INED

The 2027 Institute for New Educational Developers (INED) conference is presented by the POD Network and is co-hosted by Minnesota State and the University of Minnesota.

Guided by the theme Charting Your True North: Educational Development in Changing Times, the 2027 INED conference invites participants to explore the knowledge, skills and values that support effective educational development while building community with colleagues from diverse institutional contexts.

Educational development is evolving rapidly. New technologies, shifting learner needs, increasing focus on belonging and student success and changing institutional contexts require educational developers to navigate with intention and purpose.

INED 2027 invites participants to chart their own professional path while building community with colleagues across higher education. Through interactive workshops, reflection and collaborative learning, participants will explore the knowledge, skills and values needed to thrive as educational developers in changing times.

Charting Your True North: Educational Development in Changing Times

This year’s theme, Charting Your True North: Educational Development in Changing Times, invites participants to reflect on their purpose and build core competencies amidst evolving faculty needs, emerging technologies and institutional changes. Through workshops, reflection, mentoring and wayfinding circles, attendees will gain practical skills in inclusive teaching, assessment and program design while connecting with a supportive network of peers.

Institute Learning Outcomes

1. Describe how educational development has evolved as a profession with a body of research and well-defined best practices in response to changes, new evidence and trends in higher education.
2. Apply the theories and science of learning to educate people from diverse communities and cultures in all college and university contexts, including students in undergraduate and graduate programs as well as faculty, staff and others participating in professional learning.
3. Act as an inclusive and equity-minded educational developer in the design and delivery of programs. 
4. Effectively practice educational development skills and competencies to meet the needs of your home institution.
5. Consider the importance of cross-institutional collaboration and relationship-building in order to support advocacy efforts towards positive change.
6. Develop strategies for managing the emotional labor of educational development, both to be more effective in your work, and to nurture resiliency and wellness for yourself.

About the POD Network

The Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network in Higher Education was officially founded in March, 1976, at the spring conference of the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE). Joan North was the first Coordinator (now called the President) and the Core Committee (Board of Directors) was created. Since then, the POD Network has held national conferences every year, and is the largest and oldest educational development organization in the world. It has remained committed to outreach throughout its history, and as a global leader has contributed to the development of national and regional educational development organizations around the world.

Who Should Attend?

The Institute for New Educational Developers (INED) helps professionals who are new to educational development build core skills, confidence and community. Whether you work in a teaching center, independently, or as part of a larger team across higher education, INED offers practical strategies in facilitation, coaching, program design, assessment, accessibility and inclusive practice.

INED may be a good fit if you:

• Are new to educational development or in the first few years of your role.
• Support teaching, learning, faculty, staff or organizational development in higher education.
• Work at a community college, technical college, tribal college, university, system office or other postsecondary institution.
• Want to deepen your understanding of educational development as a profession.
• Are seeking practical strategies, mentorship and a supportive professional network.
• Value inclusive and evidence-informed approaches to educational development.
• Want to connect with colleagues who are navigating similar opportunities and challenges in changing times.