Dear Faculty, Administrators and Staff,

Happy April, everyone!

Kicking off the month is our ongoing celebration of Graduate Student Appreciation Week (March 31 – April 4), sponsored by the Office of Graduate Affairs. Expanding and strengthening our graduate community has been a priority for Seton Hall. Key to this effort is ensuring that our graduate students feel a strong sense of belonging to both the university and to one another. Graduate Student Appreciation Week provides the perfect opportunity to not only recognize their academic achievements, but also to create spaces for students to connect, engage, and feel celebrated.

This year's week-long celebration is already off to a great start with a variety of engaging activities across both the South Orange and IHS campuses. Special highlights include yesterday's Interview Skills Workshop and tomorrow's Dinner Reception and Dessert Social, offering a relaxed setting to connect with faculty, staff and fellow students.

I encourage you to join tomorrow's dinner and ice cream social, and please be sure to share the other, upcoming events with your graduate students. We hope this series of events reaches every student, making them feel supported by the University community.

I look forward to a month filled with celebrations and events that inspire creativity and fresh perspectives!

Sincerely,
Katia

Tuesday, April 22 at 3 p.m., University Center, Chancellor’s Suite

The Office of the Provost and the Center for Faculty Development are pleased to invite you to a special event focused on the design and delivery of experiential learning at Seton Hall! Please join us for a showcase sharing the outcomes of our 2025 Experiential Learning Fellows Program, held as part of the Petersheim Academic Exposition. Our fellows will share the outcomes of their program participation and offer attendees insights. This is a great event for anyone aiming to refine or advance experiential learning programs in their courses, program, or school! Learn more about the event.

The Office of the Provost continues to support student research through the MSCHE Student Travel Award. This is an opportunity for students to present their research at the Annual Conference of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 11, 2025. Please encourage your students to read more about last year's recipients here and consider presenting. To apply for the award, students should complete a brief application by May 1, 2025.

Be part of our community's annual celebration of scholastic accomplishments! The abstract submission deadline has been extended to Friday, April 11. Faculty are encouraged to spread the word among their students as well as submit their own abstracts. Visit the Petersheim website for details and the schedule of events.

Graduate Student Research Support

The Graduate Student Library Resources Module is live on Canvas. Faculty can transfer these modules into their courses. The modules currently have videos and resources that cover Copyright and Permissions, Dissertation/Thesis Submission Checklist, How to Submit Your Dissertation or Thesis. These are useful resources for graduate students to view now as the end of the semester approaches. Questions?  Contact Maria Barca, Lead Instruction Librarian at maria.barca@shu.edu.

Grants Training and Faculty Research Showcase Offered As Part of the Petersheim Academic Exposition

Sessions for new and experienced Principal Investigators will be offered by Ms. Norma Rubio of the Office of Grants and Research Services as part of the Petersheim Academic Exposition. Sessions will take place in the Walsh Library, Second Floor Silent Study Room. View the full schedule and details.

Research Compliance
Tuesday, April 22 from 2 – 5 p.m.
Research Compliance, Time and Effort, Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) and Federal Financial Report (FFR)

Faculty Research Showcase
Wednesday, April 23 from 9 a.m. – Noon; 2 - 5 p.m.

Pre-Award Sessions
Thursday, April 24 from 10 a.m. – Noon; 2 – 4 p.m. 
Request for Proposal (RFP), Scope of Work, Budget, Cayuse, Subawards, LOI, Release Time (academic year), Summer Research salary

Post Award Sessions
Friday, April 25 from 10 a.m. – Non; 2 – 4 p.m. 
Session on types of awards, requirements of the award, expenditures, reporting, Time and Effort, subawards, travel, equipment, No Cost Extension (NCE)

New Publications from ICSST Faculty Professors Timothy Fortin and Ellen Scully
Timothy P. Fortin, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chair of Philosophical Theology,
Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology published a new book. On the Nature of Human Sexual Difference:  A Symposium (Springer Publishing, November 2024) explores the nature of human sexual difference through the lens of Plato's work by exploring different phenomena associated with sexual difference. Fortin cites the evolutionists, Simone de Beauvoir and Judith Butler, and intertwines the theses of Thomas Aquinas to offer more clarity to a subject landscape that has historically confused scholars

Ellen R. Scully, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chair of Undergraduate Theology, published Human Salvation in Early Christianity:  Exploring the Theology of Physicalist Soteriology (Cambridge University Press, January 2025). In the book, Scully gives a historically driven account of early Christian theology tied to physicalist soteriology - which explores how Christ's incarnation impacts everyone universally, regardless of belief systems or consent. Scully also details how Christian theological debates around ascetism, and ensoulment have impacted narratives about salvation and the related impact of physicalist soteriology. Scully was also nominated for the University of Louisville 2026 Grawemeyer Award in Religion.

New Update: Biography and Expertise Page

We’ve made an important update to the Biography and Expertise page to enhance clarity. You will now see a red "P" next to fields that automatically display from Faculty Success to your Faculty Web Profile.

What does this mean?

A"P" next to a field indicates that the information will automatically appear on your Faculty Web Profile at www.shu.edu. This update ensures transparency and helps you easily identify which details are published.

Follow the CFD blog for more upcoming events and initiatives. Suggestions for workshops, speakers, or requests for co-sponsorship of faculty-oriented events welcome!

