Institute for Tomorrow - Faculty/Staff Development Program

 

Institute for Tomorrow: Teaching and Leading in Ambiguous Presents and for Uncertain Futures

Climate change, biodiversity loss, and social inequity demand urgent action, yet most college students feel powerless to make a difference. Traditional higher education often makes this worse—either reinforcing our increasingly-outdated status quo or overwhelming students with disturbing facts without giving them tools to respond. Students are left feeling paralyzed or numb rather than empowered. 

Enter the Institute for Tomorrow, a six-month professional development for UO faculty and student-programming staff* that combines the creative problem solving techniques of human-centered design with methods for facilitation, authenticity, and community-building. Integrated, these modes prepare faculty and staff to transform teaching, curriculum, programming, and mentoring to enact the future of higher education, today. 

The training acknowledges we're living in profound uncertainty, heading toward a future very different from today. This is a moment to respond with creativity and ethical action. Through hands-on practice, ongoing mentorship, and peer support, participants will redesign their teaching to help students become confident, skilled problem-solvers. 

This program is relevant for all fields and focus areas and supports Oregon Rising goals for career preparation, creating a flourishing community, and environmental resilience scholarship.

* What's a "student-programming staff" you may ask? If you design and facilitate co-curricular or para-professional activities for students, count yourself in!

 

 

Commitment

  • 9am-12pm, Fridays
  • 6 sessions, roughly one per month.
  • Modest "homework" in between sessions.
  • Lunch provided 12-1pm after each session for ongoing connection and collaboration.

Yes, this program is a commitment. Please only sign up if you believe you can attend at least five of the six sessions. 

Program Overview

  1. Orienting—Where are we now? Where are we going? / January 16 (winter week 2)
  2. Urgent Slow Down—What happens if we pause? / February 13 (winter week 6)
  3. Ambiguity Agility—What emerges after taking a breath? / March 6 (winter week 9)
  4. North Stars—Why are you here, right now? / April 10 (spring week 2)
  5. Making Sense—Bringing it together: playful, visionary, practical. / May 8 (spring week 6)
  6. Re-Orienting—Educators and Mentors for the Future: What is your manifesto? / May 29 (spring week 9)

Apply by December 12! 

 

Questions? Email Sarah Stoeckl, sstoeckl@uoregon.edu, or chat on Teams.

Participants will be notified of acceptance the week of December 15. Feel free to save the January 16th date!

 

Program Outcomes

Graphic showing the learning outcomes of the program, details in caption.
1. Redesign curriculum/programming to foster ethical problem-solving, agency, and self-efficacy in students. 2. Increase your capacity to facilitate engagement with difficult realities in your classroom or program work in ways that are trauma-informed and foster emotional maturity. 3. Develop your mindsets and aptitudes for student learning and development in uncertain times and for ambiguous futures. 4. Connect with others and co-build a unique and connected professional community at UO.