Remarks from Our Director

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

Welcome back and can you believe it is the first week of classes of the Fall 2025 semester!  I'm so excited to kick off another academic year with all of you!

This summer, especially August, has been incredibly busy! In collaboration with Human Resources, I led two Part-Time Instructor trainings — one virtual and one in-person — ensuring that our new adjunct professors feel confident in their roles. Our First-Year Faculty cohort is already bonding and bringing wonderful energy to campus. I’m confident their expertise will greatly enrich our community. I will meet with the FYF cohort on Monday afternoons starting September 8th. Like I did last year's newsletters, I'll report to you what we cover in our FYF cohort meetings.  It was also a pleasure to meet with our first-year faculty mentors, who will be invaluable resources as the new faculty begin their careers at APSU. I hope you’ve seen our social media posts highlighting faculty and CAFE events — I love showcasing our amazing faculty here at APSU!

I’m delighted to announce CAFE’s new Graduate Assistant, Sarah Barry, who completed her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY. She’s already making significant contributions to CAFE and will be a private voice student of mine while pursuing a Master of Music in Vocal Performance. You’ll learn more about her in an upcoming newsletter spotlight. Sarah will be in McCord with me on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, so please stop by and say hello!

Upcoming Events
Here’s a quick look at upcoming opportunities:

• Fall 2025 Peay Composed Faculty Community of Practice

• Sept 4 TechBytes (and the entire Fall 2025 schedule)

• DE Course Mapping Series

• The Art of the Op-Ed session with Dr. Michael Bednarczuk

• AI Symposium & Call for Proposals

• The Mini Govs Club - A New Social Group for APSU Faculty & Staff with Children

CAFE Calendar 
I'll continue to update our CAFE Calendar as more events and sessions become finalized.  Be sure to bookmark it and add any events directly to your Outlook calendar. 

This year, I look forward to working with our CAFE Advisory Board and Dr. Lisa Sullivan, our new Senior Vice Provost and Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, to chart our path forward with innovative, useful programming and resources. As always, we welcome your ideas on how CAFE can better serve you.  Please don't hesitate to reach out at williamsjj@apsu.edu or 931-221-7648.

Wishing you all a wonderful first week of classes!  I hope you had a fantastic summer and here's to a great year!  Let's Go Peay!

Yours always,
Jeff 

A place develoted to celebrating the achievements of our APSU faculty colleagues!

Collins' courtroom sketches bring Glen Casada trial to life

Paul Collins, Professor of Painting in the Department of Art + Design, was commissioned as the courtroom sketch artist for the federal corruption trial of former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada—providing visual coverage in a courtroom where cameras and electronics are prohibited.  Over long courtroom sessions, Collins produced dozens of rapid pencil sketches and then selects the best six to eight to refine with color and ink, balancing speed with artistic storytelling under time pressure.  Through this experience, he brought justice to life visually, while gaining insights into the judicial system that he hopes to share with students - encouraging them to explore courtroom sketching as both an art form and a civic engagement opportunity.

Woods receives the SAGE Outstanding Scholar Award

Dr. Kathryn Woods, Professor of Leadership, received the SAGE Outstanding Scholar Award, the Association of Leadership Educators' highest research honor. Woods was also the lead author on the project that took home ALE’s Outstanding Research Paper Award, a distinction she shared with Dr. Melissa Kates, Chair of the Department of Leadership, and new Leadership faculty member Dr. Kameron Rinehart.  Their award-winning paper, “Moving on from Standardized Testing: Evaluating Applicants to Leadership Graduate Programs,” examines whether traditional admissions metrics still serve graduate programs in a post-COVID world. The team found that while undergraduate GPA remains a useful indicator for students early in their careers, professional experience becomes a far more reliable predictor of success as applicants gain time in the workforce.

Farrell co-authors article on the potential of analytic induction in entrepreneurship research

Dr. Matthew Farrell, Assistant Professor of Management and Marketing, has co-authored an article entitled “Analytic induction: A novel approach in entrepreneurship” in the Journal of Business Venturing Insights. The study introduces analytic induction as a process-based method for identifying invariant outcomes in entrepreneurship research. It highlights both the potential and the methodological challenges of this approach, offering a new direction for future inquiry in the field.

