Dear Faculty, Administrators and Staff,

I'm happy to announce the commencement of the nomination process for the faculty excellence awards, upholding our tradition of honoring exceptional faculty by acknowledging a Researcher of the Year, a Teacher of the Year, an Adjunct of the Year, an Excellence and Innovation in Teaching 21st Century Skills Awardee, and an Excellence in Service-Learning Awardee from each college or school. Additionally, we will recognize a university-wide winner in each of these categories.

This year, we have introduced a nomination form that is open to all for submitting nominees in any of the award categories. Nomination forms are due by Wednesday, January 15.

School-wide committees will receive and review their applications and provide their recommendations to the Dean as a rank-ordered list. Each dean should designate a faculty committee, who will receive the nominations and review applications from their unit. These committees may reach out to nominees for additional material as per the individual award criteria on the Faculty Excellence website.

The Deans will then submit the names of their awardees to the Assistant Provost for Academic Excellence and Assessment by Friday, January 31, 2025.

Sincerely,
Katia

In honor of one of America's most revered advocates for racial justice and social change, Seton Hall will once again offer a special one-credit workshop on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Monday, January 20, 2025) from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. in Bethany Hall (virtual option available). The workshop will examine perspectives on racism, privilege and justice, including informative assessments of historical and contemporary issues from faculty. Registration and more details to be announced soon.

The Summer 2025 University Research Council (URC) application cycle is open through Monday, February 17, 2025 at noon. The University Research Council offers assistance for summer stipend requests of up to $10,000 and research grants of up to $10,000 for use during the subsequent academic year. Learn how to apply.

This new training development initiative for faculty, staff and administrators, developed by a committee across the university, aims to foster awareness and understanding of LGBTQIA+ identities and experiences. Safe Zone will provide participants with tools to promote allyship and inclusivity within the Seton Hall community. Registration is appreciated – upcoming sessions in include January 6 and January 9. 

Give Yourself the Gift of ORCID!
Faculty can enhance the discovery of your scholarship over the upcoming break. ORCID is a unique, persistent identifier (PID) you can register for so funders, publishers, scholarly societies, and other researchers can quickly find and distinguish your work. Learn how to sign up today.

Faculty can also transfer your scholarship between ORCID, Digital Measures, HeinOnline, Scopus or Google Scholar with a simple text file. Visit the ORCID information page for details or reach out to natalie.lau@shu.edu with questions.

Professor Nathan Oates' Critically Acclaimed Debut Thriller is a Tale of Deception
A recent debut novel from Director of Undergraduate Writing Studies Nathan Oates, A Flaw in the Design has earned critical acclaim. The thriller, a tale of deception, was released by Random House in 2023 to strong reviews. It is about the life of a writing professor whose life is derailed when he becomes guardian of his very charming, but dangerous nephew. Oates wrote the book while on sabbatical, and it was soon optioned for development as a TV show. Learn more.

Hanover Grants Calendar for Student Success
The Sponsored Programs Calendar is a wide-ranging schedule of programs and opportunities across the entire curricula and activities of the university. This calendar reviews upcoming grant opportunities focused on student success, education, capacity building, and economic/workforce development. Short-term targets with set deadlines are included alongside longer-term opportunities expected to occur across the next year and beyond. Review the biweekly Hanover Grants Digest.

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

Play Reading and Talk-Back: "The Widow" - a play by Ruth Zamoyta
December 9, 6 – 8 p.m., University Center Theater

Winter Writing Retreat 
January 6, 7, and 8; 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Microsoft Teams

Podcast: Faculty Matters

Weekly Events

Weekly meditation, Faculty Lunch-time Meet-ups and Write Club will commence after the winter break.

Opportunities

Videos

Missed a recent event? Find all event recordings here.

Featured Videos: 

Drop the Lowest Score in a Canvas Assignment Group

Canvas allows instructors to create grading rules within assignment groups, providing flexibility in final grade calculations. These options include dropping the lowest or highest scores, excluding certain assignments from the rules, and specifying which assignments the rules should apply to. Learn how to configure grading rules for assignment groups.

End of the Semester Canvas Checklist

At the end of each semester, it is recommended that you take some time to review the information in your Canvas course(s). This checklist will guide you through common tasks for wrapping up your course and getting it ready for the next time you teach it. Review the End of Semester Canvas Checklist.

Episode Three of the Innovate and Educate Podcast
In the final episode of the EdTech series, Brian Muzás, Ph.D., shares his "React Artifact" strategy for personalized assessments, Genevieve Pinto Zipp, Ed.D., and Leslie Rippon, Ph.D., explore virtual reality in health sciences, and Nicole Paternoster, Ed.D., discusses how Adobe Express vision boards inspire goal-setting and connection. Stay tuned for next month’s episode, which kicks off a three-part series on accessibility. Listen and subscribe to Innovate and Educate.

Seton Hall Introduces Tap-to-Print
Seton Hall’s Department of Information Technology is introducing new RFID readers on office printers at the South Orange campus, allowing faculty and staff to securely release print jobs with a simple tap of their ID cards. This upgrade enhances convenience, efficiency, and sustainability while ensuring sensitive documents remain secure. To prepare for the transition, faculty and staff should confirm their ID cards are compatible, have their Pharos PIN ready, and verify their print drivers. Learn how to prepare for the tap-to-print upgrade.