High Impact and Innovative Teaching:
Call for Proposals

The HIIT Conference brings together faculty, staff, and students to explore practical, meaningful approaches to teaching and learning in higher education. 

This year's conference emphasizes engagement, authenticity, and impact with a focus on experiences that actively involve participants in learning, creation, and application. 

We invite proposals that move beyond presentation and promote practice. 

 Our guiding principle: 

Learn a thing. Do a thing.  

Conference Experience 

HIIT 2026 is designed as a highly interactive, multi-format experience. Some sessions will be selected through this call, while others are curated and invited to highlight key institutional priorities. 

Proposal Categories 

Proposals should align with one or more of the following themes: 

• Student Experience and Engagement 

Sessions that explore student success across academic, co-curricular, and institutional contexts, including growth mindset, belonging, and holistic student support. 

• Workforce Readiness & Career Connection 

Sessions that connect teaching and learning to real-world experiences through partnerships with industry, business, nonprofits, and government. 

• Authentic Learning & Assessment 

Sessions focused on meaningful, real-world learning, including applied projects, reflective practices, and assessment strategies that demonstrate learning beyond traditional products. 

• Teaching Innovations  

Creative, high-impact teaching practices using technology with purpose – or demonstrate powerful learning without relying on it. 

• The AI Corner 

Focused explorations of artificial intelligence in teaching and learning, including practical applications, ethical considerations, and instructional design. 

• Teaching Beyond the Classroom 

Sessions highlighting mentoring, advising, undergraduate research, and other forms of teaching that extend beyond formal class time. 

Session Formats 

Interactive Workshops – 50 Minutes (Primary Format) 

Hands-on sessions where participants actively engage in building, creating, or applying something. 

All workshop proposals must: 

• Include active participation  

• Scaffold a process or experience  

• Result in a clear deliverable or product  

• Move beyond lecture-based formats  

If participants are only listening, it is not a workshop. 

Poster & Table Sessions – 15 Minutes 

A conversational, come-and-go format where presenters share ideas, practices, or projects and engage attendees in discussion. 

Student & Faculty Expert Exchange – 5 Minutes (Speed Networking Format) 

A structured, interactive experience where participants rotate through conversations with students and faculty on key topics. 

What We're Looking For 

Strong proposals will: 

• Provide clear learning objectives for participants 

• Engage participants in active learning  

• Provide practical tools or strategies  

• Address real teaching and learning challenges  

• Encourage collaboration, discussion, or creation  

• Result in a clear takeaway or product  

Who Should Submit 

We welcome proposals from: 

• Faculty from all disciplines  

• Postdocs 

• Staff supporting teaching, learning, or student success  

• Graduate students and instructors 

• Collaborative teams  

• Faculty-student partnerships  

What to Submit 

• Questions on proposal application 

• What is your session about, and what teaching challenge or opportunity does it address?  

• What will participants learn and take away from your session (learning objectives)?  

• What will participants actively do during your session?  

• How does your session demonstrate high-impact or innovative practice?  

Submission Information 

Proposal Deadline: July 19, 2026 

Notification of Acceptance: Aug 14 

Conference Dates: November 4-6 

Location: Union Building East 

 Submit Your Proposal Here