NC State is preparing to welcome educators from across campus, the region and state for the fourth annual Conference on Faculty Excellence, scheduled for Thursday, March 5, 2026, at Talley Student Union. The conference serves as a pivotal forum for celebrating faculty scholarship, sharing innovative teaching methodologies and supporting professional development.
The conference is a collaborative effort presented by NC State’s Office for Faculty Excellence (OFE), Digital Education and Learning Technology Applications (DELTA), and the NC State University Libraries. It brings together leading campus experts to offer full-day workshops and sessions focused on critical areas of academic life.
The 2026 event will specifically focus on subjects vital to a modern, dynamic learning environment, including:
- Mentoring and Career Mapping: Strategies for professional growth and guidance.
- Creative and Critical Thinking: Techniques to enhance student engagement and analytical skills.
- Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL): Applying research methods to instructional practices.
- Online and Hybrid Education: Best practices for delivering high-quality virtual and blended learning.
- Library Support of Teaching and Learning: Leveraging library resources for course success.
- Poster Session: Showcasing faculty and staff research and projects.
The conference extends its reach beyond NC State, inviting faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and professional staff from all six member institutions (Meredith College, Saint Augustine’s University, Shaw University, Wake Technical Community College and William Peace University) of the Cooperating Raleigh Colleges (CRC), and colleges and universities from across the state. This collaboration creates a rich inter-institutional community.
Faculty, postdoctoral scholars and professional staff are currently encouraged to contribute to the programming by submitting session and poster proposals for the conference. This is an opportunity to contribute to the robust discussion surrounding faculty excellence. The deadline for all submissions is Jan. 21, 2026.
Proposals may focus on a wide variety of topics related to faculty excellence, such as:
- Faculty growth and development, encompassing areas like leadership, mentoring, resilience, community-building and well-being.
- Teaching and learning, including innovative pedagogy, teaching with technology, creativity and innovation in teaching, inclusive teaching, open educational resources and community-engaged scholarship.
- Research, specifically focusing on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and Discipline-based Educational Research (DBER).
- High-Impact Practices
The upcoming event follows the success of the third annual conference held in March 2025, which drew a sold-out crowd and showcased the university’s commitment to classroom innovation. Registration for the 2026 Conference on Faculty Excellence is now open. Registration is free for NC State faculty, staff and students and can be completed in REPORTER. Non-NC State attendees (North Carolina colleges and universities statewide) must pay a $15 registration fee and create a Brickyard account before registering in REPORTER.
