI has potential to enhance productivity and generate differentiated content for your classroom. In this session, the presenter will showcase several free AI tools designed to aid in creating polished audio and video content, stimulate innovative ideas, generate engaging discussion prompts, and provide timely support to your students by answering their questions about the class. These tools go beyond administrative tasks, they're also capable of providing tailored learning accommodations for individual students' needs. By using these AI tools, you can focus more on meaningful interactions with your students. We’ll also discuss potential issues to consider before integrating these tools into your classroom, ensuring a balanced view of their potential impact on both classroom management and student engagement.


  • 3:00 - 3:50 | Coffee Discussion Topic
    Psychology of Happiness

    Jonathan Gargiulo, PhD - Adjunct Faculty, College of Education and Health Sciences

    Zoom Link

    Despite decades of economic growth, the population as a whole, including our college students, across the country is slightly less happy. On paper, many have lives that appear marvelous, but they're just not feeling it. Even those with great material and financial affluence are not as psychologically well-off as they could be. Jonathan Gargiulo, adjunct professor and teacher of a popular class at Adelphi University, will explore this paradox. He'll argue that our brains have several "dumb" features that tend to get in the way of our well-being. On the upside, Dr. Gargiulo says there are a series of simple mental hacks that everyone can implement to fight these biases and feel happier.


  • 4:00 - 4:50 | Panel Presentation
    Breaking Down Barriers to Accessibility | Student, Staff, Administrator Panel

    Diana Damilatis-Kull, MA, LMHC - Director of Bridges To Adelphi Program; Krista Diaso, LCSW-R - Associate Director of Learning Resource Program; Matthew Lavery - Director of Center for Academic Support and Enrichment (CASE); Jennifer Southard, MEd, JD - Instructional Designer, Faculty Center for Professional Excellence; Student Panelists; Moderated by: Julie Santana, MA - Instructional Designer, Faculty Center for Professional Excellence

    Zoom Link

    During this past semester, our Accessibility Initiative has placed a focus on improving accessibility in our educational practices. As we wrap up the initiative, and our conference, esteemed colleagues from Bridges to Adelphi, The Learning Resource Program (LRP), the Center for Academic Support and Enrichment (CASE), and the Faculty Center for Professional Excellence (FCPE), will gather to demonstrate how faculty and staff can utilize resources effectively and apply practical strategies to create accessible learning environments. Moreover, students from each of these organizations will join the panel discussion, providing valuable insights into the essential role instructors and administrators play in fostering inclusive and accessible learning environments.


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TLC24 Participant Certificate

The Faculty Center for Professional Excellence is excited to announce that attendees of Adelphi’s Teaching and Learning Conference 2024 will have the opportunity to earn a certificate of participation. The TLC24 Participant Certificate demonstrates your commitment to developing and improving your teaching practice.

To earn the certificate, participants must attend at least one (1) Plenary / Provost Session and two (2) Concurrent Sessions OR two (2) Plenary / Provost Sessions and one (1) Concurrent Session.

Participants must also submit a 200–300 word reflection in the Google Form feedback survey sent to all attendees (linked below, as well). The TLC24 Participant reflection will be available for participants to submit from Saturday, May 18 to Saturday, May 25.

In your reflection, please share:

  • New concepts, ideas, and/or strategies you hope to adopt moving forward in your teaching after attending the conference
  • Follow up steps you can/will take to pursue these strategies (i.e. readings, workshops, further professional development, etc.)

Registrants will receive an email with the survey/reflection after the conference