Dear Faculty Colleagues,

October has a way of reminding us just how much happens in a semester and how much our faculty contribute to the life of this campus every day. At CAFE, we’re continuing to create spaces for faculty to share ideas, explore new approaches, and build connections beyond their own departments. This month’s newsletter brings together a little of that work, along with a few things to look forward to as the semester continues. I hope you’ll find something that sparks your curiosity, makes your work a little easier, or simply reminds you that there are plenty of colleagues across APSU navigating many of the same joys and challenges you are. :)

First-Year Faculty Cohort
On October 19, our First-Year Faculty cohort traveled to Fort Campbell for an opportunity to learn more about the military community and the people and resources that support it. The visit began with stops at the AP Building, where Ben and Walt welcomed our group for a conversation and Q&A, followed by a tour of the Education Center (especially the culinary arts space!) and APSU staff and faculty offices. Faculty then had the opportunity to see more during a guided drive with Jasmin and Marisa around post, passing key facilities, including the hospital, commissary, headquarters, and PX, before gathering for a group photo. The field trip offered our new faculty a valuable opportunity to see the Fort Campbell community firsthand, deepen their understanding of an important part APSU's identity, and consider the experiences and resources that shape the lives of so many of the students and families we serve at APSU.

Active Learning Book Group
Our book group, working its way through David Gooblar’s One Classroom at a Time, had another spirited discussion yesterday afternoon! We focused on Chapter 4, “Seeing Students Broadly,” and Chapter 5, “The Psychological Shift: Teaching in a Time of Economic Insecurity.” Both chapters continue to resonate with our community at APSU, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to gather with such a thoughtful group of faculty each month. We’ll meet again on November 17 to discuss Chapters 6–8.

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

• Oct. 21 - Budget Town Hall on Zoom
• Oct. 26 - CoAL Faculty Research Spotlight with Billy Renkl in Woodward Library 232
• Oct. 27 - Cody D. Jarman New Publication Lecture and Celebration in AD 120
• Nov 8 - CCCA concert with YCA Quartet, Accordion plus Strings in Mabry Hall
• Nov. 12 - Concourse Template Editor Trainings in Woodward Library 232
• Nov. 20 - Supporting Autistic Students in Higher Ed in CL 133

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

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.

I hope you had a restful and enjoyable Fall Break and found a little time to step away from the demands of the semester. Now we’re heading into the final stretch of October, with Halloween just around the corner! Whether you have a costume ready, plans with friends, or a quieter way to enjoy the holiday, I hope there’s something fun on your calendar. I look forward to connecting with you throughout the rest of the semester!

Here’s to a wonderful rest of October.  Happy advising season!

Yours always,
Jeff 

Pictured above: our FYF cohort at Fort Campbell on Monday, October 19!

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

Wood composition performed and recorded in Mississippi

Dr. Jeffrey Wood, Professor of Music, Composition, Theory, and Piano, recently went to Hattiesburg, MS, to hear and work with the USM Symphony Orchestra as they performed and recorded his composition Different Bodies on texts about Joseph Merrick (the "Elephant Man").  The work for voice and orchestra was performed by Jonathan Yarrington, tenor, in Bennett Hall on the campus of University of Southern Mississippi.  This work was inspired by Kenneth Sherman's “Words for Elephant Man" and was previously voted “Best Classical Premiere” by Nashville Scene in 2016.

Culhane presented at European Society of Criminology Conference

Dr. Scott Culhane recently represented the Department of Criminal Justice at the European Society of Criminology Conference in Warsaw, Poland.

He presented his research, “A Thematic Analysis of Post-Conviction Narratives Written by Serial Homicide Offenders,” examining the post-conviction experiences of serial homicide offenders through written correspondence and AI-assisted qualitative analysis.

Bilderback & students present at international business & economics conference

Dr. Stephanie Bilderback and eight business students recently traveled to New York City to present research proposals at the International Academy of Business and Economics Conference, held at the New York Institute of Technology.

Oliver honored as featured blogger exploring advocacy and student behavior

Dr. Allison Oliver was a featured ISTE+ASCD blogger whose post "Speaking Up for Students in Trouble" explores how advocacy shapes the way schools respond to student behavior. She argues that discipline decisions are often built on incomplete stories, and that adults' own actions and the surrounding context deserve as much scrutiny as the student's behavior. Drawing on her experience as a special education teacher, she shows that one honest voice can change a student's outcome, while silence lets inequitable decisions stand. Oliver calls on teachers and school leaders alike to ask hard questions, examine discipline patterns, and build cultures where speaking up for students is expected rather than exceptional.

