Dalhousie Conference on University Teaching and Learning - May 5-7
Kate Thompson
Dear colleagues,
We are excited to invite you to the 2026 Dalhousie Conference on University Teaching and Learning (DCUTL) taking place May 5-7, and we encourage you to share this opportunity widely with others who are passionate about teaching, learning, and student success.
This year’s them is Opening Doors, Disciplines, and Minds: Embracing the Potential of an Accessible World.
Why attend DCUTL this year?
Higher education is undergoing rapid transformation, greater diversity in student backgrounds and needs, evolving expectations for accessible learning, and the expanding role of digital tools and AI. Through our pre‑conference and main conference workshops and sessions, we will explore how inclusive change has been brought about, sustained and replicated within and across disciplines. Participants will learn how teaching practices can open disciplines to the excitement, creativity, and intelligence of the next generation.
Pre‑Conference Sessions — Tuesday, May 5
Free of charge; limited spots available.
Embark on a Journey of Collaborative Teaching Inquiry: Finding Your SoTL Adventuring Party
9 a.m.–12 p.m. | In person: Mona Campbell, Room 1107
A playful, gamified session for anyone curious about the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). Identify your strengths as a teaching‑inquiry practitioner, meet potential collaborators, and begin shaping research questions that matter in your classroom or program.
9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | In person: Mona Campbell, Room 2107
Explore how linguistic and cultural diversity can strengthen learning. This session shares practical strategies—from flexible pedagogy to the mindful use of AI—to create language classrooms where all students can succeed.
Belonging by Design: Everyday Teaching Choices That Matter
1 p.m.–4 p.m. | Dual delivery: Mona Campbell, Room 2107 & Online
A reflective, supportive session focused on how small, intentional decisions in our daily teaching can foster belonging, care, and accessibility. Participants leave with realistic, sustainable ideas they can apply immediately.
Main Conference Program
Wednesday, May 6 — In Person (Halifax, NS)
Dalhousie Student Union Building
A day of community and learning with:
- Opening keynote: Disability needs to be decolonized: How Indigenous knowledges can inform inclusive pedagogical practice
Dr. Rheanna E. Robinson, Associate Professor, First Nations Studies (UNBC); Co‑Lead, Indigenous Research Stream, Canadian Institute for Inclusion and Citizenship (UBC) - Interactive workshops
- Conversation circles
- Place‑based / land‑based sessions
- Closing keynote: Academic Integrity in a Postplagiarism Age: Toward Epistemic Plurality, Equity, and Inclusion
Dr. Sarah Elaine Eaton, Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary - Panels and discussions
- Shared practice sessions
- Research presentations
(Subject to 14% sales tax)
Day 1 – In Person (May 6)
- General: $125
- Student: $75
Day 2 – Online (May 7)
- General: $60
- Student: $50
Full Conference (May 6 & 7)
- General: $160
- Student: $115
We hope you will join us for this year’s conference as we collectively explore how to open more doors to possibility, to connection, and to more accessible learning futures.
If you have any questions, please contact c...@dal.ca.
Thanks,
Kate (Katie) Thompson, PhD | Educational Developer (SoTL)
Pronouns: she/her
Centre for Learning and Teaching
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University operates in the unceded territories of the Mi’kmaw, Wolastoqey, and Peskotomuhkati Peoples. These sovereign nations hold inherent rights as the original peoples of these lands, and we each carry collective obligations under the Peace and Friendship Treaties. Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 recognizes and affirms Aboriginal and Treaty rights in Canada.
We recognize that African Nova Scotians are a distinct people whose histories, legacies and contributions have enriched that part of Mi'kma'ki known as Nova Scotia for over 400 years.