Dear Faculty, Administrators and Staff,

It is with great pleasure that I share the news of the upcoming leadership transitions at Seton Hall University. As you are aware, Monsignor Joseph Reilly is set to assume the position of President, effective July 1, 2024. Additionally, I am delighted to announce that Reverend Gerald J. Buonopane has graciously accepted the role of Vice Provost for Academics and Catholic Identity.

Father Buonopane will build upon the groundwork laid by Monsignor Reilly, focusing on further integrating the University's Catholic identity across academics, particularly in local and international initiatives and academic programs that solidify Seton Hall's standing as a beacon of Catholic education worldwide. He will work with the University Core and the Core Fellows, and moreover, Father Buonopane will collaborate closely with the faith-based and mission-based Centers, Institutes, and Directors.

Father Buonopane is currently a Senior Lecturer in the department of Chemistry and Biochemistry as well as Minister to the Priest Community.  He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark in 2006. Prior to entering Immaculate Conception Seminary Father Buonopane held a number of positions in academia, the federal government and in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Father Buonopane began his work in the department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in 2011 and in addition to this work, was appointed Minister to the Priest Community on June 1, 2020.

Please join me in expressing gratitude to Monsignor Reilly for his exceptional contributions, and in extending our best wishes to both Monsignor Reilly and Father Buonopane as they step into these pivotal leadership roles.

Sincerely,
Erik

For faculty, staff and administrators who need transportation to the Baccalaureate Commencement Ceremony at the Prudential Center on Tuesday, May 21, bus service from campus will be provided.

If you are working as an academic marshal and do not wish to drive to the Prudential Center, your bus will leave Seton Hall from the Recreation Center at 6:45 a.m. sharp.
If you are not working as a marshal, the bus will leave from the Recreation Center at 7:30 a.m. sharp.

Buses for both groups will leave the Prudential Center at approximately 12:30 p.m. for the return trip to the South Orange Campus. As a reminder, seats are on a first-come basis and are limited. Please reserve your seat no later than Friday, May 17, 2024.

Thank You to Our Spring 2024 DataLab Faculty Participants
The DataLab is a collaborative space where faculty, students and the library explore the vast potential of data-driven insights. University Libraries Data Services would like to thank the following faculty members for providing research opportunities for undergraduates this semester: Tinachun Chu (Biological Sciences), Nicole Hansen (Educational Studies), Jennifer Itzkowitz (Finance), Michelle Lee D'Abundo (IHS & Health Administration), Shajina Anand (Mathematics and Computer Science), Amy Joh (Psychology), Luye Li (Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice) and Hongfei Tang (Stillman School of Business).

Applications Now Open: Assessment Advancement Grants 
This initiative seeks to support academic departments and programs to enhance student learning assessment strategies and continuous improvement efforts. Small grants will be awarded to support a variety of expenses related to assessment improvements. Applications for the summer and fall of 2024 are due June 11, 2024. Learn more and apply.

In 2021, Assistant Professor and Co-Director, Women and Gender Studies Program, Denise Vigani in the Department of Philosophy began teaching a new philosophy course called Moral Psychology, focusing on the interdisciplinary field of study that draws on philosophy, psychology and cognitive science to address questions regarding the psychological aspects of morality. In it, she asked students, "What role might emotion play in moral judgment?", something most individuals might consider in spiritual and personal reflection. Vigani’s areas of specialization are virtue ethics and moral psychology, and her research involves elaborating and elucidating Aristotle’s views on the virtues, developing accounts of individual virtues, and investigating the relationship between virtue and practical reasoning.  She is the author of “Beyond Silencing: Virtue, Subjective Construal, and Reasoning Practically,” Australasian Journal of Philosophy (2021); “Virtue and Embodied Skill: Refining the Virtue-Skill Analogy,” Journal of Value Inquiry (2021); “Virtuous Construal: In Defense of Silencing,” Journal of the American Philosophical Association (2019); and “Aristotle’s Account of Courage,” History of Philosophy Quarterly (2017).

Follow the CFD blog to find out about upcoming events and initiatives. We also welcome your suggestions for workshops, speakers, and other events.

CFD Events:

“How to Critically Engage with AI”
Wednesday, May 15, 10 - 11 a.m.

