Dear Faculty Colleagues,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day and found a little time to relax, recharge, and enjoy the long weekend! As we settle into the early weeks of the semester, there’s already plenty happening across campus, and I’m excited to share a few updates, opportunities, and happenings from CAFE with you. 

First-Year Faculty Cohort
The 2026–2027 First-Year Faculty (FYF) cohort officially kicked off the academic year on August 31 with an engaging session focused on establishing a strong foundation for the year ahead and navigating the early stages of a faculty career at APSU.

The session introduced cohort members to the FYF program and included activities designed to help new faculty thoughtfully map their mentoring relationships and begin developing their individual strategic plans. These conversations encouraged faculty to consider the people, resources, and professional connections that can support their growth and success throughout their time at APSU.

The cohort was also joined by members of the 2025–2026 FYF Alumni cohort — Drs. Amanda Stadermann, Nader Dagher, Sabrina Perry, and LeAnn Wills — who shared their experiences and perspectives from their own first year at APSU. Their candid reflections offered valuable insight into navigating the transition to a new faculty role, identifying sources of support, and making the most of the opportunities available to first-year faculty.  

Genio Notes Session - Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for yesterday’s Genio Notes Play Session: Lunch & Learn! Jordan and Ashley led an informative and engaging session, and I greatly appreciated the strong faculty turnout and thoughtful questions.  I’ll keep everyone updated as we learn more about this technology rollout and how it will continue to unfold throughout the semester. There’s definitely more to come!

Upcoming Events
Here’s a quick look at upcoming opportunities:

• Sept. 9 - Welcome Back Lunch and Veteran Service Day at Newton Center
• Sept. 10 - APSU Onsite Health Screening in MUC 103C
• Sept. 11 - GovSignals Faculty Development Session on Teams
• Sept. 12 - Govs Creative Arts Festival at Downtown Commons
• Sept. 17 - Reimagining Presence for Today's Learner in MUC 312
• Sept. 24 - APSU Benefits Fair in MUC Ballroom
• Sept. 24 - AOQF Drop-In & Desserts in MUC 312
• Oct. 1 - Concourse "Office Hours" for Fall B Instructors in Woodward Library 232
• Oct. 8 - TechBytes on Teams

Fall 2026 Active Learning Book Group
Our Active Learning Book Group, working through David Gooblar’s One Classroom at a Time, will meet for the first time next week at Clyde’s! I’m excited for the thoughtful conversation ahead with our cohort of fourteen spirited faculty members, each bringing their own diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to the table.

CAFE Calendar 
I’ll continue to update our CAFE Calendar as more events and sessions are finalized. Be sure to bookmark it and add events directly to your Outlook calendar.

As always, we welcome your ideas on how CAFE can better serve you.  Please don't hesitate to reach out at williamsjj@apsu.edu or 931-221-7648.

As we settle into the semester, I hope you’re finding your rhythm — even if that rhythm currently sounds a little more like a frantic percussion solo than a steady groove. May your classes be engaging, your inbox be merciful, your coffee be plentiful, and your semester be filled with more moments of joy than moments of “Wait…what day is it?”

Here’s to a great semester ahead. Keep doing the good work, keep supporting one another, and remember: we’re all figuring it out as we go!

Yours always,
Jeff 

A place develoted to celebrating the achievements of our APSU faculty colleagues!

Bryant's "Southward" collection on display 

Professor Emeritus Susan Bryant's photography collection, "Southward," will be on display on the second floor of the Art + Design Building as part of the Mann Wall of Legacy exhibition.

Prof. Bryant retired from Austin Peay State University in 2019 after teaching photography for 37 years. Bryant's process includes gelatin silver prints, hand-colored silver prints, digital photographs, and most recently the 19th-century processes of daguerreotypes, tintypes, and wet-plate collodion negatives and positives (ambrotypes).  

Leimberg & Wilson recognized for going from their GED to PhD

Dr. Anna Leimberg, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, and Dr. Dava Wilson, Assistant Professor of Social Work, earned GEDs before ultimately achieving their doctorates and taking on faculty roles at Austin Peay State University. The two professors were recently highlighted in an August Press Release in APSU News. Rather than viewing their non-traditional educational background as a limitation, both professors draw on their unique journeys—whether navigating life's unexpected turns like Dr. Wilson or taking the "scenic route" after leaving high school due to behavioral issues like Dr. Leimberg—to provide empathetic, student-centered mentorship.

