Course Design Institute
May 2026
Registration is now open!
- Dates: Monday, May 18 – Wednesday, May 20, 2026
- Location: College Avenue Campus
- Eligibility: This event is open to all active* Rutgers-New Brunswick instructors
- Cost: Free
We are excited to invite you to join us at the May 2026 Course Design Institute, and to announce this year’s theme: the power of choice in the classroom.
In preparing for this year’s Course Design Institute, we asked ourselves, how can we engage our students in learning in today’s higher education landscape?
Our research within classrooms and conversations with Rutgers students supports giving students autonomy and agency as a less-utilized, but promising approach to pursue in today’s diverse learning environment. This year, we will specifically explore how to integrate meaningful student choice into your course structure—from flexible assessments to personalized learning paths—without sacrificing your teaching values. During the Course Design Institute, as participants focus on their course (re)designs, they will use a new resource co-created with Rutgers students focused on providing choice to support engagement and learning.
*The Course Design Institute is open to all instructors at Rutgers University-New Brunswick who are actively teaching courses in summer 2026, fall 2026, winter 2026, and/or spring 2027.
About the Course Design Institute
Designing for the Future of Higher Education
The Course Design Institute (CDI) is a three-day collaborative experience designed to help instructors navigate the evolving higher education landscape. Throughout the CDI workshops, you will not only learn evidence-based practices to incorporate into your teaching but will also receive guidance through the process of (re)designing your courses with inclusivity, student success, and intentionality in mind.
What to Expect
The CDI is built around active creation. Over three days, you will:
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Workshop Your Course: Dedicated time to apply design principles directly to your syllabus and course materials.
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Peer and Expert Guidance: Attend focused sessions on recommended practices and pedagogical strategies.
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Collaborative Peer Circles: Work in small groups to exchange ideas, provide feedback, and find support among a community of fellow educators.
The CDI Experience in Photos and Words
Click the tabs below to browse photos and read testimonials from the 2025 Course Design Institute.
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“A wonderful experience! Thank you so much for providing this opportunity to meet new people and exposing me to strategies for improving my interaction with students.”
“This was really terrific. Especially the built-in time to complete work while the ideas were fresh.”
“OVERALL, excellent and I am appreciative of the opportunity & connections. WELL DONE TIIP Team!”
“I am so grateful to all of you, this was deeply transformative!”
—May 2025 Course Design Institute participants
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Participants arrive at the May 2025 Course Design Institute. 
May 2025 Course Design Institute participants in conversation and building houses with LEGOs symbolizing their course design process. 
May 2025 Course Design Institute participants and a facilitator in a huddle discussing responses on sticky notes. 
Dr. Tracie Marcella Addy, Founding Director of TIIP, facilitates a session at the May 2025 Course Design Institute. 
May 2025 Course Design Institute participants. 
Jamie Kim, Assistant Director at TIIP, facilitates a session at the May 2025 Course Design Institute. 
May 2025 Course Design Institute facilitators Pauline Carpenter and Eliza Blau (Instructional Design and Technology Specialists). 
May 2025 Course Design Institute small group session. 
May 2025 Course Design Institute participants collaborating. 
May 2025 Course Design Institute participants 
May 2025 Course Design Institute participants 
Tatiana Rodriguez (Professor, School of Communication and Information) leads a choice session at the May 2025 Course Design Institute. 
Dr. Tracie Marcella Addy awards a May 2025 Course Design Institute participant with a completion certificate. 
May 2025 Course Design Institute participants showcase LEGO models that embody their course design visions.