News of the Week – September 18, 2026
This week’s issue is curated by Jen Adams. Jen is the Assistant Dean for Academic Projects and Chair/Professor of Communication and Theatre at DePauw University.
Teaching & Learning
The Return of the Oral Exam (Beth McMurtrie, The Chronicle of Higher Education, September 2, 2026): Prompted by concerns about AI, faculty are rediscovering oral examinations, and finding that they can encourage deeper learning, authentic assessment, and stronger faculty-student interaction.
Teaching Controversial Topics When Information is Incomplete (Ahlam Lee, Inside Higher Ed, September 15, 2026): Offers practical strategies for helping students move beyond emotional reactions to unfolding controversies by slowing down discussion, examining bias, distinguishing among types of claims, and expanding context before reaching conclusions.
The Power of Prequestioning (Michelle D. Miller, R3 Newsletter, September 8, 2026): Drawing on recent research in cognitive psychology, Miller explores how asking students questions before they encounter new material can focus attention and improve learning, offering faculty a simple, low-stakes strategy for helping students engage with challenging readings.
Student Connection & Belonging in the Classroom
Learning and Being: Building Belonging Through Relational Teaching Practices (Brianne Morettini, Belonging, July 14, 2026): Examines how relational teaching practices, including seeking student input, demonstrating care, and treating students as co-creators of the learning experience, can foster students’ sense of belonging, well-being, and engagement in the classroom.
Belonging Should Not Mean Only That Students Feel Welcome (Sunah Cho, Times Higher Education Campus, September 14, 2026): Drawing on universal design for learning, Cho offers practical ways to move beyond simply making students feel welcome toward creating classrooms where all students can participate meaningfully in the learning experience.
The Liberal Arts in Practice
How the Liberal Arts Became Countercultural (and Essential) in the Age of AI (Deseree Probasco, Jason Gulya, and Bethany Smith, EDUCAUSE Shop Talk, June 1, 2026): Explores how liberal arts capacities such as critical thinking, curiosity, imagination, and the ability to translate between technical and nontechnical worlds become increasingly valuable in an age shaped by artificial intelligence.
Memorable Teaching Doesn’t Just Transfer Knowledge – It Transforms Perspective (Andrew Gipe-Lazarou, Times Higher Education Campus, September 15, 2026): Explores how authentic learning experiences can move students beyond disciplinary knowledge toward deeper perspective, professional judgment, and a stronger sense of responsibility.
GLCA is hiring!
The GLCA is hiring a Senior Program Director to help lead collaborative academic and administrative initiatives across our thirteen liberal arts colleges. This hybrid role is an opportunity for an experienced faculty or faculty-adjacent administrator to convene faculty and academic leaders, strengthen professional development and leadership programs, and help institutions respond creatively to a changing higher education landscape. Review of applications begins October 30, 2026. More information about the position and the application process can be found here.
Editor: Colleen Monahan Smith, GLCA, [email protected]