Faculty Panel: What Makes Courses Feel Like Community?
Faculty share what actually helps students feel known, connected, and willing to show up, and what gets harder to protect as AI becomes part of every course.
When: November 5th, 12 PM, EST
Add to calendar: Google Calendar | Outlook
Why does this matter?
Most faculty can tell you exactly which course felt like a community. The students talked to each other, not just to the instructor. People came back after a hard week. Teaching felt less like broadcasting and more like being part of something.
It's harder to describe how that happened, and harder still to make it happen on purpose. AI tools now sit inside how students write, research, and respond, which raises a real question: what keeps a course human when so much of the work can be generated?
In this live panel, faculty will talk candidly about the trust, presence, and shared experiences that keep students engaged. They'll share what has worked, what hasn't, and why community still shapes persistence, participation, and their own satisfaction with teaching.
What will you take?
Real examples of the moments when a group of students becomes a community
Dr. Jean E. Starobin:
Is the Online Undergraduate Portfolio Senior Associate Manager at Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She leads strategic initiatives to expand and strengthen online undergraduate business education, focusing on scalable program design, student success, engagement, and sense of belonging. With over 20 years of experience in higher education leadership, Dr. Starobin has pioneered innovative online learning and student support models at institutions including the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of Florida. She also serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Florida and is a published researcher on student engagement and persistence in online learning environments.
Dr. Ronald Guymon
Senior Lecturer of Accountancy at the Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he teaches data-driven decision making, Python for business analytics, and accounting analytics — helping students turn raw data into decisions that auditors, controllers, and analysts can actually act on.
Before Illinois, he worked as a chief data officer at Gigg and as a chief data scientist at Numetric, where he worked with clients including the New York State and Utah State Departments of Transportation, Orbit, Lenovo, and Standard Plumbing. He has also taught at Rice University, Georgia State University, and as a visiting professor at Washington University in St. Louis's Olin Business School.
Ron holds a Ph.D. in Accounting from the University of Iowa and a B.B.A. and M.Acc. in Accounting from Brigham Young University.
Ron has written two textbooks, Data Visualization: Storytelling with Impact and Python for Business Analytics (coming Spring 2027). His research has appeared in the Journal of Management Accounting Research and Accounting Horizons. He’s also built classroom tools and looks for any excuse to find data-driven solutions.
Valerie Akbulut:
Is the Faculty Success Manager at Bryan University. Her passion is supporting faculty in achieving their teaching and professional goals through creative training, professional development, and consistent faculty policy development. Valerie has played an instrumental role in developing and implementing a quality-control rubric that supports the student experience while equipping faculty with the tools and guidance they need to feel confident in their roles. She earned her master’s degree in Interpersonal Communication from the University of Central Florida. Valerie is completing her EdD in Education with a focus on Performance Improvement Leadership at Capella University, with graduation anticipated in December 2026