COESP Day 2025: Making Space – Supporting Learning in a Time of Growth
May 1 in Rozanski Hall
COESP Day is our annual event that brings CBS instructors, staff, and students together to explore pressing questions in teaching and learning. This year, we’re focusing on what it means to teach and support students in an environment of increasing enrolment and limited space.
Whether you’re new to teaching or a seasoned instructor, this is a chance to bring your challenges, build community, and leave with ideas, tools, and connections.
Everyone is welcome, including faculty, graduate students, and staff from across CBS and the University of Guelph. Refreshments will be provided.
Schedule:
- 8:30 – 9 a.m.: Registration and Coffee
- 9 – 9:15 a.m.: Welcome and Icebreaker
Kick off the day by connecting with colleagues and surfacing the key teaching and learning challenges you’re bringing with you. You’ll be introduced to the COESP Day workbook and how it will guide your experience.
- 9:15 – 9:55 a.m.: Panel #1: First-Year Teaching at Scale
Hear from instructors in the trenches of our mega-sized first-year biology courses. Learn how they’re adapting to rising enrolments, rethinking assessment and communication, and supporting student success under pressure.
- 10 – 11 a.m.: Keynote: (Virtual) High-Structure Teaching in Large Courses: What Works, What Matters
Dr. Justin Shaffer, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Teaching Professor, Colorado School of Mines
Dr. Shaffer brings research-based insights and energy to help us rethink how we design large courses. His research focuses on high-structure course design, emphasizing pre-class preparation, active in-class engagement, and post-class assessments to enhance student learning outcomes. You’ll leave with concrete strategies and a renewed focus on student-centered learning.
- 11 – 11:45 a.m.: Panel #2: Decision Makers Global Café
Engage directly with decision-makers across campus — scheduling, planning, wellness, and more — in a round-table format. Learn how they’re managing growth and share what you need most.
- 11:45 – 12 p.m.: Reflection Prompt + Transition to Lunch
Capture your emerging insights and questions before heading into the unstructured lunch.
- 12 – 1 p.m.: Lunch & Connecting
- 1 – 1:20 p.m.: Talk: Doing Cool Things on a Shoestring
Dr. Megan Barker, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences at Simon Fraser University, 2024 Excellence in Teaching Award winner
Join Megan for a mini-talk on low-cost, high-impact approaches to engaging students — designed for real-world constraints.
- 1:20 – 1:40 p.m.: Panel #3: EdTech in Action
Hear from the folks at Guelph who help us use tools like Gradescope, Courselink, FeedbackFruits and lecture capture not just for efficiency — but to enhance learning. They’ll stick around for the breakouts to give any tips or insights you need.
- 1:40 – 1:50 p.m.: Movement Break & Coffee Refill
- 1:50 – 3:15 p.m.: Breakout Discussions: Tackling Our Challenges
Join a breakout group that aligns with your challenge: assessment, student motivation, labs, tech, or communication. You’ll work through real problems with peers and leave with ideas and next steps.
- 3:15 – 3:30 p.m.: Wrap-Up & Reflections
Share your lightbulb moments, commit to next steps, and help us shape future COESP programming.
- Post-COESP Day: Over to the Bullring for nachos and beverages!
