CILA 2025-26 Programming

  • Center for Innovation in the Liberal Arts
  • CILA 2025-26 Programming

CILA’s focus this academic year is on building community and encouraging collaboration. To that end, we hope to bring together groups of interested people to discuss, to write, to create, and to envision new ways of working, both in the classroom and on scholarly and creative projects. Read on to learn more!

January 2026 Workshops

January 2026 Wednesday Writing Workshops

The CILA “Writing Wednesdays” workshop series, led by Diane LeBlanc, Professor and Director of Writing, offers time, space, and guidance as you engage with your scholarly and creative work during and beyond January. Please click here to learn more and sign up. 

“Sharing Your Experience Publicly” Community of Practice

Faculty and academic staff are invited to participate in a January community of practice on “Sharing Your Expertise Publicly.” Each Tuesday from 3:30-5:00 pm in January will feature reflection on what it means to be a “public scholar” in this particular moment and discuss the means and methods to informally share your expertise through a variety of public channels alongside weekly guest presenters. Honorariums and hospitality provided. Click here to learn more and register by December 12!

Co-sponsored by CILA, the Boldt Chair, and the Svoboda Center for Civic Engagement

Spring 2026 Events

Shawna Shapiro: Critical Language Awareness. February 19-20, 2026.

CILA is co-sponsoring Shawna Shapiro’s visit to campus. Shapiro will deliver a public lecture on Critical Language Awareness on Thursday, February 19th, 4:00-5:00pm, and lead a workshop for 10-20 faculty who will have attended the public talk on Friday, February 20th, 11:45 -12:45. More information coming soon!

Considering the Low-Tech or No-Tech Classroom, led by Doug Casson and Tom Williamson. March 5, 3:45-5:00, CAD 202.

In response to a wave of new research, student concerns, and our own experiences with technological distractions in the classroom, we have both been experimenting with minimizing or eliminating tech in our classrooms. For more information and to RSVP, click here.

Assessment workshop

Led by Jean Porterfield, Chair of the Assessment Committee. March 19, 2026, 3:45-5:00. More information coming soon!

If you have an idea for an event, please get in touch with Nancy Thompson (thompsn@stolaf.edu.)

Year-long Reading, Writing, and Talking groups

Writing Alone, Together

CILA is happy to sponsor writing groups and workshops for faculty and staff during the 2025-26 academic year. Click here to learn more and to sign up for January Writing Wednesdays.

Slow Food, Slow Living, Slow Looking, Slow Professor, Slow Pedagogy–slow everything? 

This reading group will explore various “slow” movements and discuss how they can impact our lives as teachers, scholars, and administrators. Open to all interested staff and faculty. Click here for more information.

Mid-career faculty community

Are you a mid-career faculty member who would like to discuss ways to prioritize what matters to you at this busy stage of your career? For the purposes of this reading group, mid-career is defined as teaching faculty of any rank and appointment type who are between these two milestones: about seven years after receiving a terminal degree and about ten years before retirement. Click here for more information.

CILA on the Road!

Is there an idea or an issue that your department/program would like to work on this academic year? CILA is here to help! Click here for information on how to get started.