Annual Events
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!
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. This years conference focused on "Building Connections". Conference materials and presenations have been made available. Click below to view them.
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.
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.
Check back for details regarding the 2025 event as they become available.
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
Textbook Affordability Workshop
This program, hosted by the Faculty Development Center and facilitated by Kate Pittsley-Sousa and Julia Nims, is aimed at encouraging, assisting, and developing skills in EMU instructors related to the adoption of free or more affordable course materials.
Fall 2024 GACET Lunch Presentation Series
The GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology and the Faculty Development Center are looking forward to hosting a lunch presentation series throughout the fall 2024 semester to help support faculty in the College in their teaching endeavors. There will be four sessions; each on a different topic.
Community Building Events: National Dessert Day
Once a month,the FDCand the Office of Campus & Community Writing will be holding events to bring our EMU community together in fun ways. These events will give us all time to come together for food, company, and laughs! We hope to see you there! Join us for our next celebration: National Dessert Day!
Book Discussion Series
The Faculty Development Center and the Office of Campus & Community Writing invite you to join us for a book discussion focusing on Kevin M. Gannon’s recent book, Radical Hope: A Teaching Manifesto. We hope this book discussion will allow us to imagine what this better future might look like and to consider productive steps we might take to enact it. We invite you to join us to both imagine and to enact an agenda of radical hope for EMU.
Internal Research Awards Workshops
Join Alexis Braun Marks and Natalie Dove for a series of workshops on the application process and strategies for writing a proposal. These sessions will give you an opportunity to hear about how awards are judged, common pitfalls to avoid, and ways to make your application as appealing as possible to the audience that will be evaluating it.
Enhance Your Academic Research with AI!: Workshop on ChatGPT4, ChatGPT3, and MS Copilot
Unlock the potential of AI in your research with our exclusive workshop, "Utilizing Generative AI Tools in Academic Research: ChatGPT4, ChatGPT3, and MS Copilot." This hands-on session, facilitated by Muhammad Ahmed, Professor of Engineering, is designed for higher education faculty across all disciplines, and aims to enhance their research capabilities using advanced AI technologies.
Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity Showcase
The Bruce K. Nelson Faculty Development Center, the Office of Research Development and Administration (ORDA), and Graduate Studies and Research are excited to host the 2024 Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity Showcase, on October 29th, to celebrate scholarship and creative activities recently completed, or currently being pursued, by EMU faculty. This year, we are pleased to host student attendees interested in learning more about faculty work.
TaLT Topics: Gen AI in Teaching
In these sessions, which we are calling TaLT Topics, students, faculty, and staff will engage in meaningful conversations about topics that affect our classrooms and campus and that are important to our shared, collaborative community. Our first TaLT Topic is Generative AI in teaching. In this dialogue, we will develop ideas, articulate principles, and discuss best practices for how Gen AI can be best used in teaching and learning.
Previous Events
Teaching in Turbulent Times Expand dropdownAmidst our heated and contentious political climate, this program offers guidance for instructional staff in thinking about the 2024 election, and other stressful local, national, and world events, in our classrooms. This workshop provided support and strategies for dealing with the challenges of the outside world, while navigating the complexities of academic life.
The AS-L Summer Institute Expand dropdownThe AS-L Summer Institute was an opportunity for faculty and lecturers to reflect on prior AS-L courses and think deeply about the value of community engagement. We revisited student coursework with AS-L outcomes in mind, engaged in revising course assessments, and otherwise worked to improve AS-L courses we teach.
Summer Research Writing Sprint Expand dropdownAre 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.
Developing Effective AI-Integrated Assignments Across the Curriculum Expand dropdownIn this workshop, we highlighted effective AI integration in university coursework, sharing principles for effective assignment design and practical examples. The examples addressed generative AI integration in both gen ed and upper-level classes.
For more information and to watch the Zoom recording or view the slides from this session, click the link below.
Developing your Course Policies Regarding Gen AI Expand dropdownWe hosted this session twice to help EMU instructors think about these questions, and to develop a draft of their own policies that they can use this semester. Our facilitators have thought a great deal about these issues, and were prepared to guide people through these challenges, giving them every opportunity to craft a policy that reflects their own perspectives on Gen AI and its place within their pedagogy.
For more information and to watch the Zoom recording or view the slides from this session, click the link below.
Preparing Effective Syllabi: Moving Beyond Required Elements into Engagement, Accessibility, and Enthusiam Expand dropdownDuring this event, we offered participants new ideas and language for your syllabi, both to ensure university requirements are met, but also to inspire, encourage, and better support all of our students.
Supporting Student Mental Health: Guidance for All Instructional Staff Expand dropdownDrs. Oscar Alcaine and Sharon Carney from CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) talked about 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.
Fulbright Workshop Expand dropdownThrough this informational workshop, participants heard several experts talk about the various types of Fulbright grants and how to navigate the application process through EMU, as well as personal success stories of recent EMU faculty Fulbright grantees.
Careers and Cultural Diversity Fair Expand dropdownThis 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.
Achieving Your Summer Writing Goals Workshop Expand dropdownThe 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? Sarah Walsh hosted this session to help plan scholarly agendas for the summer.
Teaching and Learning Through Esports Expand dropdownEMU 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.
Media and Information Literacy Seminar Expand dropdownThe 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.
Internal Research Awards Workshops Expand dropdownEach 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.
Understanding Academic Accommodations Expand dropdownMatthew 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.
Playing Around with Generative AI Expand dropdownProfessors 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.
Developing Gen-Ed Course Proposals Expand dropdownGen-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.
Teaching and the Hiring Process Workshop Expand dropdownThis 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.
International Virtual Global Learning Workshop Expand dropdownUsing 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.
Pregnant or Parenting: Title IX Support Guidance Expand dropdownMatthew 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.
Incorporating Indigenous Sources and Topics into your Class Expand dropdownEric 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.
Soup with Substance: Allyship Expand dropdownOur 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.
A Campus for Diverse Minds: Supporting Neurodiverse Students Expand dropdownThis 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.
Making Time for Scholarship Expand dropdownDr. 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.
Summer Research Awards Expand dropdownDuring the fall 2023 semester, Alexis Braun Marks (University Library Department Head, University Archivist, and Associate Professor) and Natalie Dove (Associate Professor of Psychology and Interim Department Head of Psychology and Biology) hosted three sessions for those interested in applying for a Summer Research Award. The purpose of these workshops was to inform attendees on the application process itself and provide feedback on any materials provided. This series began with an information session, followed by two workshops. Both workshops covered similar material.
Preparing Meaningful Syllabi Workshop Expand dropdownJeffrey 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 dropdownThis 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.
Supporting Student Mental Health Workshop Expand dropdownFaculty 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.
ChatGPT: New Semester, New Challenges Expand dropdownAnn 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.
Setting the Tone: Creating a Culture of Mattering and Belonging in Your Class Expand dropdownThis 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?
Inclusive Mentorship Workshop Expand dropdownThis 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.
Summer Book Discussion: Small Teaching Expand dropdownJeffrey 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.