Faculty, Staff, and Graduate Students:
You are invited to attend a presentation and workshop with guest speaker Dr. Katherine Muenks.
Dr. Muenks is an expert in student academic motivation, including beliefs about ability and effort, growth and fixed mindsets, and the influence of teachers, parents, and peers on motivation. Her work focuses on motivation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) contexts. Attend the presentation to learn how our beliefs about intelligence shape students' experience in our classrooms. Participate in the workshop following the presentation to dive deeper into research-informed strategies to cultivate a growth mindset. Attendance at the presentation is not required to join the workshop. The workshop will include lunch.聽
RSVP here:
Presentation: Faculty Growth Mindset and Student Academic Achievement
October 27, 2025
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Webb Center, North Cafe
How do our implicit or explicit beliefs about intelligence shape the way students experience our classrooms? In this talk, Dr. Muenks will discuss her research on faculty mindsets, with a particular focus on beliefs about whether intelligence is fixed (fixed mindset) or can grow (growth mindset). Dr. Muenks will first discuss evidence that these mindsets matter for students' psychological and academic outcomes. Next, Dr. Muenks will talk about ways in which faculty communicate their mindsets to students. Finally, Dr. Muenks will share what happens when there is a disconnect between faculty mindsets and students' perceptions. The talk will end with implications for teaching practice at the college level.
Workshop: Cultivating a Growth Mindset in and beyond the Classroom
October 27, 2025
12:15 - 1:30 PM (Lunch will be provided)
Webb Center, North Cafe
The workshop will take a deeper dive into research-informed strategies to cultivate a growth mindset. Dr. Muenks will guide participants through a self-reflection exercise to interrogate their beliefs about intelligence and learning. Next we will review key components of a growth mindset and apply the strategies to case studies. The workshop will conclude with an action plan. Whether growth mindset is a new concept to you or you have been implementing these strategies for a while, you will leave the workshop with an enhancement plan. Participants do not need to have attended the presentation to benefit from the workshop.
To learn more about Dr. Muenks and her publications, visit