Calling all faculty, staff, academic advisors, and campus partners—don’t miss the upcoming Essential Education Symposium on Wednesday, April 30, from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. in the Memorial Union Building (MUB).
This full-day event is your opportunity to dive deeper into Michigan Tech’s Essential Education program, ask questions, explore best practices, and build meaningful connections across campus and beyond.
Why Attend?
Whether you’re directly involved in teaching Essential Education (EssEd) courses or simply want to better understand how this initiative impacts our university community, this symposium was designed for you. With training sessions, panel discussions, and collaborative working sessions, there’s something for everyone—from seasoned faculty to new advisors to campus partners and staff.
Featuring Keynote Speaker: Shane Sutherland
We’re excited to welcome Shane Sutherland, Founder, CEO, and Chief Mischief Maker of PebblePad, as our keynote speaker. Shane brings a global perspective to reflective learning and will share insights on: “How are other higher education institutions around the world using this powerful reflective tool?” Don’t miss this chance to hear from a leader in the field of e-portfolios and learning design.
Agenda Overview
- Opening Presentation
- “Why Essential Ed, Acknowledge Current State Of Higher Ed”
- Block 1
- “Question Assumptions, Communicate Quantitatively – Strategies For Teaching And Assessment”
- “Profiles Of Incoming Students And Current Graduates”
- “Coaching Students To Success In Essential Education”
- Block 2
- “Getting Started With Pebblepad”
- “Panel: Building Community Partnerships For Essential Education Experiences”
- “Don’t Panic, It’s Organic! Strategies For Embedding Essential Ed Minor Themes In Your Course”
- Block 3
- “Engage, Reflect, Storytell”
- “Welcoming Challenge: talking about failure”
- “Community Partner & Faculty Mixer”
- Lunch – Keynote
- Shane Sutherland, Founder, CEO, and Chief Mischief Maker of PebblePad
- “How Are Other Higher Education Institutions Around The World Using This Powerful Reflective Tool?”
- Shane Sutherland, Founder, CEO, and Chief Mischief Maker of PebblePad
- Block 4
- “The Success Toolkit: Developing Practical Activities For MTU’s First-Year Seminars”
- “What Is An Eportfolio?”
- “Build-A-Minor Workshop: Centering The U.P. In An Essential Ed Minor”
- Closing Panel
- Industry Representatives & Deans
- “What Is The Value Of Essential Education To Future Students/Employers?”
- Industry Representatives & Deans
- Wrap-Up – Awards & Recognitions
Ready to Join Us? Register by April 23
We’re excited to host a day of learning, reflection, and community-building. Whether you’re new to Essential Education or already involved, your voice matters—and your presence will help shape the future of teaching and learning at Michigan Tech.
Questions? Reach out to us at essential-ed-l@mtu.edu.
Let’s shape what’s essential—together.