Dr. Wilson encourages students to set their own definitions of success rather than fitting into standardized expectations, while Dr. Leimberg uses her background in criminology to identify and help remove the unique barriers her students face. Ultimately, their shared experiences reinforce that success is deeply personal, non-traditional paths deserve recognition, and true mentorship balances accountability with deep compassion to prove that a student's past does not dictate their future.

Tilooby & Farrell named recipients of 2026 A.J. Taylor Award

The College of Business announced the recipients of the 2026 A.J. Taylor Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Research.

Dr. Al Tilooby, Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems, received the Excellence in Teaching award for integrating artificial intelligence and virtual reality into his courses.

Dr. Matthew Farrell, Assistant Professor of Management, was awarded the Excellence in Research honor for his impactful published work on strategic decision-making and organizational adaptation.

Both awardees received an academic stipend to support their ongoing instructional and scholarly initiatives.

Clark presents at the US Distance Learning Association National Conference

Dr. Terri Clark, Associate Professor in the Eriksson College of Education and professor within the School of Nursing, presented on "Adjusting the Balance of Life: Strategies for Managing TECHNOstress Workshop," at the United States Distance Learning Association National Conference in Cleveland, Ohio this past June.

This conference is an annual meeting where educators, leaders, and technology experts gather to share new ideas and tools for online and remote learning. 

Church, Chauhan, & Lee accepted for publication with students

Dr. James Church, Dr. Kriti Chauhan, and Dr. Leong Lee, along with students, Rostyslav Karmanov, Spenser Morey, Katherine Lehtola recently learned their peer-reviewed research paper, "Sustaining a Large-Scale K-12 Computing Outreach Program: The APSU Coding Camp Experience Since 2017" has been accepted for publication in Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges, ISSN: 1937-4771, vol. 42, no. 5, 2026.

Chester-Fangman & Klaus secure impressive national grant

Felix G. Woodward Library, with the immeasurable help of Christina Chester-Fangman and Stephanie Klaus, recently received a $99,999 Community-Centered Implementation Grant from the Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) National Leadership Grants for Libraries program, one of the nation’s leading sources of federal support for library and archival services. This funding will support a two-year initiative to preserve, digitize, and enhance access to thousands of historically and culturally significant items connected to Austin Peay, Middle Tennessee, and Fort Campbell, Kentucky. It also positions the university to pursue additional opportunities with IMLS and strengthen its community partnerships.

“This is a huge achievement for the library and the university that has been over three years in the making,” said interim library director Christina Chester-Fangman. “The grant will enable the UASC (University Archives and Special Collections) to purchase much-needed equipment and materials to improve our preservation, digitization, and community outreach efforts. In working on our project, A Center for Archives, Research, & Education (CARE), we envision establishing a partnership between our archives and the community to preserve, protect, curate, showcase, and grow our Special Collections to share beyond the campus.”

You'll notice there are labeled sections of questions for attendees and presenters. Only fill out the section appropriate to you.
Additionally, including your name and e-mail is optional.

This critical information will help shape our efforts in the future! Thank you in advance!

Welcome Back Lunch and Veteran Service Day:

Sept. 9
11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Newton Center 

Kick off the semester with free food, community connection, and valuable student resources at the Newton Center!

Cohen Center: Lunch & Learn noon - 1 p.m.

Welcome Back Lunch: noon - 1 p.m.

VSO & VA Whole Health, Operation Stand Down, Navy Federal, Wounded Warriors Project, & Office of Student Access Services tabling 1 - 3 p.m.

Quest Diagnostics will be on campus September 10, 2026, to provide onsite health screenings for employees participating in the health insurance program. Appointments will be available from 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and will be held in the Morgan University Center (MUC), Room 103C.

   --Participants can register by visiting Sharecare at http://stateoftn.sharecare.com. Registration instructions will be provided separately.

   --Spaces are limited, so we encourage you to schedule your appointment as soon as possible to secure your preferred time.

The health screening is part of the Partners for Health Wellness Program and qualifies for cash incentives. APSU employees enrolled in a health plan can earn up to $200 in as little as 10 minutes by participating in the onsite screening.

NOTE: If you are not enrolled in a health plan through APSU, you are not eligible to receive incentives through the Wellness Program.

Friday, September 11
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
on Teams

This session will provide faculty with a practical overview of GovSignals in AP Navigate and how they support timely, coordinated student success efforts across campus.

