Annual Events

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CONNECT Conference
The 2024 CONNECT Conference will take place on Friday, February 9th. Join us to learn about what your colleagues are doing, to share your own insights on this work we share, and to think deeply about how we can be better at what we do when we do it together. We are especially excited to have Peter Felten join us to talk about the importance of relationships in higher education. Please consider attending, and consider submitting a proposal to share your ideas with others. We look forward to CONNECTing with you at the conference! 
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New Beginnings Conference
To better prepare for the fall semester, we partnered with the Office of Campus and Community Writing to host the New Beginnings Conference. Our goal was to encourage participants to "Try One Thing" in their teaching as classes begin. We joined together to engage with colleagues, learn new things, and get the fall 2023 semester off to a great start.

The 2023 conference was held on Thursday, August 24, 2023. Please check back for updates on the 2024 conference as they become available.
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New Hire Orientation
Through this program, we intended to give our new EMU faculty a warm and sincere welcome to the university by providing them with the necessary tools to build their career as a scholar, to support their students in the classroom, and to become an engaged citizen in our community.

To learn more about the sessions that were offered at the New Faculty Orientation,
please view our morning and afternoon programs.
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Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity Showcase
The Bruce K. Nelson Faculty Development Center and the Office of Research Development and Administration (ORDA) were thrilled to host the 2024 Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity Showcase to celebrate scholarship and creative activities recently completed by EMU faculty. This event took place on Thursday, March 14, 2024.
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Thank-An-Eagle Program

We love recognizing the outstanding people of the EMU community! The Faculty Development Center hosts a university-wide event called Thank-An-Eagle, where EMU students have a chance to thank an instructor, staff member, coach, GA or mentor who has helped them during their time here at EMU.

The 2023 Thank-An-Eagle event was held on Monday, April 17th, at 3:30 PM. Check back for details regarding the 2024 event as they become available. 

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Flipping the Script Conference
Our first annual Flipping the Script Conference, hosted by the Faculty Development Center, “Flipped the Script” to empower the learners to become the teachers, and the teachers to become the learners. It offered all of us an opportunity to straddle both worlds, and to grow through that opportunity. The conference itself took place on Friday, December 1st, 2023. 

Upcoming Workshops

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Research Writers' Collaborative
The Writers’ Collaborative is an annual opportunity for EMU faculty to support each other while achieving realistic writing goals (i.e. developing a conference paper, drafting an article, revising a book chapter, etc.). Giving and getting helpful feedback is also included in this program. This program will meet throughout the fall 2023 semester on Wednesdays from 1-3 PM. Sessions will take place virtually on Zoom.
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Generative AI Programming
Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) emerged in December of 2022, and since then, our faculty, staff, and lecturers have posed numerous questions and started engaging in thoughtful conversations about how to approach and use Gen AI in an academic context. The Faculty Development Center and the University Writing Center have been hosting various programs related to Gen AI. Learn more about recent sessions by clicking the link below.
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Careers and Cultural Diversity Fair
This event is intended to create a space for guests to interact with participants and share with them their professional background and their experiences and opportunities linked to working in a diverse workplace. The focus is to cultivate awareness of how broadening the understanding of languages and multicultural competence can help today’s professionals overcome challenges and advance in their careers.
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Summer Research Writing Sprint
Are you ready to kickstart your summer research agenda? Join us for a two-day writing retreat on Wednesday, May 22 and Thursday, May 23. You bring your laptop and your works in progress. We’ll bring the snacks and the supportive environment to keep you focused and productive. Take two days away from the usual distractions and demands on your time.
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Achieving Your Summer Writing Goals: A How-To Workshop
The end of the semester is a hectic time for us all, and our scholarship often gets pushed to the back burner. We tell ourselves, “I’ll catch up on research over the summer.” But family obligations, travel plans and summer teaching can make those precious weeks fly by. How can you advance your scholarly agenda over the summer while still taking that much needed break? Join Sarah Walsh for an hour to plan your scholarly agenda for the summer.

Previous Events

  • Teaching and Learning Through Esports Expand dropdown

    EMU Esports is uniquely connected with its community; through these connections, the program offers numerous robust professional development experiences, closely supports competitive rosters, and facilitates massive esports events. Zach Lewis, Esports Coordinator at EMU, hosted an informative session to share how esports can be applicable to instructors in their teaching. 

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  • Media and Information Literacy Seminar Expand dropdown

    The Faculty Committee on Media and Information Literacy, led by Professors John Dunn and Sara Memmott, and the University Library, hosted a half-day Seminar on Teaching Media & Information Literacy. This event brought together faculty both curious about media and information literacy, as well as those already practicing innovative pedagogies in this area. 

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  • Internal Research Awards Workshops Expand dropdown

    Each semester, the FDC hosts various sessions for those interested in applying for an internal research award. The purpose of these workshops is to both inform attendees on the application process itself and provide feedback on any materials provided. 

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  • Understanding Academic Accommodations  Expand dropdown

    Matthew Gregory, Interim Director of the Disability Resource Center, facilitated this discussion about academic accommodations for students with disabilities. Topics discussed include the accommodations process, deciphering letters of accommodations, communication with students, and accessing resources on campus so you can better support all of your students. 

    Learn More.

  • Playing Around with Generative AI Expand dropdown

    Professors Raed El-Jarrah and Christine Clark facilitated this hands-on session to explore generative AI and reach your own conclusions about its affordances and constraints. What can it do? What can it not do? How can you work with it to enhance what you do in the classroom? This took place on Tuesday, December 5, 2023. We will repeat this program early next semester for those who are unable to make it to this session.

