I am very pleased to invite you to attend The University of Findlay’s Second Biennial SEED Conference, May 7 – 8, 2009.  This year's conference is entitled "Beyond Teaching and Technology: Growth and Change at Faculty Support Centers."  This Conference offers an exciting opportunity for individuals from diverse backgrounds to come together and share ideas/experiences relating to many aspects of higher education, learning, teaching, research and professional development initiatives.  Specifically, SEED 2009 provides an exciting forum for the consideration of the growth, development and dynamic functions of faculty development centers at college and university campuses.  

In fact, if you are in any way involved in the ‘business’ of helping to move your institution forward in terms of teaching, learning, faculty development and the training/application of new pedagogies, we believe that you will find our SEED 2009 Conference to be valuable and relevant. Participants at our initial SEED Conference in 2007 reported that the panels and presentations provided them with new, engaging ideas for innovative programs and services and valuable networking opportunities.  We have already received more proposals for papers/panels than our initial conference, indicating that we will increase representation at SEED 2009 from the approximately 25 educational institutions that attended our conference in 2007.  As the Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence here at The University of Findlay, it has been extremely gratifying to see how our SEED Conference has become a meeting place or intersection to forge collaborative endeavors, learn new skills and promote innovative projects among professionals from a wide diversity of educational institutions.  

It will be good to see friends returning who participated in our first SEED Conference, and we are looking forward to meeting new acquaintances and colleagues. I hope you will consider joining our ‘conversation’ about CTEs, TLTCs and faculty development centers for SEED 2009!   Please contact me, if I can provide any further information. 

Thank you!  

Dr. Ray McCandless
Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Justice Science Dept.
Center for Teaching Excellence Director
419-434-4565
mccandless@findlay.edu