with L. Dee Fink

When we teach, our actions as teachers have the potential not only to fulfill our responsibility to students and society but also to give us the deep joy that comes when we do something important, well.

There is growing evidence that although college-level teaching is extremely important in today's world, we are not doing a very good job of educating our students. In the presentation I examine our traditional responses-and suggest alternative responses-to four central issues of teaching: WHAT we teach, HOW we teach, how we GEAR UP as teachers, and WHO we are as educators.

If we can re-think and revise our responses to these four issues in ways that improve student learning, we can experience the deep Joy that comes with doing something very important-WELL!

Dr. Fink currently works as a national and international consultant in higher education. He leads 30-40 workshops each year nationally and internationally for faculty and administrators about what can be done to promote better teaching and learning. He is frequently invited to be a conference speaker on the subject of "Creating Significant Learning Experiences."

In 2004-2005 he was president of the POD (Professional and Organizational Development) Network in Higher Education, the largest faculty development organization in the world. In 2003 he published a book on "Creating Significant Learning Experiences" (Jossey-Bass). From 1979-2005 he served as the founding director on the instructional Development Program at the University of Oklahoma. He received his doctorate from the University of Chicago in 1976.