New England Faculty Development Consortium
Upcoming Conferences
NEFDC Conferences
Fall 2026
Mark your calendars! The NEFDC Fall 2026 Annual Conference will bring together educators, faculty developers, and higher education leaders from across the region for a day of connection, learning, and inspiration.
Friday, October 16, 2026
Time: 9:00am -3:15pm
Title: Neurodiversity: Broadening Our Lens.
Location: The College of the Holy Cross, Hogan Campus Center, 1 College Street, Worcester, MA 01610
The New England Faculty Development Consortium (NEFDC) invites educators, educational developers, administrators, graduate students, and scholars to join us on Friday, October 16, 2026, at The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, for a day of learning, connection, and inspiration.
This year’s conference theme, Neurodiversity: Broadening Our Lens, encourages us to reexamine how we understand, support, and engage the diverse ways people think, learn, communicate, and experience the world. As higher education continues to evolve, this theme challenges us to move beyond traditional assumptions and consider how our teaching, leadership, policies, programs, and learning environments can better serve all members of our academic communities.
 Rebecca Whittaker Matte, M.S., A.C.C. Professor of Education |
We are excited to announce this year’s keynote speaker, Rebecca Whittaker Matte, Professor of Education at Landmark College. Rebecca will explore the concept of neurodiversity and its implications for higher education, examining common neurotypes, the evolving understanding of neurodivergence, and the shift from medical to social models of disability. In addition to the keynote, the conference will feature a range of interactive sessions and opportunities to share ideas and practices with colleagues across New England.
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Share Your Ideas at the 2026 NEFDC Conference
In the spirit of broadening our collective lens, we invite proposals that spark conversation, share innovative practices, challenge assumptions, showcase research, and highlight creative approaches to teaching, learning, faculty development, student success, leadership, and institutional change. Whether your work directly addresses neurodiversity or offers new perspectives on higher education, we encourage you to contribute your voice to this important conversation.
Join colleagues from across New England in creating a conference experience that is engaging, collaborative, and meaningful. We look forward to learning with and from you.