During the session, participants will:

Faculty will leave with a clearer understanding of how to submit effective GovSignals, interpret their status, and participate in the follow-up process to help students remain engaged and make progress toward their academic goals.

Please bring questions or examples from previous GovSignal experiences for discussion.

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/218498870266241?p=x0yJLAVq7nwwao2gHY

Meeting ID: 218 498 870 266 241

Passcode: yz2Ae6qx

Join us for the return of the Govs Creative Arts Festival, a free community event for all ages, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Downtown Commons!

The event is a collaborative effort between the College of Arts and Letters, the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, the Community School of the Arts (CSA), and Clarksville-Montgomery County Parks and Recreation.

Join us for the first of this fall’s three-part series on meeting today's online learners at APSU through intentional presence, meaningful engagement, and continuous improvement. Each session unpacks a challenge in online teaching and features APSU faculty sharing how they've approached it.

Session 1: Reimagining Presence for Today's Learner

Define what online presence means for our student demographic today, and see how faculty have fostered it.

September 17th | 12:45-1:45 pm | MUC 312

To register for any session, please complete the Fall 2026 ID Series registration form. Food and refreshments will be provided.

The state’s Annual Enrollment

starts Thursday, Oct. 1 and ends Friday, Oct. 16.

This is when you can make your Partners for Health benefits decisions, which will be in effect for the 2027 calendar year.

The State publication for this year’s Annual Enrollment is linked below.

There are also annual enrollment videos and handouts available to help you learn about your options. You can find all this information on the 2026 Annual Enrollment page.

You can also review the internal APSU Benefits & Wellness Page for updates - under the 2026 Annual Enrolment Information tab.

For MOST benefits, if you don’t want to make changes, you don’t have to do anything during Annual Enrollment.

If you’re already enrolled and don’t make changes, you’ll stay in the same plan options for medical, dental and vision insurance, but you’ll pay the 2027 employee premium amounts. However, flexible spending accounts require you to enroll each year.

Curious about AOQF? Have questions about the process or your course? Or just want to stop by, enjoy a dessert, and say hello to the Instructional Design team?

Drop in anytime from 1-3 p.m. on Sept. 24 in MUC 312!

This casual, come-and-go event is open to all faculty—whether you’re new to AOQF, currently participating, or simply want to learn more. Bring your questions, grab a sweet treat, and spend a few minutes with us!

We have added an additional date/time of Concourse Syllabus "Office Hours" for our Fall B Instructors!  Join in-person or on Teams!

Thursday, October 1
1-4pm
Woodward Library Conference Room 232
with McLean Fahnestock and Jessica D'Alimonte

Microsoft Teams meeting
Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/266628892195480?p=mVzqfDkkrukBPJPlMx

Meeting ID: 266 628 892 195 480
Passcode: Td3QB7jZ

TechBytes sessions provide you with key information and tips on how to better promote academic integrity in testing environments, improve the accessibility of content, and prepare for upcoming changes to our online environments.

Distance Education would be very happy to have you at their second TechBytes of the semester, on October 8th, 2026, from 11:30 am to 12 noon. Microsoft Teams Registration Required. To register and for more information, please check out our TechBytes page.

Health and Counseling is available to provide presentations on various topics for your class. Presentations cover a range of topics, including stress management, physical and mental well-being, and bystander training.  

To request a presentation, please complete the form at https://www.apsu.edu/wellness/. 

For questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Quianda Harris at harrisq@apsu.edu or Jill de Graauw at degraauwj@apsu.edu. 

We’re excited to introduce a new International Faculty Affinity Group, designed to create a welcoming space for faculty from around the world to connect, share experiences, and build community at APSU. The group will provide opportunities for conversation, professional connection, and mutual support around the unique experiences and perspectives of international faculty.

We look forward to building this community together and welcome anyone interested in participating.

Facilitated by Dr. Amanda Patrick, Associate Professor of Sociology

Would you like some help integrating AI into a course you're teaching this semester?  Ask one of the AI Faculty Mentors in your College!  These faculty were chosen by your Deans and have already shown creative approaches to
utilizing AI in the classroom.  

Rather than serving as technology "enforcers" or authoritative experts, our AI faculty mentors serve as trusted guides, collaborators, and pedagogical partners who support faculty in making informed, values-aligned decisions surrounding AI use in higher education. CAFE hopes this initiative will help faculty build confidence with AI while recognizing that meaningful AI integration is best supported through shared learning, collaboration, and community.