Alberd recognized for National Science Foundation grant

Assistant Professor Dr. Jody Alberd, a 20-year Navy veteran and faculty member in the Department of Engineering Technology, has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (RIEF) grant to study how student veterans build their professional engineering identity during their senior capstone projects. Partnering with co-principal investigator Dr. Marie Paretti of Virginia Tech, Alberd will conduct a two-year study interviewing student veterans in engineering physics and engineering technology programs to explore how they reconcile their strong military background with an emerging identity as engineers, addressing challenges such as imposter syndrome during their transition from military service to civilian careers.

To help us gather submissions for our Faculty Excellence in Action section, this form (click or scan) allows department chairs and faculty members to share honors, achievements, research publications, presentations, creative activity, and other accomplishments that we can celebrate and highlight in an upcoming CAFE newsletter!

Mid-Term Grade Submission

Due by: Friday, October 23 @ noon

Mid-term grades are required: For all 1000- and 2000-level courses
Mid-term grades are strongly encouraged: For all other courses

Mid-term grades are an important resource for academic advisors as they work with students in preparation for priority registration.

** Coffee, tea, and desserts provided!  Please join us! **

November 5, 2026
11:30am - 12:00pm CT

The December 14 Zoom retirement date is approaching quickly.  Get practical guidance on preserving important recordings and whiteboards, managing upcoming meetings, and transitioning to Microsoft Teams before APSU's Zoom access comes to an end. Don’t miss this opportunity to ask questions and receive support for a smoother transition.

TechBytes sessions provide you with key information and tips on how to better promote academic integrity in testing environments, improve the accessibility of content, and prepare for upcoming changes to our online environments.

Distance Education would be very happy to have you at their second TechBytes of the semester, on November 5th, 2026, from 11:30 am to 12 noon. Microsoft Teams Registration Required. To register and for more information, please check out our TechBytes page.

Mark the exact 75th anniversary of CCCA’s inaugural concert with an unforgettable performance by the Young Concert Artists Accordion plus Strings!

Following the concert, patrons are invited to remain for a special anniversary celebration honoring this milestone in CCCA’s history and looking ahead to the future of live music in Clarksville.

Join us for a free pre-concert discussion at 2:00 PM in the Music/Mass Communication Building, Room 147.

Join us for this fall’s three-part series on meeting today's online learners at APSU through intentional presence, meaningful engagement, and continuous improvement. Each session unpacks a challenge in online teaching and features APSU faculty sharing how they've approached it.

Session 3: Building Reflection and Feedback into Your Practice

November 12th | 12:45-1:45 pm | MUC 310

Facilitated by Senior Instructional Designer Alexandra Rotzer, this session will explore ways faculty can engage in self-reflection and invite feedback to support the evolution of their course's design.  The following panel of invited guests, which includes faculty who have participated in AOQF and Quality Matters, will share their experiences and insights from engaging with the peer-review process for online courses:

Dr. Frank Ferdik, Criminal Justice
Dr. Charlie Gonzalez, Teaching & Learning
Dr. Christi Maldonado, Educational Specialties
Dr. Anna Carrie Webb, Distance Education

To register for this session, please complete the Fall 2026 ID Series registration form. Food and refreshments will be provided. To see who will be participating this year or learn more about our previous series, check out the Instructional Design Series page.

Health and Counseling is available to provide presentations on various topics for your class. Presentations cover a range of topics, including stress management, physical and mental well-being, and bystander training.  

To request a presentation, please complete the form at https://www.apsu.edu/wellness/. 

For questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Quianda Harris at harrisq@apsu.edu or Jill de Graauw at degraauwj@apsu.edu. 

We’re excited to introduce a new APSU Global Faculty Collective, designed to create a welcoming space for faculty from around the world to connect, share experiences, and build community at APSU. The group will provide opportunities for conversation, professional connection, and mutual support around the unique experiences and perspectives of international faculty.

We look forward to building this community together and welcome anyone interested in participating.

Facilitated by Dr. Amanda Patrick, Associate Professor of Sociology

GovSignal Faculty Development, AP Navigate video available here.