Oliver has article published on supporting teacher candidates with autism

Dr. Allison Oliver, Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Department of Teaching & Learning, has had a new journal article published in the Journal of Case Learning and Exceptional Learners, entitled RISE Above: Supporting Teacher Candidates with Autism Through Specialized Coaching. This case study explores the implementation of the RISE coaching model, a relationship-based intervention Dr. Oliver designed to support teacher candidates with autism as they navigate practicum and student teaching experiences. The study follows two participants as they engage with personalized strategies to build confidence, emotional regulation, and professional identity. The article highlights the urgent need for inclusive practices within educator preparation programs and offers practical, research-informed recommendations to better support neurodivergent candidates entering the teaching profession.

Frederick assists Tennessee law enforcement in cold cases

Dr. Daniel Frederick, Professor of Geology, is using ground-penetrating radar to assist Tennessee law enforcement with cold case investigations. His expertise helps agencies narrow searches for potential burial sites, saving significant time and resources while sometimes providing families with long-sought closure. By occasionally involving students in these efforts, Dr. Frederick also creates unique, real-world learning opportunities that highlight the vital role of APSU’s faculty in serving the community. 

Frederick, pictured below, operates a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) at Riverview Cemetery to assist with a student's research project on cemetery waste.

You can now find the Center for Advancement of Faculty Excellence in McCord 212

We are thrilled to have this larger space and hope you will come visit!

The Office of Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), in partnership with the Center for Advancement of Faculty Excellence (CAFE), seeks faculty interested in participating in the Peay Composed Faculty Community of Practice for Fall 2025.

The Fall 2025 Peay Composed Faculty Community of Practice will begin September 8th and continue until December 4th, 2025.

Participation in the Peay Composed Faculty Community of Practice is asynchronous via MS Teams, with two Zoom meetings and an in-person, catered debrief luncheon at the end.

The Peay Composed Faculty Community of Practice is open to full-time faculty who teach undergraduate courses with a significant writing component in any discipline or level that aligns with the QEP Student Learning Outcomes, fits into the broad genres of argument or analysis, requires students to write at least 1000 words or about two pages, and is central to the learning outcomes of the course and/or program.

The Community of Practice is a community of faculty who are interested in:

- reflecting on significant writing assignment(s) in a course where students often struggle

- identifying and implementing new and innovative pedagogical and assessment approaches to support student success

- sharing and supporting colleagues within the community of practice and beyond

- disseminating and showcasing writing best practices in their discipline

- participating in Peay Composed in future semesters

A faculty stipend of $750 will be paid to faculty who complete the community of practice requirements, including attendance and engagement in community of practice activities, and a completed course implementation/action plan that identifies ways to improve and enhance student learning related to the Peay Composed outcomes.

For more information or an expression of interest, please complete a brief form (below) or contact Troy Priest at priestt@apsu.edu

Thanks so much to all who attended our
AI day programming on August 20th 
and to Academic Affairs for sponsoring lunch!

We've launched a dedicated AI @ AP website for updates, resources, and event details throughout the year. The site is evolving, so check back often.

This initiative is possible thanks to the support of President Mike Licari and the senior leadership team, who funded the initial round of AI development opportunities for our campus.

We look forward to working with you to make Austin Peay State University the region's choice for transforming lives through innovative education!

Dr. Kathrine Bailey coordinates AI @ AP and can help with questions, ideas, or campus-wide AI coordination needs. Contact her at baileyk@apsu.edu.

A New Social Group for APSU Faculty & Staff with Children!

Are you an APSU faculty or staff member looking to connect with colleagues who also have young children? We're excited to announce the formation of the Mini Govs Club, a brand-new social group designed specifically for APSU employees with children from birth through middle school age. Our mission is simple: to build community and friendship among faculty and staff families through fun, family-friendly activities like group movie outings, playground meetups, and cheering on our Govs together at APSU athletics events - including sitting together in the City Forum Family Zone during football games! (The APSU Athletics Department has graciously offered us discounted season passes in this section.)

