Summer Conference 2026: Teaching in a Changing World
Education is evolving—shaped by new technologies, diverse learners, and shifting expectations. As educators, we have the opportunity to reimagine what teaching and learning can be in this moment of change. This year’s TILT Summer Teaching Conference invites you to embrace radical hope: the belief that our work as educators matters, that human connection and curiosity can counter isolation, and that our classrooms can be spaces of dignity, belonging, and joy. Join colleagues from across campus as we explore fresh perspectives, share ideas, and renew our sense of purpose in teaching and learning.
Summer Conference 2026 offers a rich, primarily in-person experience.
To support wider participation, both the keynote and the second-day keynote workshop will be available in a hybrid format.
All other sessions will be offered either in person or as online-only sessions.
Keynote Address: Staying Human(e) in a Changing World
It’s no secret that teaching in higher education feels more fraught than ever. The current social and political moment, along with the lingering aftershocks of Covid-19 and “pandemic pedagogy,” makes our work difficult indeed. From disengaged students to expanding workloads to a precarious climate for higher ed in general, things are increasingly atomized; the work we’re doing feels transactional, as opposed to transformational. How do we (re)discover the humanity, the humane-ness, that makes teaching and learning truly meaningful—even transformative—for all of us? This talk will suggest a conceptual framework and specific strategies to do that rediscovering, and offer some ways to advocate for ourselves and our students while doing so.
Keynote Speaker: Kevin Gannon
Kevin Gannon is Director of the Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence (CAFÉ) and Professor of History at Queens University of Charlotte, in North Carolina. He spent nearly 25 years as a faculty member, serving as a program coordinator and department chair along the way, until moving full-time into faculty development. He is the author of Radical Hope: A Teaching Manifesto (West Virginia University Press, 2020), and the co-editor of The Campus Crisis Toolkit: Strategies and Solidarity for the Rest of Us (forthcoming from SUNY Press). His writing has appeared in outlets such as Vox, CNN, and The Washington Post, and he is a regular contributor to The Chronicle of Higher Education. Even in an administrative role, Kevin continues to work with first-year students (a particular passion of his) by teaching sections of Queens’ new student seminar course, the Queens Roadmap, every fall semester.
Keynote Address
Staying Human(e) in a Changing World
Wednesday, May 20 | LSC Theater
Keynote Workshop
Humans Teaching Humans: Practical Strategies for Humane Teaching in Changing Times
Thursday, May 21 | LSC Theater
TILT Reads: Free Copies of Radical Hope for CSU
Join us for TILT Reads, a new program that unites the CSU community through a shared book and author experience. This year’s featured book is Radical Hope by Kevin Gannon, a powerful call to action for educators that explores the transformative potential of education. Gannon will also be the keynote speaker at TILT’s Summer Conference in May.
All CSU faculty, staff and students are invited to participate! Pick up a free copy of the book—100 copies are available at the TILT main office (room 231) Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., while supplies last.
Let’s read, reflect, and engage as a community. See you at Summer Conference 2026!