Newsletter (January 2026)

2026 Winter Retreat | Building a Culture of Wellbeing through Accessibility & Accommodations

• FREE & OPEN TO ALL | Register to attend
• Friday, February 6, 2026
• 9 am-11:30 am (doors open at 8:30 am)
• DeLuca Forum, Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery and online
• Live (CART) captioning will be provided. Request additional accommodations through the registration form.
• Description: As higher education evolves, building and sustaining a broad culture of accessibility is more important than ever. The Winter Retreat will be an opportunity for instructors, TAs, and those who support instruction to gather and share how they bring accessibility into their teaching and daily work. Participants will discover and discuss emerging technologies and practical strategies to remove barriers, enhance student engagement, and promote long-term accessibility practices. Whether you’re just beginning your accessibility journey or looking to deepen your practice, this retreat will help you move beyond a compliance mindset toward innovative approaches that contribute to a culture of better learning and wellbeing for all.
• The retreat will feature:
  • an introduction by Dr. Ruben Mota, ADA Coordinator
  • a series of speakers sharing how they further accessibility in their own work and teaching
  • opportunities for questions and collegial conversation
• Questions about the Retreat? Want to help plan the event?
  Contact Dan Pell: dan.pell@wisc.edu

Join us! Honor a colleague! | The Academy is seeking new members

• The end of the semester is the perfect time to honor a colleague—or nominate yourself!
• For over 30 years, the Academy’s mission has been to promote, recognize and support excellence in teaching and learning among faculty, staff and graduate students across campus and beyond. The Teaching Academy welcomes nominees who work in traditional classrooms, clinical practice, field instruction, or instructional support.
• There are three types of membership: Future Faculty Partner (FFP), Fellow, and Clinical Affiliate. Learn how to become a Member.
• Questions about membership? Are you a FFP who has moved on to another position in the University?
  Contact: uwta-membership@g-groups.wisc.edu

Writing Across Curriculum

• Teaching with Writing? Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) is here to help! WAC supports instructors who use writing in their teaching in any form: everything from longer, high-stakes papers and projects to low- or no-stakes in-class writing activities. Our online resource for UW-Madison instructors, Communicating Across the Curriculum is a Pressbook filled with chapters on topics that include, but are not limited to:
  • Teaching with writing in an age of AI
  • Designing low- and high-stakes writing assignments
  • Sequencing and scaffolding writing assignments
  • Providing feedback on student writing
• Our team also offers individual consultations (Zoom or in-person) upon request. | Ask a Question or Request a Consultation
• Questions about Writing Across the Curriculum?
  Contact Abby Letak: letak@wisc.edu

DELTA Program | Join the Joyful Journey

• Graduate students and postdocs are invited to join us in The Joyful Journey: Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Scholar Professional Development Series. This series of 60-minute, online presentations and panel events continues weekly through mid-March, exploring topics related to preparing for the academic job market and beyond. | Learn More
• Questions about the Delta Program?
  Contact Jess Maher: jessica.maher@wisc.edu

For TAs & Graduate Lecturers: Chinese Name Pronunciation Workshop

• Graduate instructors will learn essential Chinese language pronunciation tips and leave with the skills they need to say their students’ names right the first time. | Learn More & Register
• Friday, January 30 | 9:30 am – 10:30 am
• Questions about this workshop?
  Contact B Dowling: bcdowling@wisc.edu

Web Resource for Instructors Working with TAs

• Compiled by the L&S TA Training & Support Team, this Web Resource for Instructors Working with TAs provides practical tips, instructor examples, and templates to help instructors work effectively with TAs throughout the semester. | Learn More
• Questions about these TA Resources? Contact Lynne Prost: lprost@wisc.edu