Events

"So You Want to be a Full Professor"
April 4, 11 - 12 p.m., in Teams

How Video Games are Changing the World - Speaker: Marijam Did
April 8, 7 - 8:30 p.m., SZ 113

"How Far Toward Unity Can We Go?" A Lecture by Tamara Grdzelidze
April 9, 2 - 3 p.m., Chancellor's Suite
(sponsored by the Catholic Studies Program)

SHeWill Coffee Break.  "Finding Balance in Teaching, Research, Service and Family Responsibilities"
April 10, 10 - 11 a.m., UC 201

An Evening with Rapper and Poet Omar Offendum
April 10, 6:30 - 8p.m., UC Outdoor Amphitheater

Fulbright Information Session
April 11, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

SHU Meditates
Thursdays, 12:30 - 1 p.m., in Teams

Faculty Lunch time Meet-ups (in the faculty area of the Galleon Dining Room)

Write Club
A virtual space to work on research in a supportive atmosphere; Fridays, 9 - 11 a.m., in Teams.

Resources

Videos

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

Upcoming TLTC Workshops
Through year-round workshops and one-on-one support from designated Instructional Designers, the TLTC supports faculty and staff success. Attend sessions in-person at Space154 or online via MS Teams.

Explore the Future of Higher Ed at EdgeCon Spring 2025
Registration is still open for EdgeCon Spring 2025, being held on Thursday, April 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Seton Hall’s South Orange campus! This engaging one-day conference will explore digital teaching and learning, institutional strategy, artificial intelligence, accessibility, and the future of work in higher education. Don’t miss featured presentations by Seton Hall community members on immersive virtual reality experiences and podcasting as tools for innovation and collaboration. Learn more and register for EdgeCon.

Top Canvas Tips for Faculty
The Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center (TLTC) has curated this month’s top Canvas tips to help faculty make the most of the platform. Discover how to submit assignments on behalf of students, enhance accessibility with Ally, organize content using headings, and leverage tools like Canvas Commons and New Analytics to streamline course management and support student success. Explore Canvas features and tips.

Latest Episode of the Innovate and Educate Podcast
Episode six of the Innovate and Educate podcast dives into how EdTech can help faculty empower students as content creators while advancing accessibility goals. Hear from Christine Lhowe, M.F.A., on teaching accessible web design, and Lauren McFadden, Ed.D., on preparing future educators to support diverse learners. Listen and subscribe to Innovate and Educate.

Academies and Idea Halls: Funded Projects Showcase and Information Session on April 14
On April 14, 2025 from 3:30 – 4:45 p.m. in the University Center, Event Room, come and explore current funded projects in a poster presentation format, engage with colleagues, and get your questions answered about the application process.  Learn more about the event and register here.

Ready to apply? Visit the Innovation Hub page and apply now (Deadline: Sept. 10).

Impact Talk: “Teaching, Learning and AI” with ACUE President Jonathan Gyurko
On Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at 3 p.m. in the Event Room, Jonathan Gyurko, Ph.D., president and co-founder of the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE), will deliver the next installment of our Impact Talk Speaker Series. President Gyurko, a leading voice in effective teaching and public-private collaboration, will discuss how quality teaching can adapt to these challenges. His new book, Publicization, explores how partnerships in education can drive meaningful change. The first 30 attendees will receive a complimentary copy of Publicization, which President Gyurko will sign following his talk. Learn more and register for the event.

Call for Assessment Advancement Grants: Applications Open Through May 1
Now in its second year, the Assessment Advancement Grants initiative provides financial support to academic departments and programs in enhancing their student learning assessment and continuous improvement efforts. Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to implement new assessment methods, engage stakeholders, enhance existing strategies, modify curricula based on assessment results, integrate technology for assessment data collection and analysis, and support faculty training on best practices and data interpretation.

Applications for the summer of 2025 are due by May 1, 2025. For more information or to discuss your proposal, contact Sona Patel at sona.patel@shu.edu. Learn more and apply here.

Celebration of Faculty Excellence: May 6
On Tuesday, May 6 in the University Center, Event Room, the Office of the Provost will showcase the remarkable contributions of our faculty members at the Celebration of Faculty Excellence. The award categories include: Researcher of the Year, Teacher of the Year, Adjunct of the Year, Excellence and Innovation in Teaching 21st Century Skills, Excellence in Service-Learning Award, and two awards for outstanding contributions in assessment, namely the Excellence in Assessment and Assessment Champion awards.

For many of these awards, each school proudly selects its winners, with each recipient receiving a stipend in recognition of their accomplishments. University-wide winners are chosen by committees comprised of past awardees, and we eagerly anticipate unveiling these honorees during the event. Please mark your calendars and RSVP to join us for this special celebration.

ACUE Pinning Ceremony: May 12
Please join in celebrating the accomplishments of those who complete the program at the ACUE Pinning Ceremony on May 12, 2025 at noon in Bethany Hall, where these faculty will receive their certificates and digital badges. Click here to register.

This year Jonathan Gyurko, President of ACUE, will deliver a keynote address. In addition, faculty members will share testimonials about how they’ve integrated the strategies they learned into their teaching. This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone interested in joining the program next year to hear firsthand about its impact and the transformative power of evidence-based teaching practices. Learn more about the program and how to apply.