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  • Developing Gen-Ed Course Proposals Expand dropdown

    Gen-Ed Director John Koolage and faculty who have successfully navigated this process hosted a workshop for participants to learn about the expectations and requirements for Gen Ed proposals and workshop ideas for creating new courses or revising existing ones.  This took place on Thursday, November 30, 2023.

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  • Teaching and the Hiring Process Workshop Expand dropdown

    This workshop explored various means of assessing the teaching potential of a job candidate, including guest lecturing in classes, teaching mock classes, pedagogical colloquia, and others.  No method is perfect, but we discussed the benefits and drawbacks of each, and helped participants determine which approaches will work based upon what they wish to learn about their candidates.

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  • International Virtual Global Learning Workshop Expand dropdown

    Using a hyflex format, we invited 20 EMU faculty for an in-person one-day workshop, as well as virtual faculty participants from international virtual global learning networks. This international workshop a) introduced new strategies and tools for virtual global learning, and b) gave EMU faculty access to networks of international faculty they could collaborate with to integrate global exchanges and learning in their courses. 

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  • Pregnant or Parenting: Title IX Support Guidance  Expand dropdown

    Matthew Gregory, Title IX Coordinator, hosted a session that focused on supporting pregnant or parenting students in the classroom setting. There was a short presentation with crucial information about Title IX provisions followed by an opportunity to work through and get advice on individual questions and/or specific cases.

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  • Incorporating Indigenous Sources and Topics into your Class Expand dropdown

    Eric Hemenway, Director of Repatriation, Archives and Records for the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, helped educators weave in native history into the classroom, with examples of primary sources, topics and historical events that have significant, native participation. The focus was on the Anishnaabek of Michigan.

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  • Soup with Substance: Allyship Expand dropdown

    Our new coordinator of the LGBT Resource Center, Emma Wuetrich, hosted a discussion on LGBTQIA+ topics on our campus. This was be a roundtable to dialogue about our queer students and what allyship looks like in and outside the classroom. This event took place on Wednesday, October 25th. 

    Learn more about this workshop.

  • A Campus for Diverse Minds: Supporting Neurodiverse Students Expand dropdown

    This workshop, held on October 18th, was facilitated by Dr. Sally Burton-Hoyle and focused on inclusive resources to meet a wide range of needs in relation to neurodiversity in the university setting. If you are interested in viewing the Zoom recording for this session or the PowerPoint slides, please visit the webpage.

    Learn more about this workshop.

  • Making Time for Scholarship Expand dropdown

    Dr. Sarah Walsh, Professor of Health Sciences, hosted this session to help faculty and lecturers set intentions for the semester and workshop practical writing and publishing goals for the new academic year. 

    Learn more about this workshop.

  • Preparing Meaningful Syllabi Workshop Expand dropdown

    Jeffrey Bernstein (Professor of Political Science and Director of the Faculty Development Center) and Hannah Bollin (Doctoral Fellow for Educational Studies) collaborated to bring together a syllabus workshop to kick off the fall 2023 semester. During this event, we offered participants new ideas and language for your syllabi, both to ensure the requirements are met and to inspire, encourage, and better support our students.

  • Textbook Affordability Workshop Expand dropdown

    This three-part Textbook Affordability workshop series, hosted by the Faculty Development Center and facilitated by Kate Pittsley-Sousa, Julia Nims, and Sara Memmott, hopes to encourage, assist, and develop skills in EMU instructors related to the adoption of free or more affordable course materials.

    Learn more about this workshop.

  • Supporting Student Mental Health Workshop Expand dropdown

    Faculty are not trained therapists, and we should not act as if we are. But there are things we can do, and should do, to support our students in their time of need. The FDC and CAPS staff came together in this session to talk about student mental health issues, and about what faculty can do to support students. We discussed data, investigated scenarios, and shared ways we can address this challenging, but vitally important, part of our job.

    Learn more about this workshop.

  • ChatGPT: New Semester, New Challenges Expand dropdown

    Ann Blakeslee and Beth Sabo from the Writing Across the Curriculum program and the University Writing Center and Jeff Bernstein from the Faculty Development Center hosted two ChatGPT sessions during the summer of 2023. These sessions took place before the fall 2023 semester begins and offered instructors resources to take with them into the start of the year, including syllabus statements, classroom policies, and assignments. 

    Learn more about these sessions.

  • Setting the Tone: Creating a Culture of Mattering and Belonging in Your Class Expand dropdown

    This session brought together campus leaders in inclusive education to share practical guidance on how you can create a positive classroom environment, helping students to feel as if they belong in your class, and that their success matters to you.  What can you do - on a syllabus, on the first day, in the first few weeks - to create this sense among your students?  How do you use the beginning of the semester to set the right tone?  

    Learn More about this Session.

  • Inclusive Mentorship Workshop Expand dropdown

    This program, facilitated by Dr. Dyann Logwood (Assistant Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies) and Dr. Sadaf Ali (Professor of Digital Media and Journalism), intended to explore the intersections of race, class, and gender in order to better help BIPOC students navigate their unique challenges and build a sense of community among students and faculty outside of conventional spaces.

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  • Summer Book Discussion: Small Teaching Expand dropdown

    Jeffrey Bernstein and Ann Blakeslee held a three-part discussion series surrounding the book Small Teaching, 2nd ed., by James M. Lang. In this book, Lang delves into strategies of small change that can be used to enhance student learning experiences. Readers learned how to help students excel at retrieving knowledge from memory and make meaningful connections to course content, and how to build community and motivation in your classroom.

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