Dear Faculty, Administrators and Staff,

As we begin a new semester tomorrow, I want to extend a warm welcome to our faculty and staff and thank you for the energy, preparation and care you bring to this moment. The start of the term is always filled with a sense of possibility, as our campus comes alive again with students, ideas and shared purpose.

Whether you are returning to familiar routines or stepping into something new, I am grateful for your continued commitment to our mission and to one another. I hope the weeks ahead are marked by meaningful teaching and learning, productive collaboration and moments of reflection amid the busyness of the semester.

As we look ahead, I also want to note that nominations are now open for the Faculty Excellence Awards – an important opportunity to recognize the outstanding work of our colleagues. I encourage you to participate in this tradition of celebrating excellence across our community. Nomination forms are due by Monday, January 26.

I wish you a strong and successful start, and I look forward to all that we will accomplish together in the months ahead.

Sincerely,
Erik

Wednesday, January 28, Noon – 1:30 p.m.
Chapel of the Immaculate Conception
Join us as we celebrate and give thanks for our exceptional faculty at a special Mass honoring St. Thomas Aquinas, patron saint of university professors. Faculty will receive a special blessing at the conclusion of Mass, followed by a luncheon in appreciation of all you do for our students and community. All are welcome. Please register by Friday, January 23 if you plan to attend lunch.

As part of our Great Minds Dare to Care initiative, the Division of Student Services is pleased to share a comprehensive Faculty Guide to Supporting Student Mental Health. Created by the JED Foundation, this resource is designed to help you recognize signs of distress and effectively support our students' well-being within the academic environment.

Beyond this guide, faculty can access several targeted tools to foster a culture of care:

Seton Hall is offering a variety of engaging Pre-College Summer Programs for high school students — and members of the Seton Hall community receive a 25% discount for dependent children. Students can explore hands-on courses in areas like STEM, entrepreneurship, investing, health sciences, sports media and more. Learn more and register on the Pre-College Programs page using promo code Precollege25 at checkout. For questions, contact ceps@shu.edu.

BOA is enhancing security for online purchases made with Bank of America Commercial and Corporate Cards. Within Q1 2026, eligible card-not-present transactions (e.g., ecommerce purchases) will require step-up authentication using a One-Time Passcode (OTP). To ensure a smooth experience log into BOA Works and confirm that your mobile phone number and email address are up to date. If you need assistance, contact cardcompliance@shu.edu.

A Very Special Gift to the Walsh Gallery from the Gorun Family

During this season of gift-giving, Walsh Gallery and Special Collections is thankful for an amazing gift received in the fall of 2025 - 15 paintings, sculptures and works on paper from the Gorun family.

The gallery team has spent the last few weeks unpacking, studying, researching and cataloguing these objects, which encompass a wide range of time periods and geographies. The group includes a 2nd/3rd-century statue of Maitreya—a prophesied future Buddha—from the ancient kingdom of Gandahara, a 20th-century painting by noted German artist Erich Heckel and five hand-painted illustrations from an early 17th-century botanical manuscript. Read more about the artworks, including details about staff favorites.

Follow the CFD blog for more upcoming events and initiatives. We also welcome your suggestions for workshops and speakers, as well as requests for co-sponsorship of faculty-oriented events.

Call for Participants, Spring 2026 Cohorts (application deadlines – Jan. 12):

Forthcoming events in spring 2026:

Dates TBA for the following regular CFD offerings:

Faculty Learning Communities:

These are opportunities for engagement as well as personal and professional development; participation can be as time permits.

CFD Podcast: Faculty Matters

Videos

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

Enhance Student Engagement with Canvas Studio 
Canvas Studio enhances student engagement by fostering collaboration through video and audio media. With features like video quizzing, screen captures, self-recorded videos, and closed captioning, Studio integrates seamlessly into announcements, discussions, assignments, and wiki pages.

Here are some helpful how-to articles:

Reminder: Publish Your Canvas Course  
New Canvas courses are unpublished by default and must be published to be visible to students. Publishing a course does not automatically publish all content. Published items are marked with a green check, while unpublished items show a gray circle with a line. Learn how to publish your Canvas course and content.

Microsoft Teams for Spring 2026 Courses 
Alongside Canvas course shells, a Microsoft Team has been created for all Spring 2026 courses. Leveraging a Team in your course enables you to seamlessly utilize chat and video conferencing features in your classes without the need to manually manage team membership. Before the start of the semester, remember to activate your course's Team. Review helpful Microsoft Teams how-to articles.

Accessibility Made Simple with On-Demand Modules 
The Teaching, Learning and Technology Center (TLTC), in partnership with Disability Support Services (DSS), offers quick, self-paced online modules (10 minutes or less) to help faculty create inclusive classrooms with practical, ready-to-use strategies. To get started, visit the Enrollment page in Canvas → Click Enroll in Course → Go to your Dashboard → Select the course to begin.

For additional assistance, contact your assigned Instructional Design Liaison. 

2026 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., this year’s multi-part program features a keynote lecture by Professor Khyati Y. Joshi, Ed.D., on Friday, January 16, and a morning workshop on Monday, January 19. Faculty, administrators and staff are welcome to attend either; however, pre-registration is required. View the full schedule and program details.

Corrigan Hall to Undergo Renovation
Once complete, part of the first floor will be converted into semiconductor plasma processing and optics/laser labs to support teaching and research in STEM fields. Construction-related activities will begin in January 2026 and continue throughout the spring and summer. Read more.

Deadline Approaching: 2026 University Research Council (URC) Application Cycle
The deadline is now one month away. Explore this opportunity to receive support for your research endeavors: summer stipend requests of up to $10,000 or research grants of up to $10,000 for use during the subsequent academic year. The application deadline for Summer 2026 is February 6, 2026. View program guidelines and the application form. Questions and submissions may be emailed to grantsoffice@shu.edu.