Pillar 4: Personalized Pathways for Professional Advancement
Built for Career Growth, Scholarly Productivity, and Well-Being.
Faculty development is an ongoing, lifelong journey. Pillar 4 recognizes that educators require differentiated support to sustain fulfilling careers. This pillar centralizes the internal and external offerings, services, and resources available to provide the right personalized professional development at the right time in your career. Focusing on advancing your teaching, leadership, and scholarship, this pillar is designed to meet your needs at any stage.
Upcoming Events
September 2026
This session explores how aligning your personal teaching philosophy with classroom expectations can significantly boost student engagement and motivation. Participants will spend 60 minutes on interactive instruction exploring motivational frameworks, followed by 30 minutes of guided course development and 1-on-1 support.
Registration & Canvas: Email facultyexcellence@butler.edu to RSVP and gain access to the series Canvas page. Attendance for the full series is preferred, but drop-ins for individual sessions are welcome.
Date, Time, & Location: Tuesday, September 8, 3:00–4:30 PM, Atherton Union 326
October 2026
Educators spend a huge amount of time grading assignments, writing lesson plans, and keeping up with endless emails. Artificial intelligence can take on some of that heavy lifting by streamlining administrative tasks and simplifying processes. Beyond saving time, AI assistants can also help quickly generate real-world scenarios and debate topics for your students. This workshop covers practical ways to use AI to lighten your daily workload and enhance your teaching.
Registration & Lunch: Email facultyexcellence@butler.edu to RSVP. Meal vouchers provided; space is limited. Email to receive a listening link if unable to attend in person
Date, Time, & Location: Tuesday, October 20, Lunch 12:00–12:30 PM, Presentation 12:30–1:30 PM, Atherton Union 326
December 2026
Wrap up the semester by engaging in intentional reflective teaching. Learn how to annotate your current syllabus and course materials to document what worked, what needs tuning, and how to project those improvements directly into future terms. Includes 60 minutes of workshop time and 30 minutes of guided reflection.
Registration & Canvas: Email facultyexcellence@butler.edu to RSVP and gain access to the series Canvas page. Attendance for the full series is preferred, but drop-ins for individual sessions are welcome.
Date, Time, & Location: Wednesday, December 16, 3:00–4:30 PM, Atherton Union 326
February 2027
Free course materials remove a major financial burden for students while ensuring everyone has what they need to succeed from day one. Using Open Educational Resources (OER) gives you peace of mind while opening the door to flexible, high-quality content. This workshop explores the world of open-access materials and shows you how to easily supplement or replace your current textbook. You will learn where to find these resources and how they can simplify your prep work.
Registration & Lunch: Email facultyexcellence@butler.edu to RSVP. Meal vouchers provided; space is limited. Email to receive a listening link if unable to attend in person.
Date, Time, & Location: Thursday, February 25, Lunch 12:00–12:30 PM, Presentation 12:30–1:30 PM, Atherton Union 326
March 2027
Teaching requires a massive investment of time and energy, making personal well-being an essential part of your professional success. Taking time for yourself to step away from your desk is a high-impact practice in its own right. This gathering offers a dedicated, low-pressure space to disconnect from daily tasks and simply connect with colleagues. Join us to unwind, recharge, and enjoy being in community with your peers.
Registration & Lunch: Email facultyexcellence@butler.edu to RSVP. Meal vouchers provided; space is limited. Email to receive a listening link if unable to attend in person.
Date, Time, & Location: Wednesday, March 31, Lunch 12:00–12:30 PM, Presentation 12:30–1:30 PM, Atherton Union 326