The Office of Undergraduate Education in conjunction with the Academy of Scholarships, Teaching and Learning hosted its first "Conversations with Master Teachers" event on October 14. The event attracted over 125 people, including faculty, graduate students, and post-doctoral scholars. Master Teachers hosted 17 tables on topics related to teaching excellence. The event was based on a "speed dating" format, with master teachers presenting for 7 minutes and discussion for 8 minutes. "The Theatrics of Teaching," What Cognitive Science Tells Us About Learning," and "Motivating Students" were among the most heavily attended tables. Attendees rotated to as many tables as they wanted during the 3 hour event. A short lightning round followed in which participants could offer observations or ask questions about teaching.

The event was almost certainly the largest teaching-related special event in the history of the campus. More than 90% of respondents to a follow-up survey agreed or strongly agreed that they received useful information, and more than 80% agreed or strongly agreed that they intended to implement something they learned during the event in their own classrooms. As one attendee observed, "Overall I liked the short format and set up for getting input on specific topics. This helped me to spend my time wisely by going to only the tables that had issues I felt I needed help with. Thank you for setting up this opportunity to improve my teaching."