2026 Faculty Institute Call for Proposals

The 2026 UMA Faculty Institute seeks presentation proposals from faculty and staff across all University of Maine System disciplines and campuses. This year, we explore what it means to teach with humanity: to lead with empathy, foster inclusion, and design with purpose in an increasingly technology-rich academic landscape. This year’s theme was intentionally designed to be broad and welcoming, creating space for faculty to share the ideas, challenges, and innovations that matter most to them. By centering connection, inclusion, and purpose, we invite diverse perspectives, from those exploring AI or new teaching strategies to those focused on access, belonging, and the human side of education.

Deadline: Submit your proposals by Friday, March 27th. We'll announce accepted presentations and update our program in late-March. Early submission is encouraged as slots will be filled with presentations from faculty and staff across the University of Maine System on a rolling basis.

All materials, including slides and handouts, must meet accessibility standards (ex. using readable fonts, high color contrast, and meaningful alt text for images). We have included a checklist for creating accessible slides and encourage all presenters to use it while preparing their materials. In addition, we have included an accessible slides template. The following Faculty Institute Accessible Slides link will prompt you to make a copy: Faculty Institute Accessible Slides. Presenters will be asked to submit their presentation materials by May 1st. If you have questions or would like support making your materials accessible, please reach out to our Learning Experience Design team at uma-lxd@maine.edu!

1. What type of 60-minute session are you proposing? *This question is required.

Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.

2. Where do you wish to present? NOTE: UMA will pay for mileage and hotel for those willing to present in person. *This question is required.

3. Is there anyone co-presenting this session with you? *This question is required.

Please attach a document that provides your co-presenter's details. For your convenience, you can copy this document as a template.

Include the following information for each co-presenter:

Title of Presentation
First Name
Last Name
Pronouns (optional)
Title
Phone Number
Email
Campus or Community Partner Affiliation
A brief bio, including background with this topic area. (Limit 200 words) (optional)

File: {{filename}} delete

Alternatively to uploading, if your co-presenter information is a Google doc or other online document type, you can share the link here. If you have provided a URL you can ignore the warning for not uploading a file. Please remember to share your file with "Anyone with the link" or "University of Maine System." Whichever you prefer.