Distance Education Support has received an increasing number of questions related to Honorlock and Respondus. The good news is that the fastest way to resolve many of these issues is with the troubleshooting resources available on our website.

These resources address the most common setup and access problems and can help students avoid unnecessary delays, especially when they are preparing to begin an exam. Faculty are encouraged to share these links in their D2L courses wherever Honorlock or Respondus is introduced, so students know where to go first for help. 

As we begin a new semester, the Office of Community Care and Standards wants to make sure you are aware of resources available to support students and understand how to report a student of concern when additional support may be needed.

We encourage you to take a few minutes to review the division care resources as well as all the following information and keep this as a reference. 

FACULTY NOTIFICATIONS

Maxient - How notifications are sent
The Office of Community Care and Standards uses Maxient, a secure case management system, to send official communications to faculty about students in their courses who have connected with our office for support. You will receive these notifications via APSU email through Maxient.

This may include, but is not limited to: 

--Absence notifications due to medical or personal circumstances.

--Information to provide context about a student’s situation.

--Requests for collaboration or flexibility when appropriate.

Each message includes a secure, personalized link to retrieve the letter from Maxient. These are legitimate APSU emails and do not contain attachments for privacy reasons.

REPORTING A STUDENT OF CONCERN

Maxient is also used to report students of concern. If you have concerns about a student's well-being, safety, behavior, or ability to successfully engage with the university, you can submit a report through Maxient here:

STUDENT ABSENCES

The Office of Community Care and Standards tells students to communicate directly with their faculty regarding absences from classes. 

Visit this link to view the information that is shared with students.

Would you like some help integrating AI into a course you're teaching this semester?  Ask one of the AI Faculty Mentors in your College!  These faculty were chosen by your Deans and have already shown creative approaches to
utilizing AI in the classroom.  

Rather than serving as technology "enforcers" or authoritative experts, our AI faculty mentors serve as trusted guides, collaborators, and pedagogical partners who support faculty in making informed, values-aligned decisions surrounding AI use in higher education. CAFE hopes this initiative will help faculty build confidence with AI while recognizing that meaningful AI integration is best supported through shared learning, collaboration, and community.

Established in Fall 2026 under the direction of URIL, SOAR is a new student organization dedicated to fostering a culture of research, scholarship, and creative activity across APSU.

The organization provides students from all academic disciplines with opportunities to connect with faculty mentors, learn about research and creative endeavors, engage in

professional development, and discover pathways to graduate education and career success.

By bringing together students who share an interest in inquiry, innovation, and discovery, SOAR helps strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration while expanding access to high-impact learning experiences.

Faculty, SOAR needs your help to identify students for this organization!

Explore these short tutorial videos designed to help faculty and staff become familiar with the core features of the AP Navigate platform. Each video provides clear, step‑by‑step guidance on essential tools such as viewing student profiles, submitting alerts and referrals, documenting meetings, and managing availability. These resources are here to support your work and help you use Navigate confidently to promote student success.

Dr. Adrienne Wilk was recently named a recipient of the Socrates Award for Excellence in Teaching! Here is a little bit more about her and her accomplishments. 

Dr. Adrienne Wilk is an Assistant Professor of Nursing and Simulation Coordinator at Austin Peay State 

University. She earned her Ph.D. in Nursing Education from the University of Northern Colorado and holds certifications as a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator, Certified Nurse Educator, and Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist-Advanced. Dr. Wilk has extensive experience in nursing education, healthcare simulation, and faculty development. She is a co-author of the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice: Prebriefing and contributes to the simulation profession through accreditation review, research, presentations, and service with national simulation organizations. Her teaching emphasizes clinical judgment, psychological safety, and compassionate, patient-centered care. 

“My favorite thing about teaching at APSU is the opportunity to truly get to know my students and watch their confidence grow. It is incredibly rewarding to see them connect what they have learned in the classroom and simulation environment to the care they provide to real patients. I also value the opportunity to collaborate with faculty and students from a wide range of disciplines, both within healthcare and beyond. Bringing together different perspectives allows us to create meaningful learning experiences that reflect the complexity of the real world and prepare students to work collaboratively, solve problems, and make a difference in the lives of others.” 

100 years in the making.

Monday, April 26, 2027, at the Evans Harvill Quad.

Trust us, you'll want to be there.

"Breaking the Cycle of Bad Mentoring"

published October 8, 2026

by Kaveri Sheth

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 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.

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.