Reinert Center Events
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Creating Accessible Course Materials Workshop Series
Noon to 1 p.m., select Fridays, via Zoom
The Reinert Center’s Creating Accessible Course Materials workshop series explores practical strategies for intentionally situating accessibility in course materials. Each 60-minute workshop, via Zoom, focuses on a specific type of course material and provides instructors with actionable techniques to make it more accessible to different types of student learners.
The introductory workshop identifies why accessible course materials matter for student learning and explores practical “access moves” that instructors can apply across a variety of course materials to make them more accessible.
This workshop focuses on creating accessible PowerPoint slides for instructional use. Participants will explore key access moves, such as ensuring readability of slides, purposefully using images and decorative graphics, and options for closed captioning in live and recorded presentations. These access moves can improve the accessibility of your slides, which are an important tool for communicating content to all student learners in all course formats.
Distance Learning Workshop Series: Focused Topics in Distance Teaching
Noon to 1 p.m., select Fridays, via Zoom (O)
The Reinert Center’s Distance Learning Workshop Series offers an interactive space to explore, reflect on, and enact new distance teaching ideas and practices. Our Fall 2026 theme, “Focused Topics in Distance Teaching,” explores non-exam approaches to assessing online student learning. Topics in this series include online peer review assignments, online lab assignments, online group assignments, and multimedia assignments.
Each 60-minute workshop is conducted virtually via Zoom and counts as one-half (½) elective credit in the Online University Teaching Skills Certificates, although you need not be pursuing a certificate to participate in these workshops.
It can sometimes be hard to see how a traditional lab assignment can translate into a distance teaching setting. In this 60-minute workshop, we will explore how to develop or adapt learning objectives from the lab into online asynchronous assignments. We will discuss the challenges and opportunities of implementing distance lab assignments, identify core learning goals for your labs, and brainstorm asynchronous alternatives that go beyond virtual simulations. Participants are encouraged to bring an existing or planned lab activity or learning objective to the workshop.
Courses in Online Teaching
The Reinert Center supports instructors for the full continuum of teaching online, including preparing to teach online for the first time, designing online courses, assessing one's own online courses, as well as implementing strategies and techniques for effective online teaching. Below is our current list of full, online course offerings. These courses can be used for credit in our Online University Teaching Skills Certificate or they may be taken by individuals not enrolled in the certificate. For a full list and additional descriptions of all our online courses, please visit the program page.
This one-week course examines productive faculty-student and student-student interaction in online courses. Participants will develop facilitation practices that align with standards outlined in the SLU Online Course Design Rubric, and the federal requirements for "regular and substantive interaction." (O/LF)
*Prerequisite: Introduction to Distance Teaching
The Universal Design for Online Teaching and Learning course is a week-long, asynchronous course focusing on Universal Design and the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework in distance formats. Participants will examine, reflect on, and apply key UDL principles in an online course of their choosing as a means of meeting the needs of diverse student learners. These principles provide an additional lens into meeting the standards found in the University’s Distance Course Design Rubric. (O/LF)
*Prerequisite: Introduction to Distance Teaching
The Introduction to Online Teaching is a fully online asynchronous course that provides a pedagogical foundation for Saint Louis University faculty who are new to the online teaching environment. The course provides faculty an opportunity to gain the experience of an online “student” and to experience a fully online course that has been designed to align with the University’s Online Course Design Rubric while developing a plan for an online course. (O/GO)
How can you build inclusive learning environments in asynchronous courses when students and instructors are separated by distance and learning occurs at a self-paced speed? In this one-week course, participants will consider course design strategies and teaching practices that create and facilitate inclusive online learning environments. Through module activities, participants will engage in discussions and draft course planners to better center, situate, and express inclusive pedagogy as a means of promoting student belonging in an online course of their choosing. (O/MA)
*Prerequisite: Introduction to Distance Teaching
Faculty Book Discussion: An Educator’s Guide to ADHD
Noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, via Zoom (GO)
The Reinert Center invites all SLU instructors to participate in a book discussion via Zoom on Karen Costa’s latest book, "An Educator’s Guide to ADHD: Designing and Teaching for Student Success."
Costa offers a practical approach to help instructors better support students with ADHD. Rather than framing ADHD as a deficit, Costa positions ADHD as a neurotype that includes both challenges and strengths in the classroom. The book adopts a strengths-based framework to teaching students with ADHD that emphasizes high structure, clear learner supports, and inclusive course design strategies.
