Annual Events
2026 CONNECT Conference
Join us on Friday, February 13, 2026, as Eastern Michigan University will host its annual the CONNECT: Michigan Teaching & Learning Conference in collaboration with our local community college partners, including Henry Ford, Oakland, Schoolcraft, Washtenaw, and Wayne. This conference will feature interactive presentations and workshops offered by faculty, lecturers, staff, and students.
Proposals are due Monday, November 17 at 5:00 p.m
Proposals are due Monday, November 17 at 5:00 p.m
New Beginnings Conference
The Faculty Development Center and the Office of Campus and Community Writing hosted the 2025 New Beginnings Conference on August 21st. This year's conference focused on "Radical Hope".
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 2025-26 Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity Showcase to celebrate scholarship and creative activities recently completed by EMU faculty. This event will take place on October 21st, 2025 from 3 to 5 PM. Register to present now!
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.
Nominations for the 2025 event are now closed
Flipping the Script Conference
Our second annual Flipping the Script Conference, hosted by the Faculty Development Center, will “Flip the Script” to empower the learners to become the teachers, and the teachers to become the learners. It offers all of us an opportunity to straddle both worlds, and to grow through that opportunity. The conference will take place November 22nd, 2024
Upcoming Workshops
Community Building: National Ampersand Day
- Monday, September 8 @ 3:30 PM
- Open to everyone!
- Join us for ampersandish food (such as chips & dip, cake & ice cream, cheese & crackers), board games (such as Chutes & Ladders), fun videos (such as Abbott & Costello), and lovely music (featuring artists such as Hall & Oates, Brooks & Dunn, Simon & Garfunkel).
What’s the Scoop on the New Tutoring Program?
- Monday, September 29 @ 3:30 - 5:00
- Open to all Instructional Staff
- Ice cream social where you can meet EMU’s new team of tutors and supplemental instruction leaders and discover simple, effective ways to encourage your students to take advantage of these services
Internal Research Awards
- Multiple dates in October
- Open to tenured or tenure-track Faculty
- Series of workshops designed to help those applying for Summer Research Awards or Sabbatical Leaves
Finding External Funding with EMU ORDA
- September 22 & October 23
- Open to Administrators, Faculty, Lecturers, Staff, and Graduate Students
- Learn about GrantForward, ORDA proposal submission processes, and strategies for how to determine which grants are worth pursuing
Guest Speaker Event: Kevin Gannon
- Monday, September 15 through Wednesday, September 17, 2025
- Open to everyone
- The FDC and the Office of the Provost are excited to announce that Kevin Gannon, author of Radical Hope: A Teaching Manifesto, will be visiting EMU!
- During his time here, Gannon will spend time with various members of our community, and facilitate two events that we invite you to attend: (1) a workshop on radical hope; and (2) a talk about general education
Previous Events
Designing Non-Credit Microcredentials at EMU: A Summer Seminar Expand dropdownThis was seminar focusing on non-credit programming and microcredentials that included exploring key concepts, learning to unbundle credit courses into modular, non-credit offerings, and designing microcredential proposals for adult learners
Pride in the Classroom: A Summer Lunch & Learn Expand dropdownThis session, facilitated by LGBT Resource Center Coordinator Emma Mentley Wuetrich, discussed ways our LGBTQ+ students are looking to be included in the classroom and the most reported concerns the LGBTRC heard about the classroom last academic year.
The Welcoming Syllabus: A Tool to Begin Connectng With Your Students Expand dropdownGuided by insights from the Persisting Together Learning Community, this workshop focused on practical strategies for transforming your syllabus from a formal requirement into a genuine connection tool. We explored how to weave warmth into policy language, introduce yourself authentically, and design course information that makes students feel seen and supported from day one.
Universal Design for Learning Expand dropdownThis session focused on the core principles of UDL, and how we can adopt some of those principles this upcoming semester.
Suporting Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Expand dropdownThis session with Oscar Alcaine, the Interim Director of CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) and Ron Flowers and Kati Lebioda (co-leaders of EMU’s Culture of Caring initiative) focused on the best ways we can support our students, in whatever role we play on campus.
Drop-In Syllabus Feedback Sessions Expand dropdownFacilitated by Alivia Overbee and Riley Coffee, both recent EMU graduates, current master’s students and members of the Persisting Together learning community, these sessions allowed you to receive direct student feedback on your syllabus draft.
Bridge Supports: Helping Instructors Prepare & Support EMU Students Moving Into Professional Fieldwork Expand dropdownThis two-day workshop brought together EMU employees who are responsible for incorporating field experiences into their coursework. Participants gained insight into best practices for creating, implementing, and managing student internship, fieldwork, practicum, co-op, and clinical experiences.
Make Research Collaboration Easy: Exploring ForagerOne
The Faculty Development Center hosted a drop-in session for faculty who want to learn more about ForagerOne, or would like assistance updating their research profiles. Amy Bearinger, Coordinator of the Undergraduate Symposium, was there to offer her guidance.
Lessons on Teaching and Learning: Applying the Legacy of Lee Shulman to Our Practice
This session featured people who knew Lee Shulman, and learned so much from him, who talked about the impact his work has had on higher education, and on what we can learn from Lee’s writings and from his example.
Teaching and the Hiring Process
In this workshop, we 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.
Internal Research Awards: Faculty Research Fellowships
In this workshop, we explore the application process and strategies for writing a proposal for FRF. Participants could bring completed applications and/or drafts to sessions to receive feedback from peers and workshop presenters.
