Dear Faculty, Administrators and Staff,

I hope you had a restful and restorative Thanksgiving break. As we return to campus and look ahead to the final weeks of the semester, we enter a special time of year – one filled with gratitude, reflection, and the spirit of the holiday season.

Thank you for all that you continue to contribute to our community. I look forward to the good work we will accomplish together as we close out the semester and prepare for the celebrations ahead.

As a reminder, the Graduate Student Holiday Social takes place tonight from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. Faculty with evening classes are invited to stop by the 4th floor Rotunda in the Walsh Library with their students.

I hope to see you all shortly at Christmas at the Hall Mass and Tree Lighting.

Sincerely,
Erik

Seton Hall’s academic programs and scholarship drive research that address real-world challenges. Strategic Priority #3 focuses on fortifying our support for discovery and innovation, equipping faculty and students to engage with the issues of today, and anticipate the challenges of tomorrow. Discover more.

Our community celebrated International Education Week from November 17-21 with a full series of collaborative, campus-wide activities. From career workshops, international game night, cultural food events, a graduate student social, a Friendsgiving gathering and attendance at athletic game, students engaged in meaningful intercultural experiences. Across every event, students forged new connections, shared traditions and discovered perspectives that stretched far beyond our physical campuses. Read a short recap.

This summer, a group of pre-med students from Seton Hall University traveled to Portugal for a fully funded two-week clinical experience, engaging in more than 40 hours of shadowing across specialties like neurosurgery and anesthesiology. They immersed themselves in Portuguese culture, networked with international medical professionals, and gained stories and confidence to enrich their medical-school applications. Read more.

On November 21, the University welcomed regional technology leaders for its fourth CIO Roundtable, a gathering focused on exploring trust as a core pillar of effective leadership in an era defined by rapid digital disruption. Co-sponsored with the NJ Society of Information Management, the session deepened campuswide conversations on cybersecurity, AI and digital transformation, strategic priorities across Continuing Education, Arts and Sciences, and Seton Hall as a whole. This ongoing series continues to strengthen Seton Hall’s partnerships with industry while showcasing our commitment to preparing leaders for the rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Don’t Miss Out – Embed a Librarian in Your Canvas Courses this Spring

University Libraries invites faculty to embed a librarian in your Canvas courses. An embedded librarian is a librarian that is placed within your Canvas course and, when embedded, they can aid you and your students by serving as a point-of-contact for library, information, or research related questions. How can you request a librarian for your course? Simply fill out this form. Questions? Contact Lead Instruction Librarian Maria Barca at maria.barca@shu.edu.

Reminder: Extended Hours University Libraries Through Finals

IHS Campus
The Interprofessional Health Science Building in Nutley is open 24 hours. The Library is staffed from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on weekdays through December 22.

Rodino Law Library

View the full calendar of December 2025 hours on the University Libraries’ website.

New Faculty Member David I. Backer, Ph.D., Publishes Book Today

David I. Backer, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Education Leadership Management and Policy, publishes his new book, As Public as Possible: Radical Finance for America’s Public Schools, today. In this timely volume, Backer asks what it would mean to make our schools "as public as possible," reimagining funding systems so they serve all children rather than mirror neighborhood wealth. Moving quietly between history and policy, writing in a voice that is both steady and gently humorous, he draws on examples ranging from former Yugoslavia to contemporary Philadelphia. He then sketches concrete alternatives to property-tax-based funding and debt-driven school finance, inviting readers to picture a more just and genuinely public system of education for all children. Questions? Contact David Backer, david.backer@shu.edu.

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.

Now available:

ACUE Commons Portal
This faculty development resource is available to all faculty at the university. It includes on-demand resources, Quick Study courses, expert-led events, and continued access to ETP course content for faculty who have previously completed it.

Upcoming Event

Weekly Events

Faculty Lunch-Time Meet-up:
December 3, 10: 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Location: Faculty section of the Pirate Dining Room

SHU Meditates
December 5, 12:30 - 1 p.m., Microsoft Teams

Call for Participants, Spring 2026 Cohort: Faculty Seminar on Environmental Sustainability

Other Faculty Opportunities for the 2025-26 Academic Year:

The following faculty learning communities are opportunities for engagement as well as personal and professional development.

CFD Podcast: Faculty Matters

Videos

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

Upcoming TLTC Remote Workshops: 

Along with one-on-one support from your Instructional Design Liaison, the TLTC offers remote workshops throughout the year: 

End-of-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 checklist.

Restore Deleted Course Content in Canvas 
Learn how to recover accidentally deleted items in Canvas using the "Restore Deleted Items" feature. Follow the step-by-step instructions to restore recently removed course content, including files, modules, and other materials. Learn how to restore deleted course content in Canvas.

Common Grading and Assignment Mistakes in Canvas

Review Canvas Assignment and Gradebook how-to articles. 

DOVE Toy Drive

Once again, we are calling on the Pirate community to help brighten the holidays for local children through DOVE’s annual Toy Drive. This tradition reflects the generosity and compassion at the heart of the Seton Hall community. Please drop off your new, unwrapped toys in the collection boxes located in the DOVE office by December 5. You can also donate online. Learn more about how to participate.

New Faculty Experience in Watermark Faculty Success

A refreshed Watermark Faculty Success experience is now available, introducing a redesigned interface shaped by faculty feedback. The new layout offers a more intuitive, guided design that enhances navigation for faculty and supports improved data quality for administrators. View the new and updated training website with guides and resources.

Now Open: 2026 University Research Council (URC) Application Cycle

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.