Dear Faculty, Administrators and Staff,

We have been thinking a lot about how we can create more space for our faculty to tap into creative endeavors, both in scholarship and in developing unique learning experiences for our students. With this in mind, I am happy to announce a couple of initiatives that will hopefully help support our aspirations for excellence. 

First, we are continuing the Office of the Provost’s Scholarly Course Release Program for the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters. This program allows full-time faculty to apply for a 3-credit course release, freeing up time from the usual teaching load to advance or complete important scholarly work. You can view the criteria and application process here. Please make sure to submit your application with your Chairperson’s evaluation to your Dean by Tuesday, November 5. Deans will then submit their ranked applications to the Provost’s Office by Monday, November 25.

Second, when we work together – faculty, staff and administrators – across divisions, we can bring new perspectives to challenges and bring ideas and solutions that may not have been considered otherwise. We are pleased to also continue the Idea Hall Initiative, which was created with this purpose of cross-divisional idea generation in mind. We are particularly excited to support four projects that not only demonstrate interdisciplinary collaboration but also hold the potential for significant impact on our institution, students, or faculty. We are pleased to announce the 2024-25 Idea Hall projects:

We received excellent proposals all around and we prioritized those that best appeared feasible within the given timeline, that were not already funded/fundable by other sources or a similar project, included a detailed budget aligned with expected outcomes, and outlined a clear plan for measuring success and future steps. Congratulations to these teams and thank you to all who participated, let us continue to create great opportunities for our community!

Sincerely,
Katia

At the heart of Seton Hall, a new initiative is helping employees tap into one of the University’s best sources for career development: each other. Now in its fourth year, the Employee Professional Development program builds relationships between members of the Executive Cabinet and administrators across different departments through a mentor-mentee format. Learn more.

The Division of Student Services is offering free R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense) training to all female members of the University community on October 26 and 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Female students, employees, staff and faculty will receive training and instruction manuals at no cost. The R.A.D. course is a self-defense program designed to empower women by educating them about risk awareness, risk recognition, risk avoidance and risk reduction. Registration is required.

If we do not know where we come from, it is hard to know what role we play. On Tuesday, October 29 at 4 p.m. in Bethany Hall, Professor Michael Naughton, Ph.D. from the University of St. Thomas will deliver a special lecture as part of the University’s Presidential Investiture celebration. Naughton will explore the compelling narrative of Catholic education that draws upon our personal, institutional and cosmic stories. Save your seat.

Join us for a 35-minute session on Wednesday, October 30, at 1 p.m. where you'll learn more about the 24/7 online tutoring services from Tutor.com that are available to our students. This session covers best practices, outreach resources, a live demonstration of the Tutor.com learning environment, and the benefits of online tutoring in improving student success. Learn more.

Welcome to Our New Health Sciences Librarians!
University Libraries is excited to announce the hiring of two new Health Sciences Librarians, Emily Cerri and Jane Ogora. Both librarians will be located at the Interprofessional Health Sciences campus in Nutley, New Jersey. Emily Cerri comes to University Libraries from the Robert Wood Johnson Library at Rutgers and has a Master of Information from Rutgers University. Jane Ogora comes to Seton Hall after ten years at Adventist Healthcare as their Lead Medical Librarian and nine years as an Access Services Librarian at Washington Adventist University. She has an M.L.I.S. from Rutgers University and an M.B.A. from Washington Adventist University. Both librarians can be reached at ihslibrary@shu.edu.

Lonergan Institute director Jonathan Heaps Publishes New Book on Philosophical and Theological Ideas
From Lonergan Institute director Jonathan Heaps comes a new book, The Ambiguity of Being: Lonergan and the Problems of the Supernatural. Published in 2024 by The Catholic University of America Press, the book discusses Bernard Lonergan’s philosophical and theological ideas about the natural and the supernatural.

Appointed director of the Institute in late 2023, Heaps is a prolific scholar specializing in Catholic philosophy and theology who has been serving the Seton Hall community and the Lonergan Institute since 2020.  Initially, Heaps served as The Lonergan Review’s associate editor.   In addition to his many academic publications, Heaps relates many ideas to 20th Century Catholic thought in scholarly journals, blogs, and podcasts. Therein, he explores themes like embodied cognition; contemplative methodology; grace, freedom, and culture; and historical soteriology.

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

Events:

Diversity Film Series: I am Not Your Negro
Oct. 24, 5 – 7 p.m., Fahy Hall, Rm 129

Diversity Reading Group: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do
Oct. 25, 10 - 11 a.m., in UC 201 and Teams

"From Awareness to Action: Strengthening Faculty-Student Relationships through Identity-Affirming Strategies" - Talk and Workshop with Kwame Sarfo-Mensah
Nov, 18, 9:30 - 11a.m., in Teams

"Nature, Grace, and Secular Culture
Nov. 21, 4 - 5 p.m., Schwartz Hall 112

New CFD Podcast: Faculty Matters
Episode 4: "Generative Dialogue: Heterodox Academy at SHU"

About the Faculty Matters Podcast

Subscribe to the Faculty Matters Podcast

Weekly Events

Write Club!
A quiet time and space for faculty to work on their research projects during the semester. Participate as you’re able; there’s no commitment involved.
On the South Orange Campus: Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.– 12:30 p.m., UC 201
On the IHS Campus : Wednesdays, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., IHS 0430

Faculty Lunch time Meet-ups (in the faculty area of the Galleon Dining Room)
Thursday, 10/10 – 1 – 2 p.m.
Wednesday, 10/16, 12 - 1 p.m.