Understanding Free Speech in the College Classroom
This conversation about free speech, with Lauren London, EMU General Counsel & Jeff Ammons, EMU Associate General Counsel, provides an engaging environment to discuss the rules concerning what professors can and cannot do in the realm of political advocacy and free speech in the classroom.
Faculty-Led Travel Programs
In this workshop, participants learned strategies for creating a pedagogically valuable experience for students, building your travel course itinerary, and enhancing your efforts to make the most of the learning experiences when you take your students on the road.
Writing Sprint
This a one-day writing retreat, hosted by Sarah Walsh, Professor of Health Sciences allowed participants to bring their laptops, and work on their work-in-progress.
TaLT Topic: Bringing Joy to Teaching and Learning
This TaLT experience offered students and faculty an opportunity to collaboratively explore our shared humanity as the basis for building and strengthening student-teacher relationships.
Inclusive Teaching Strategies Workshop
Audra Baleisis from the University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching in Engineering shared her expertise with a broader audience beyond those who teach in STEM disciplines and provided information on simple pedagogical practices that can support student learning in the classroom.
EMU UP: University Prepared
Participants will explored aspects of the 2+2 program proposal development and followed a supportive project guide to support faculty in developing new and innovative program initiatives that can lead to a proposal from their own departments
Thriving in Academia: Supporting Faculty Excellence
We hosted a series of programming about thriving in academia and supporting the faculty experience on our campus. This initiative, co-sponsored with the College of Education, aimed to provide programming that addressed pivotal moments in academic career development, and addressed challenges faced by faculty members today.
Restorative Practices for Empowered Teaching Professionals
This program was a holistic initiative aimed at enhancing the well-being of faculty and lecturers by integrating healing-centered practices into their professional and personal lives. This program offered a trauma-informed yoga session and psychoeducation workshop that addressed the complex stressors impacting faculty and lecturers, particularly in today’s challenging socio-political climate.
Autism Acceptance and Accommodations
This session presented basic information on autism, with an emphasis on the reasonable accommodations that each student may require. One in 36 children are being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, which affects each person differently. Across the lifespan they may experience difficulties with social interaction, communication, and unusual response to some environments.
Fulbright Faculty Workshop 2025
This year's Fulbright Scholars Workshop allowed participants to learn more about the Fulbright Scholar Program, the U.S. government's program of international and cultural exchange.
Designing Non-Credit Microcredentials at EMU: A Summer Seminar
This was seminar focusing on non-credit programming and microcredentials that included exploring key concepts, learning to unbundle credit courses into modular, non-credit offerings, and designing microcredential proposals for adult learners
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.
Enhance Your Academic Research with AI!: Workshop on ChatGPT4, ChatGPT3, and MS Copilot Expand dropdownThis hands-on session, facilitated by Muhammad Ahmed, Professor of Engineering, was designed for higher education faculty across all disciplines, and aimed to enhance their research capabilities using advanced AI technologies.
Internal Research Awards: Summer Research and Sabbatical Awards Expand dropdownDuring the fall semester, we held orientation sessions and workshops to support faculty applying for the upcoming round of Summer Research Awards and Sabbatical Awards.
Leveraging Aspire's Inclusive Professional Framework to Develop Core Skills to Support Inclusion in the Classroom, Lab, and Beyond
In this workshop, held by the "Engaging in Inclusive Teaching Practices amid Challenges Times" learning community, participants learned about a holistic professional development framework and how it applies to your professional life. Participants also reflected on how identity/power/positionality inform your role as an instructor. Finally, participants were able to practice integrating identity into relationships particularly with students.
GACET Lunch Presentation Series
The GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology and the Faculty Development Center hosted a lunch presentation series throughout the fall 2024 semester to help support faculty in the College in their teaching endeavors.
Gen AI and Research Ethics
Many of us have been spending a great deal of time thinking about how Generative AI will affect our teaching. In addition to teaching, however, Gen AI will affect our research as well. This session brought together faculty and other scholars on campus, along with the Office of Research Compliance, to consider benefits and drawbacks of using Gen AI in research, the ethical concerns this might raise, and how EMU can provide support to faculty looking to explore Gen AI as a research tool.
Developing Effective AI-Integrated Assignments Across the Curriculum
In this workshop, we highlighted effective AI integration in university coursework, shared principles for effective assignment design and practical examples. The examples will addressed generative AI integration in both gen ed and upper-level classes.
Textbook Affordability Workshop
In this workshop, Kate Pittsley-Sousa and Julia Nims introduced key concepts of open educational resources and other alternatives as well as giving faculty different methods of finding affordable reading materials.
Book Discussion Series - Radical Hope: A Teaching Manifesto by Kevin M. Gannon
The Faculty Development Center and the Office of Campus & Community Writing held a book discussion focusing on Kevin M. Gannon’s recent book, Radical Hope: A Teaching Manifesto to allow them to imagine what a better future might look like and to consider productive steps they might take to enact it.
Developing Your Course Policies Regarding Gen AI
In this session facilitators Christine Clark, Raed Jarrah, Rania Spantidi, and Jeffrey Bernstein, helped instructors develop a draft of their own policies that they can use this semester.
Panel on Advising Inclusively
The Inclusive Teaching Learning Community on Friday, December 6th held an event about how to advise inclusively as an instructor. Advising is very connected to the practice of teaching. They discuss how to apply an equity lens in your advising, how to consider equity when advising students for their career goals, and how to consider student disabilities when providing advising.
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 Enthusiasm 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.