Course Reading Solutions and Challenges: A Half-Day Symposium

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Course Reading Solutions and Challenges: A Half-Day Symposium

Date:: Thursday, February 26, 2026
Time:: 9:00am - 1:00pm
Location:: McHenry 4286
Location:: McHenry Library
Categories:: Symposium

Registration has closed.

Join us for a half-day symposium dedicated to course readings. Hear from UCSC faculty who re-envisioned the role of readings in their courses in order to improve student success and lower student course costs, followed by small group discussions on key topics including homework platforms, selecting materials, student insights on their reading experience, and what to do if students aren’t reading. The morning panel will be streamed for online attendees. Participants are welcome to attend sessions as their schedule allows or the entire symposium:

9-9:15 AM: Welcome, Kerry Scott, Interim University Librarian, Room 4268
9:15-10:30: Faculty Panel on Course Reading Innovation, Room 4268
- Amy Furniss (Physics), Customizing Homework Platforms
- Nandini Bhattacharya (Math), Collaborating with Graduate Students on Project-Based Learning
- Brenda Sanfilippo (Writing), Creating a New Book by Curating and Editing Free Resources
- Moderated by Sarah Hare, Open Educational Resources Librarian
10:30-10:45: Break
10:45-11:45: Small Group Discussions
- Homework Platforms, facilitated by Suzana Serboi (Math), Study Room 4360
- Finding and Curating Free Resources, facilitated by Peter Weiss (Earth and Planetary Sciences), Study Room 4362
- Course Readings and Student Belonging, facilitated by Sarah Hare, Zoom
11:45-1:00: Lunch, Room 4268

Boxed lunch will be provided for in-person attendees. In-person sessions will take place on the fourth floor of McHenry Library.

Land Acknowledgement

The land on which we gather is the unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, comprised of the descendants of indigenous people taken to missions Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista during Spanish colonization of the Central Coast, is today working hard to restore traditional stewardship practices on these lands and heal from historical trauma.

The land acknowledgement used at UC Santa Cruz was developed in partnership with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band Chairman and the Amah Mutsun Relearning Program at the UCSC Arboretum.