2019 FALCON

The 24th annual Facet Associate Faculty and Lecturer Conference (FALCON)

November 15-16, 2019

Crowne Plaza Indianapolis

Maximizing Opportunity: Helping Students Where They Are 

In higher education, we want the entry to the classroom to be democratic and the exit to lead to meaningful lives. And in alignment with the former, our classes are filled with a wide variety of students, coming to us with successes and failures, trials and tribulations, moods, longer and shorter attention spans, differing limits on working memory, large support systems, isolated, living with privilege, overcoming poverty, mainstream, marginalized, healthy, ill, and on and on. This diversity is what we want, and it presents great challenges and great opportunity for learning.

Presentations

Check out the presentations from the plenary and breakout sessions.

Presentations

Schedule

Review the schedule for the 2019 FALCON Conference.

Schedule

Registration and Hotel Information

IU Rate  $50  Non-IU Rate Individual $200
Group Rate $125

Parking will not be provided by the conference. Self-parking is located directly across the street from the hotel at Pan Am Plaza’s underground parking garage; rate is $28 for overnight parking. Valet service is available at the hotel: $30 for day parking and $40 for overnight guests. Alternatively, you may park in other nearby lots/garages or IUPUI permit lots are a mile away. 

The Crowne Plaza Indianapolis-Downtown-Union Station is adjacent to the convention center and one block from Lucas Oil Stadium. The hotel has a rich history, as it was originally a train station built in 1888.

123 West Louisiana St., Indianapolis, Indiana 46225

Mike Polites, Senior Lecturer of Communication Studies, IUPUI

Friday Evening Plenary

All Aboard the Truth Train! Your Station-to-Destination Ticket for Student Success
As educators, there are certain inevitable “teaching truths” in our profession.  The good truths, we can ace them and embrace them. The not-so-good truths, we can face them and erase them. If we ignore them, our train will never leave the station. What are your “teaching truths”? Do not get derailed; stay on the right track by attending this opening session!       

Mike Polites earned both his BS and MA in Speech Communication from Ball State University, along with a Certified Training Certificate. Prior to his academic career, he worked in sales and consulting. Since 2004 he has been teaching classes on Public Speaking, Interpersonal Communication, and Interviewing Skills in the Department of Communication Studies at IUPUI. In 2012 he received the “IU School of Liberal Arts Outstanding Lecturer Award” and was also promoted to Senior Lecturer. He is a 2014 and 2016 “Trustees Teaching Award” recipient. His academic interests include first year experience, humor in the classroom, methodologies for student engagement, service learning, and classroom civility. His desire to help students succeed in the classroom and after they graduate is a passion that drives him. As a former college recruiter, he has spoken to hundreds of high school classrooms and thousands of students, encouraging them to continue their education. Teachers frequently requested his engaging presentations year after year. He is a professional speaker, standup comedian, and corporate trainer for Training Group Inc.

George Mehaffy, former Vice President for Academic Leadership and Change, American Association of State Colleges and Universities

Robin Hass-Birky Keynote Speaker

Student Success:  The Rapidly Changing Landscape of an Emerging Field
Student success was a passion for Dr. Robin Hass-Birky, who is honored by this lecture series in her name.  Student success has become an emerging field of practice which is growing rapidly, with new research, nuanced insights and evidence-based practices.  This presentation will trace the development of the field, report on its current state, and identify the challenges that remain. 

George Mehaffy served for 20 years as AASCU’s Vice President for Academic Leadership and Change. His division is responsible for developing programs in leadership development, undergraduate education, technology, international education and teacher education. Each year, his division organizes a number of conferences and meetings, including two national academic affairs conferences and a major civic engagement national conference. He has directed many innovative projects, including programs with China; a technology transformation conference; a transfer articulation project with community colleges; two major national studies of student success, and a number of other national initiatives.  His most important work has been in civic engagement and student success. Before coming to AASCU, he had more than twenty years of teaching and administrative experience in higher education in Texas, New Mexico, and California. In addition, he served for 33 years in the United States Coast Guard Reserve, retiring as a Captain in 2000.   

Learn More About the Hass-Birky Keynote

"Dr. Mehaffy gave us a great challenge. The higher education system, just like the American economy, is rigged in favor of the elites and the wealthy and against the working class. As first-line instructors we can effect change by making our courses as accessible to our students as possible so that they can enjoy the benefits of higher education."
- Dr. Norman Campbell, Ivy Tech Community College
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