Summer Writing Retreat
May 22, 23, and 24; 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
In SZ 112 and Teams (Registration required)
Register using the links below; be sure to indicate if you will be participating in person or virtually. 
May 22; May 23; May 24

Opportunities

Call for Participants: Seminar on Contemplative Pedagogy and AI

Experiential Learning:
Call for Participants: Experiential Faculty Fellows program 2024-25

The Center for Catholic Studies:

Spring Toth-Lonergan Lecture
Thursday, May 16, 3:30 - 5 p.m., University Center, Chancellor's Suite

Faculty Summer Seminar
Wednesday, May 22 - Thursday, May 23, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Registration is required

Faculty Summer Retreat
Tuesday, June 4 - Wednesday, June 5

Watch Our Videos:

Have you missed a recent CFD event? If so, you can find recordings here.

AI and Academic Integrity Faculty Survey
Together with the Faculty Senate Academic Integrity Working Group, the Teaching, Learning and Technology Roundtable is soliciting feedback on AI and its impact on academic integrity. The survey is intended for faculty who have teaching responsibilities, not staff or those in exclusively administrative positions. Responses are confidential and will be reported in the aggregate. Complete the AI and Academic Integrity Survey.

TLTC Summer Series
The TLTC is pleased to announce the 2024 Summer Series, featuring hands-on workshops focused on tools and strategies to streamline workflows, boost student engagement, and enrich teaching and learning experiences.

Submit an AI Teaching and Learning Symposium Proposal by May 17
The deadline to submit your presentation topic for the upcoming AI Teaching & Learning Symposium is Friday, May 17. Sessions will explore AI’s impact on education, covering a range of topics such as student engagement, pedagogy, EdTech tools, ethical considerations, and AI policy. Proposal descriptions should be 250 words or fewer and include whether the session will be a panel, traditional presentation, hands-on workshop, or follow another instructional model. Learn more and submit a proposal.

Adobe Education Institute
Monday, June 10 – Friday, June 14, Remote 
In partnership with Adobe, the TLTC encourages all Seton Hall faculty, administrators, and staff to attend the upcoming Adobe Education Institute (AEI). This exclusive online conference will enhance student engagement and multi-modal teaching using Adobe technology. Each 90-minute, live session covers topics such as Generative AI, Acrobat productivity, and portfolio creation with Adobe Express. Learn more and register for the AEI.

Promotion and Tenure Reminder 
Per Faculty Guide 5.1.h, faculty members who intend to submit an application for promotion and/or tenure next Academic Year (2024-25) must submit a notice to this effect to their Department Chairperson no later than May 15, 2024. In departments that require external reviews, the chairperson should begin the process of soliciting official external reviews before summer and in strict accordance with FG 5.2.b. 

Faculty Merit Pay Applications due to Chairs/Dean by June 10 
We are pleased once again to continue our Faculty Merit pay process as part of a comprehensive effort to reward faculty. As a reminder, excepting the Law School, the following faculty are eligible to apply for merit: (a) all tenured faculty and (b) all faculty who are presently completing at least their fifth year of full-time service to the University and hold the rank of faculty associate, senior faculty associate, clinical faculty, lecturer, or a full-time faculty position in SHMS or ICSST. Receipt of merit is of course contingent upon renewal of an applicant’s contract for the subsequent academic year.  

The important improvements to the Faculty Merit process that were recommended by a faculty committee and implemented two years ago worked well, so we will continue them. Eligible faculty in departments or colleges that specifically do not have approved merit rubrics and/or merit peer review committees can apply for merit by submitting to the Office of the Provost (john.buschman@shu.edu) and your Dean by August 1, 2024 a simple application that includes (1) a Digital Measures/Faculty Success report for work completed since the last promotion or merit award (whichever is most recent); (2) a short bulleted or narrative justification of merit that speaks specifically to research, teaching, and service relative to disciplinary standards of excellence; and (3) documentary evidence of relevant accomplishments (references for publications, grants, etc.).  

We strongly encourage faculty to apply for merit, particularly those faculty who have not yet applied, as we hope to be able to grant more awards this year. We will continue to enhance our means for rewarding, retaining and celebrating scholarship, teaching and service excellence at Seton Hall.