Whether you're interested in craft nights on campus, restaurant gatherings with play areas, or other creative family activities, we welcome suggestions from all members as we grow this supportive network.

While this group is focused on faculty and staff with littles, all APSU employees and their significant others are welcome to join us in creating lasting connections and memories. Ready to help launch this exciting new community? We can't wait to meet you and your mini Govs! Please contact Dr. Erin Carlin (carline@apsu.edu) to be added to the group.

Dr. Eva Gibson was recently named the recipient of the Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Faculty Award for Community Service! Here is a little more about her and her accomplishments.

Dr. Gibson is an Associate Professor and serves as the Program Coordinator of the Master’s in Counseling Program.

Prior to becoming a full-time counselor educator in 2017, Gibson served as a school counselor in the Clarksville Montgomery County School System for 11 years.

Dr. Gibson was named the American School Counselor Association’s (ASCA) “2017 Tennessee School Counselor of the Year” and currently serves on the editorial board for the Professional School Counseling journal.

Additionally, she previously served as an ASCA Board Director (21-24), Tennessee Counseling Association President (18-19), and Tennessee School Counseling Association President (14-15).

Dr. Gibson has presented at numerous conferences, delivered multiple training workshops, and produced numerous publications. Her research areas include school counseling leadership, culturally-affirming practices, and advocacy. 
  
When asked about her favorite part of APSU, she replied, “What I love most about teaching at APSU is that it feels like coming home. I earned both my bachelor’s and master’s here, so it’s such a special honor to return and give back to the community that helped shape me.” 

Join us in congratulating Dr. Gibson for being awarded the Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Professor Faculty Award for Community Service!

Dr. Lindsey Gilmore is one of the new additions to our CAFE Advisory Board! She is the Associate Vice President for Campus Engagement in Student Affairs. She has been at APSU for just over a year.

When asked why she wanted to serve on the CAFE Advisory Board, she said, “I am excited to join the CAFE Advisory Board because it gives me the chance to deepen partnerships with Academic Affairs and colleagues across campus. I am looking forward to working together to support our faculty with the resources they need and to help strengthen connections that make our campus community even stronger.” 

Her favorite part of APSU is the students! Her favorite hobbies include photography, hiking, and baking and her favorite movie is Dirty Dancing.

We are so excited to have Dr. Gilmore on our board!

Pictured left to right: Israel Jimenez, MM Vocal Performance candidate, Katelyn Gabler, MM Vocal Performance candidate, Sarah Barry, MM Vocal Performance candidate, Dr. Jeffrey Williams, CAFE Director, and Libby Polski, BM Vocal Performance candidate.

CAFE enjoyed participating in APSU's Peayple in the Community Day of Service at Bell Garden in Nashville!  Our Director, Dr. Jeffrey Williams and CAFE Grad Assistant, Sarah Barry, participated as well as three of Dr. Williams' other private voice students.  

Many thanks to all faculty who participated in this special day, highlighting our  commitment to engagement and service to the community.

If you will be a candidate in a retention, tenure, or promotion review, your workflow within Watermark Faculty Success should be launched. You can find the key dates as well as the dates for each phase of the Retention, Tenure, and Promotion review process in the updated personnel actions calendar.

Report dates for next academic year can be found in the faculty report dates calendar.

Both of these calendars are posted on the Faculty Calendars web page.

Have you bookmarked the CAFE Calendar yet?  We’re constantly adding new events!  Stay up to date with all CAFE-affiliated programming happening across campus.  Don’t forget - you can easily add any event directly to your Outlook calendar with a click! 

If you haven't yet, you should!

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We appreciate your support!

Do you have an event that you would like promoted in CAFE's bi-monthly newsletter?

Feel free to email us at cafe-fac@apsu.edu with the information. We will review it and inform you if the request is appropriate for the CAFE audience.