Upcoming Conferences at Thompson Rivers University
Teaching Practices Colloquium (TPC)
TRU faculty are busy preparing for the 21st Annual Teaching Practices Colloquium which will be held on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. This year’s theme is Engagement in Postsecondary Education and is structured around several interconnected sub themes that reflect current priorities in higher education:
- Engaging Local Learning
- Applied and Experiential Learning
- Engagement Through Inclusion
- For the Love of Learning
- Leveraging Technology to Enhance Engagement
- Assessment and Feedback Practices
The Call for Proposals is open (closes January 13, 2025) and registration is open.
Thompson-Okanagan Teaching and Learning Conference (TOTLC)
The 2nd Annual Thompson-Okanagan Teaching and Learning Conference (TOTLC) is a combined effort between TRU and UBCO that aims to advance teaching and learning practices in our region. This year’s theme is Scholarly Teaching and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Evidencing our Practice. The conference will be held at TRU from May 13-14, 2025 on the traditional lands of Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc. Presenters are encouraged to demonstrate or discuss all facets of their research and practice in various ways – workshop, presentation, poster, roundtable. The Call for Proposals is open (closes January 31, 2025) and Call for Reviewers is open (closes January 31, 2025). Registration will open soon.
Highlights from the Learning Technology & Innovation Team
Open Press
The TRU Open Press was established in 2023 through an Integrated Strategic Planning grant, imagined and proposed by the Open Education Working Group. The Open Press serves as a centralized hub for supporting the development of Open Educational Resources (OER). This initiative represents a significant advancement in our institution’s commitment to Open Education.
The impact has been significant – we’re seeing faculty customize and adapt materials to better suit their teaching approaches, while students report significant cost savings and improved access to learning resources. With over 30 new OER projects completed, TRU Open Press is helping to break down barriers to education while fostering innovation in teaching and learning practices.
Open Courses
We’ve recently launched Open Courses, a new open Moodle platform that advances our approach to workshop delivery and collaborative learning. This initiative emerged from our desire to create more accessible learning opportunities which can serve both TRU community members and external participants. The platform offers automatic account creation for TRU students, staff, and faculty, while external participants can easily create their own accounts to access and participate in courses. All users have the ability to self-enroll in existing courses or submit course requests to develop their own content. If you’re interested in expanding your collaborative reach beyond institutional boundaries or sharing educational content with a broader audience, we encourage you to explore Open Courses. If you have any questions about this exciting initiative, please reach out to us at moodlesupport@tru.ca.
Inclusive Poster Design
Do you support poster design and development in your context or know someone who does? Visit the Inclusive Poster Design site to explore a practical resource that shares foundational design and accessibility principles and provides a variety of poster templates. What makes this resource particularly valuable for our community is its intentional use of PowerPoint, leveraging the Microsoft 365 suite that’s readily available to TRU students, faculty and staff. This helps to minimize barriers to access and ensures that students can participate in poster creation. The site also includes detailed instructions for both Windows and Mac users, examples of effective and ineffective poster design, and additional resources to explore.
Building Development Underway at TRU
Indigenous Education Centre
TRU is currently constructing the Indigenous Education Centre (IEC) which is scheduled to open in 2026. Designed by Indigenous architect Patrick Stewart in collaboration with Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, this three-story mass timber building represents a thoughtful integration of traditional Secwépemc design principles with modern educational technology infrastructure. The centre will feature a distinctive Community Gathering Space modeled after traditional Secwépemc summer lodges, along with technology-enabled outdoor classrooms, research spaces, and computer labs. The centre will blend Indigenous ways of knowing with contemporary learning spaces. The facility includes dedicated areas for Indigenous faculty and students, quiet study rooms, and modern research facilities, all designed to support both traditional and digital learning approaches. This project exemplifies how TRU can thoughtfully integrate cultural heritage, environmental stewardship, and modern educational technology to create inclusive learning environments that honor the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.
Low-Carbon District Energy System (LCDES)
TRU is taking a significant step forward in its journey to achieve zero carbon emissions with the implementation of a Low-Carbon District Energy System (LCDES) on our Kamloops campus. In partnership with Creative Energy and BC Hydro, we’re developing a state-of-the-art Sustainability Powerhouse that will replace traditional natural gas boilers with electrical heating systems. This innovative facility, scheduled to begin construction in fall 2024, will serve as both an energy plant and a “living lab,” connecting to 13 campus buildings through underground pipes. What’s especially exciting is how this project promises to offset over 100,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over three decades – equivalent to planting a 4,000-acre forest. The facility will also house our award-winning Sustainability Office, positioning TRU among the first North American universities to achieve zero carbon status, demonstrating our institution’s commitment to environmental leadership, sustainability, and climate action.