2026 Effordability Summit Schedule

April 6 - 7th
In this Section

Conference Schedule

Monday, April 6
8:00 a.m.RegistrationPresentationMSC 2nd Floor Lobby
9:00 a.m.Welcome & Introduction MSC Great Hall
9:15 a.m. Panel DiscussionPaths to Success: What OER Leaders Do to Build Their Programs  
Kim Lynch, Bruce Forciea & Michael Oleson
Hybrid
10:30 a.m.Break & Networking MSC Great Hall
10:45 a.m.Break Out Sessions MSC Great Hall
  AI Updates: Embracing the Chaos Together
Bruce Forciea
Balroom A (in-person only)
  The Landscape as a Resource: Connecting Place to Course Content
Kristyn Blessing
Ballroom B (in-person only)
  Reimagining Course Design Through Critical Open Educational Practices: A Research Community of Practice
Lori-Beth Larsen
Ballroom C (in-person only)
  Offline AI in K–12 Education: A Privacy-First Approach to Equitable Technology Access
Dan McGuire
Willow/Walnut (in-person only)
11:45 a.m.Lunch & Exhibits  MSC Great Hall
12:45 p.m.Break Out Sessions  
  From Open Texts to Open Tools: Equipping Students to Build AI Study Aids from OER Materials
Jordan O'Connell
Ballroom A (in-person only)
  Smarter Research with AI: Tools, Prompts, and Pitfalls
Laura Tomcik
Ballroom B (in-person only)
  Adventures in OER-Enabled Pedagogy: Preparing Future College & University Librarians to Support OER Work
Patrick Leeport & Megan Adams
Ballroom C (in-person only)
  Roundtable discussion - Digital Accessability
Rebecca Graetz
Willow/Walnut (in-person only)
1:45 p.m.Break & Networking Great Hall
2:00 p.m.Break Out Sessions Various
  Wish Granted: Create Low to No cost Course Interactive Activities with AI
TBD
Ballroom A (in-person ony)
  Beyond the Textbook: Innovating with OER
Terri Brown
Ballroom B (in-person only)
  The Ultimate Equity Strategy is Free: Why OER Should be the Cornerstone of Higher Education
Lisa Lucas
Ballroom C (in-person only)
. Roundtable Discussion - TBDWillow/Walnut (in-person only)
5:30 - 8:30 p.m. Social Hour | Light appetizers Mabel Tainter 
205 Main Street East, Menomonie, WI

 

Tuesday, April 7
7:30 a.m.Registration MSC 2nd Floor Lobby
8:30 a.m.Welcome & Introduction MSC Great Hall
8:45 a.m.KeynoteUpholding Knowledge as a Public Good: 5 Strategies for Sustaining your Commitment to Open  
Sarah Hansen
Hybrid
10:00 a.m.Break & Networking MSC Great Hall
10:15 a.m.Break Out Sessions MSC Great Hall
  Collaborating for Graduate Student Success: Co-Authoring an OER for Dissertation Support
TBD
Ballroom A (in-person only)
  Using Artificial Intelligence to Alleviate Social Isolation and Loneliness
Mary Linberg & Tracy Fischer
Ballroom B (in-person only)
  Leading Through Change: Librarians as OER Innovators in a New Information Literacy Curriculum
Carli Reinecke & Renee Ettinger
Ballroom C (in-person only)
  Roundtable discussion - Teaching in the Age of AI
Emily Laird & Justin Sullivan
Willow/Walnut (in-person only)
11:30 a.m.Lunch & Exhibits  MSC Great Hall
12:30 p.m.Break Out Sessions  
  What Makes It Good? Student Perspectives on OER and AI-Generated Instructional Materials
Dr. Priyanka Mehta
Ballroom A (in-person only)
  Library Tour
Roxanne Backowski
Ballroom B (in-person only)
  AI-Assisted Case Study Development: A Sustainable Framework for Health Science Education
Glori Hinck & Lesley Scibora
Ballroom C (in-person only)
  Roundtable discussion - TBD
TBD
Willow/Walnut (in-person only)
1:30 p.m.Break & Networking Great Hall
1:45 p.m.Break Out Sessions Various
  “[AI] Is for Everyone”: A “Cut-Up Method” Approach to AI in Libraries
David Statz
Ballroom A (in-person ony)
  Building an AI-Assisted Accessibility Workflow
Ted Witt
Ballroom B (in-person only)
  An Open-Access Class for Computing and AI Ethics
TBD
Ballroom C (in-person only)
. Roundtable Discussion - TBDWillow/Walnut (in-person only)

 

Effordability Summit

Registration & More Information

Get ready to attend this two day conference.