Full Spectrum Learning (FSL) at Austin Peay State University is seeking opportunities to connect with faculty and students through brief classroom visits or informational sessions. FSL is a degree-seeking support program for students on the autism spectrum, offering academic, social, executive functioning, and career transition support.

These visits help raise awareness of available resources and ensure students who may benefit know how to access support. Faculty and staff are invited to suggest courses or class times for an FSL visit. Scheduling is flexible, and questions or requests for more information are welcome.

For more information or to invite FSL, please contact Tom Spence.

Explore these short tutorial videos designed to help faculty and staff become familiar with the core features of the AP Navigate platform. Each video provides clear, step‑by‑step guidance on essential tools such as viewing student profiles, submitting alerts and referrals, documenting meetings, and managing availability. These resources are here to support your work and help you use Navigate confidently to promote student success.

Distance Education has updated its website with a Digital Accessibility Basics page that includes accessibility video recordings. It offers more resources and guidance than ever before! 

Direct links:

Digital Accessibility Basics

Accessibility Training videos 

Dr. Paula White is our other new addition to our CAFE Advisory Board this academic year! She is Associate Professor of English and Coordinator of Women’s and Gender Studies in the Department of Languages and Literature under the College of Arts and Letters. Dr. White has been at APSU for 6 years.

She said she was most interested in serving on the CAFE Board because of the opportunity to advocate for retention, mentoring, and professional development. 

Her favorite thing about APSU is the people. She has developed great relationships with colleagues and mentored promising students. 

Her favorite hobby is shopping for beauty, tea, and tech items. Her favorite movie is The Matrix Reloaded and her favorite TV show is The Office. 

Welcome, Dr. White!

Dr. Andy Wilson was recently awarded the Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Faculty Award for Community Service. Here is a little more about him and his accomplishments! 

Dr. Wilson has completed 28 years as a professor of mathematics and statistics at APSU, where he has enjoyed working with his colleagues and friends. Dr. Wilson’s contributions to our community and region make him an exemplary candidate for this recognition. His commitment to our region’s youth and the development of their mathematical acumen is evident in a variety of ways. First, Dr. Wilson serves as the dual enrollment coordinator in one of the most active departments for dual enrollment. He not only teaches some of these courses himself but also collaborates with qualified high school teachers across the region to ensure consistent and rigorous college-level mathematics training for high school students. He also mentors and coaches aspiring STEM students, guiding them in their participation in the Middle Tennessee Science and Engineering Fair. Furthermore, he is an active faculty participant in the APSU Middle School and High School Mathematics Contests. Finally, since 2011, Dr. Wilson has been leading the SOARing with Mathematics STEM Academy, an endeavor he cofounded. Through this program, students gain access to hands-on, project-based training opportunities with experts like Dr. Wilson. These and many other contributions make Dr. Wilson a perfect representation of the criteria for the Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Faculty Award for Community Service. 

Dr. Wilson enjoys teaching and learning mathematics with students of all ages through summer camps, science fairs, mathematics contests, dual enrollment coordination, undergraduate and graduate courses. 

Join us in congratulating Dr. Wilson!

Did you know all our 2026 Faculty Conference "The Value of Higher Education: 100 Years of APSU" presentations and many other pre-semester presentations are posted on our CAFE website?

100 years in the making.

Monday, April 26, 2027, at the Evans Harvill Quad.

Trust us, you'll want to be there.

"Tenure-Track Ranks Grew Last Year, Survey Finds"

published August 21, 2026

by Kathryn Palmer

Have you bookmarked the CAFE Calendar yet?  We’re constantly adding new events!  Stay up to date with all CAFE-affiliated programming happening across campus.  Don’t forget - you can easily add any event directly to your Outlook calendar with a click! 

If you will be a candidate in a retention, tenure, or promotion review, your workflow
within Watermark Faculty Success should be launched. You can find the key dates aswell as the dates for each phase of the Retention, Tenure, and Promotion review
process in the updated personnel actions calendar.

Report dates for next academic year can be found in the faculty report dates calendar.

Both of these calendars are posted on the Faculty Calendars web page.

Do you have an event that you would like promoted in CAFE's bi-monthly newsletter?

Feel free to email us at cafe-fac@apsu.edu with the information. We will review it and inform you if the request is appropriate for the CAFE audience.