Language Institute

• Series on Generative AI and Research in Language Studies:
  Generative AI Throughout the Research Cycle: Ethical Considerations (Panel)
  Friday, January 30, 1418 Van Hise Hall
• This panel brings together experts from the UW–Madison Data Science Institute, Libraries, and Institutional Review Boards Office to discuss ethical considerations related to the use of generative AI in research, and to share information about local resources and policies related to the use of AI throughout the research cycle. All are welcome! | Learn more & register
• Series on Generative AI and Research in Language Studies:
  Harnessing AI for Research in Applied Linguistics: From Qualitative Coding to Quantitative Analysis
  Thursday, March 19 | 1418 Van Hise Hall
• This workshop will introduce participants to practical strategies for integrating AI into research workflows. Participants will leave with concrete examples, tool suggestions, and a chance to try out using AI responsibly and effectively in applied linguistics research. | Learn more & register
• Sustaining and Strengthening Less Commonly Taught Languages in Precarious Times: Focus on Pedagogy and Placement
  Friday, February 27, 2–3:15 pm CST, Zoom
• Features presentations by Carter Griffith and Anna Hubbard, University of Minnesota; Ida Moen Johnson, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Ryan Platte, Northwestern University; and Aleksei Rumiantsev, Indiana University. | Learn more & register
• Questions about the Language Institute?
  Contact Jana Martin: jcmartin4@wisc.edu

Have something to share?
Academy members work in diverse roles and learning environments across our university. If you have news, events, training, or opportunities you would like to share with the Academy, contact Dan Pell & Sarah Pultorak: editor-uwta-newsletter@g-groups.wisc.edu. Messages received by the second Monday of the month may be included in that month’s newsletter.

Register now for Spring workshops!

• Deepen your knowledge and enjoy engaging with teaching colleagues during CTLM workshops this spring.
  • Teaching at UW topics include “Giving Great Feedback,” “Support Strategies That Stick,” and “The Power of Data.” | Learn more & register
  • Exploring AI in Teaching topics include “Navigating Copyright, Licensing & Academic Integrity” and “Transforming Lectures.” | Learn more & register

  NEW! Training for Instructors, TAs: Supporting Student Mental Health.

  • This program, developed by UHS and the Division for Teaching & Learning, equips instructors and TAs with the skills to identify signs and symptoms of potential mental health challenges, respond appropriately, and refer students to mental health professionals and other support services.
  • Free! | Lunch provided
  • Courses run Mondays, 9–2pm in Memorial Union (see TITU).
  • Register for an upcoming course on February 9 or February 23

  Join the Reflection Space | Enhance your teaching through reflective practice

  • Feeling Reflective? The Reflection Space is a unique writing community which encourages you to think deeply about your teaching and your students’ learning. Respond at your own pace. Share your reflection and reply to others’ reflections. Build connections as you learn with other instructors. The Reflection Space is open to instructors teaching in any discipline or modality, at all career stages and is ongoing throughout the fall & spring semesters. | Learn more & register
  • Questions about the Reflection Space?
    Contact Dan Pell: dan.pell@wisc.edu

  If you’re looking for a different kind of engagement or instructional support, please contact CTLM with your request – we look forward to working with you! To learn more about these programs or to register, visit the CTLM’s Professional Development Opportunities.

Healthcare Continuing Ed Professionals Day Conference

• The UW-Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (UW-Madison ICEP) offers a special program to celebrate the professionals who ensure that healthcare providers stay informed and capable of delivering the best possible care to their patients. The program includes a keynote address by Amy Zelenski, PhD, the Director of Education Innovation & Scholarship in the Department of Medicine; workshops for continuing education planners, faculty, and coordinators; and posters.
• Friday, January 23, 11:30–4 pm, Health Sciences Learning Center (HSLC) Atrium | Learn more & register

Articles For Discussion

• Participate in discussion of articles featured in the Clinical Teacher Learning Community. Topics include learner assessment, precision education, serious games, and medical education and artificial intelligence. This online community also offers connections, news, and resources for clinical teachers. | Join the discussions

Courses | Education Essentials

• Education Essentials is a collection of 8 modules aimed at developing key skills for all interprofessional health science teachers, in various teaching settings. Registration is free and these courses can be completed at your own pace. | Register

Conference: Emerging Technologies for Teaching & Learning: Digital Demonstrations Virtual Conference

• This AAMC virtual conference is designed to showcase groundbreaking projects, tools, and educational technology solutions that have been implemented around strategic initiatives or operational excellence. | Learn more & register

Conference: Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education (SACME) Annual Meeting

• This conference offers research and best practices sessions and learning from CPD/CE colleagues who have developed innovative strategies, including interprofessional and team-based education, working in the evolving CPD/CE environment, using data driven CPD, and incorporating quality improvement and patient safety. | Learn more & register

Explore

• Clinical Teacher Learning Community
• SMPH Faculty Central
• University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education (UW CIPE)

Questions? Topics you would like to see? Announcements for the next issue?
Contact Marianna Shershneva: marianna.shershneva@wisc.edu