This discussion will be relevant for any instructor teaching at the university level. The first ten (10) people to register will receive a complimentary copy of the book.
Symposium on Teaching and Learning in the Context of AI
Friday, Oct. 2, Des Peres Hall 213
During this full day of exploring teaching and learning in the context of AI, participants will choose from a variety of panel discussions, workshops, and presentations about how generative and agentic AI has changed the ways teaching and learning is seen by students, instructors, and those outside of the classroom.
Choose to attend one session or several, and join us for a morning coffee break or lunch with your colleagues. Registration is required
Panelists:
- Nathaniel Rivers, English
- Emily Dumler-Winckler, Theological Studies
Join us for a few minutes or the whole time, grab a cup of coffee or a snack
Wuller Hall 204
Panelists:
- Sam Biver, Behavioral Science and Health Equity
- Nicole Haukap, Clinical Health Sciences
- David Lescher, Computer Science
Panelists:
- Nathan Carrington, Political Science
- Kelsey Mesmer, Communication
- Ira Trako, Law
First Through Fifth Friday Coffee Break
10 to 11 a.m., Wuller Hall 204
Remaining fall dates: Oct. 2, Nov. 6 and Dec. 4
On the first Friday of the month, we invite all faculty who are in their first five years of teaching at SLU to come talk about teaching. Join your colleagues who are also in their first five years for coffee and conversation about teaching at SLU. Drop by for the whole time, arrive late or leave early; bring a friend or make a friend while you are here. No registration necessary.
New Faculty Book Discussion: Small Teaching
3 - 4 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 3, Wuller Hall 202 (GO)
The Reinert Center invites all new SLU instructors to participate in a book discussion on James Lang's Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning. When we think about making changes to our teaching, we often think about large-scale, sweeping changes that quickly become overwhelming and time-consuming. In contrast to those kinds of changes, Lang suggests a variety of small shifts that can be incorporated into one class or as additions to already used strategies. Join us as we discuss the small changes that can make a big difference in our everyday teaching and learning activities.
The first ten (10) registrants will receive a complimentary copy of the book.
Fall 2026 Praxis Workshops
Multiple dates and locations (F/P)
At its most basic meaning, praxis is the combination of theory and practice. As we delve into educational literature, we find a deeper meaning that combines reflection and action. And, as we then connect with Ignatian pedagogy, praxis is the intersection of experience, reflection, and action in teaching and learning contexts.
The following workshops are open to all SLU faculty and graduate students, although the primary audience is participants in the Reinert Center's Certificate Program. Read more about the certificate program.
- Creating a Climate of Care and Academic Rigor: Amy Cooper
9 to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, room 222 of Wuller Hall - Against Correction: Giving Feedback on Writing: Emily Phillips
9 to 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, room 222 of Wuller Hall - Digital Accessibility: Eric Royer,
1:30 to 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, Zoom - Managing Classroom Disruptions: Christopher Grabau
1:30 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, room 222 of Wuller Hall
Principles Online Courses
Our three Principles online courses are required for participants in the Principles Certificate. The sequencing of the online courses is an intentional scaffold and serves as a foundation for a statement of teaching philosophy, syllabus development, and the creation of course projects and assessments. Each online course is offered once a semester, registration is required and closes on the Wednesday before the course start date. Course descriptions can be found on the Certificate Components page. (P)
- Sept. 28-Oct. 9: Course Design
- Oct. 26-Nov. 6: Learning Technologies
Teaching Essentials Workshops
Each workshop in this series presents a fundamental teaching strategy or technique that could be in any teacher's toolbox. This series is especially beneficial for those who are new to teaching or who want to refresh their teaching essentials. Each workshop lasts 60 minutes and counts as 0.5 effective teaching credits. (F/P)
- 2:30 p.m. Sept. 22: Introduction to Transparent Teaching
- 1 p.m. Nov. 2: Designing Reading Assignments Students Will Actually Do
Events Key
Certificate Program
- "F" earns Effective Teaching Credit for Foundations Certificate
- "P" earns Effective Teaching Credit for Principles Certificate
- "O" earns Effective Teaching Credit for Online Certificate
Teaching Effectiveness Framework
- "LF" designates Learning-Focused teaching
- "MA" designates Mission-Aligned teaching
- "GO" designates Growth-Oriented teaching