SHU Meditates
Thursday, 10/3, 12:30 - 1 p.m. in Teams

Opportunities

Join a Faculty Learning Community:
Digital Humanities Faculty Learning Community - Fall 2024
Seminar on Contemplative Pedagogy and AI

Health Communication Collaboration Faculty Seminar for Spring 2025

Chesterton Reading Group;  Facilitator: Professor Dermot Quinn, editor of The Chesterton Review; 5 Fridays • 12-1 p.m. • Osterreicher Suite, Walsh Library (4th Fl.): October 4, October 18, November 1, November 15: To register, email: chestertoninstitute@shu.edu.

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

CFD Videos
Have you missed a recent CFD event? If so, you can find recordings here.
Featured Video: The Impact of the "Anxious Generation"

AI Virtual Workshop Series
The TLTC is offering a four-part virtual series on Artificial Intelligence (AI) from October 28th to October 31st, Noon to 1 p.m. each day via Microsoft Teams. The series will explore AI's impact on various industries, including education, and demonstrate tools to enhance creativity and efficiency. Participants who attend all four sessions will earn the AI Series Badge.

Seton Hall University Receives AI Education Leadership Award
On October 10, 2024, Seton Hall University received the AI Education Leadership Award at EdgeCon Autumn 2024 for advancing higher education’s AI capabilities and promoting ethical practices. Its participation in the AAC&U’s Institute on AI, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum reflects its commitment to guiding institutions through AI’s opportunities and challenges. Read more about the AI Education Leadership Award.

Optimize Your Microsoft Teams Meetings with Built-In Recording Tools
Microsoft Teams offers built-in recording and transcription tools that streamline meetings while ensuring compliance with University policies. These features securely store content in OneDrive or SharePoint, reducing risks like unauthorized access or data exposure associated with third-party tools. To protect University data, the IT Department has blocked external AI-based recording tools, such as Read.ai, which are not approved for official use. Explore best practices for recording in Teams.

Adobe's Higher Education Hub
This dynamic resource center is designed to help faculty across disciplines integrate creativity into their teaching, offering a wealth of tools, tutorials, and insights to inspire student engagement through projects like video storytelling and digital media creation. Faculty can explore innovative ways to enhance learning experiences while connecting with peers to exchange ideas and best practices. Explore the Higher Education Hub.

Tutor.com
Tutor.com is a live, on-demand online tutoring platform available 365/24/7. Students can click the tutor.com link on Canvas. Every student has access to 10 hours of 24/7 tutoring every semester, with more than 250+ subjects and test prep (NCLEX, MCAT, GRE, & more)!

Tutor.com also offers Student Success: Study and Life skills including building a support system, motivation and goals, notetaking, organizational skills, study strategies, and time management.

Academic Resource Center (ARC
The Academic Resource Center promotes student learning and academic excellence by providing opportunities to increase and improve academic achievement and performance. Students can schedule a tutoring appointment here!

Strategic Plan Town Hall Listening Sessions
A big thank you to all those who attended the IHS Campus Town Hall Listening Session on Thursday, October 17, and the session held earlier today on the South Orange Campus. Please attend one of the remaining Town Hall Listening Sessions:

Diversity Speaks Lecture
Seton Hall Law School hosts the Diversity Speaks Lecture, given by a distinguished practitioner who has made a significant impact in furthering diversity in the profession. Monday, October 28, at 4 p.m. we will have the privilege of welcoming Jean-Pierre Brutus, Esq., Ph.D, Senior Council at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, to present this year’s lecture. Attendance is expected for 1L students and strongly encouraged for all students. Immediately following the lecture, a reception will be held in the atrium. Learn more and RSVP here

Flu and COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics
There will be various Flu and COVID Booster Vaccine Clinics throughout the Fall semester, available to all Seton Hall faculty, staff and administrators.

Upcoming Dates:

Please bring a copy of your insurance card and Seton Hall ID. Appointments are encouraged but walk-ins are welcome. If interested, schedule an appointment here.

URC Application Cycle Now Open Through February 17, 2025
The 2025 (URC) application cycle is now open! 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. The application deadline for Summer 2025 is February 17, 2025 at noon.

Additional information on submission guidelines and the application may be found on the URC website. Questions and submissions should be emailed to grantsoffice@shu.edu.

Sabbatical Faculty Step Deadline
The sabbatical application process is now live for all faculty members who indicated their intent to apply. Please note that the deadline to complete your portion of the application is November 1. For directions on this process, please click here.