Lilly Conferences

About ITLC Lilly Conferences

For 40 years, ITLC Lilly Conferences have provided opportunities for the presentation of the scholarship of teaching and learning. Conference participants are made up of faculty and administrators at various stages in their academic careers from across the United States, representing nearly every discipline found in higher education. We always offer a variety of sessions so that participants can match their learning preference to the presentation formats: 20- and 40-minute concurrent sessions, traditional plenary addresses, roundtable discussions, and poster sessions. Conference presentations are selected through a blind peer-review process.

MISSION

The mission of ITLC Lilly Conferences is to provide a forum to share and model a scholarly approach to teaching and learning that reports quality student learning outcomes while promoting professional development of faculty.

CORE
VALUES

Community is a cornerstone of improved student learning.
Participants are lifelong learners.
Everyone responsible for teaching has the ability and can cultivate the desire to learn to be a better teacher.
Scholarly, evidenced-based teaching is necessary to improve student learning.
Effective education advancement is a fundamental need in every society.

ITLC LILLY CONFERENCES

ITLC Lilly Conferences are committed to creating events that build community among participants. Scholarly activity in the absence of a shared vision and community support cannot be successful in building the highest level of effective learning for our students. Effective faculty development does not occur in a vacuum. It requires a community of scholars sharing, discussing, critiquing and reflecting on what constitutes good teaching and learning and identifying how each of us can improve our craft. At ITLC Lilly Conferences, every individual is valued for their perspective, with the belief that all faculty members are lifelong learners who benefit from interacting with one another, our students, and our mentors. Each conference is designed to create a community where we share scholarly work, network, and promote collaborations that extend the professional interactions forged at conferences into lifelong collegial friendships.

HISTORY

In 1981, the first Lilly Conference on Faculty Learning Communities showcased the scholarship of teaching and learning on the campus of Miami University, in Oxford, Ohio. Early on, the founding Lilly Conference Teaching Scholars supported efforts to develop a platform for showcasing the scholarship of teaching and learning. Initial development of the idea was supported from a three-year grant from Eli Lilly and Company, awarded in 1979. These funds were used to develop individual projects and disseminate information about faculty learning communities through a conference focused on teaching in higher education. The initial seed money established the conference and now, more than 40 years later, it has transformed into a series that hosts 4 national conferences showcasing evidence-based teaching and learning in higher education. We remember our roots in our namesake "Lilly Conferences"; however, the conference series has been self-supported and self-sustaining beyond the initial grant funding. ITLC Lilly works diligently with founder and past conference director Milt Cox, Miami University, to uphold the mission and values of Lilly Conferences.

CONFERENCE DIRECTOR

Todd D. Zakrajsek, PhD, advises faculty and provides resources on teaching/learning, leadership, and publishing in the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine (SOM). Prior to joining the SOM, he was a tenured associate professor of psychology and built faculty development efforts at one college and two universities. Todd has served on many educationally related boards and work groups during his four decades of teaching and faculty development. He has also consulted with organizations such as The American Council on Education (ACE), Lenovo, Microsoft, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Todd also founded the International Teaching Learning Cooperative (ITLC), an organization created to bring together faculty members to advance student learning in higher education. The ITLC currently hosts 4 national conferences on evidence-based teaching and learning. Todd’s recently co-authored books include Teaching at Its Best, 5th ed. (2023, with Linda Nilson); The New Science of Learning, 3rd ed., (2022); Teaching for Learning, 2nd ed. (2021, with Claire Major and Michael Harris); Advancing Online Teaching (2021, with Kevin Kelly); and Dynamic Lecturing (2017, with Christine Harrington). Todd has given more than 400 campus workshops, conference presentations, and keynote addresses in 49 states, 12 countries, and 4 continents. Follow and connect with Todd on Twitter (@toddzakrajsek), Instagram, and LinkedIn. Read more about his work at https://www.toddzakrajsek.com/ .

PRIVACY POLICY

We have always valued our customers' privacy. We do not sell or trade contact information with other businesses/entities, nor do we print contact information on any conference-related materials. We do purposefully send emails to our subscribers around once a month (more frequently as an event approaches). We also offer the opportunity to unsubscribe within these monthly notifications.