Dear Faculty, Administrators and Staff,

I am pleased to announce that Jonathan Farina, Ph.D., will assume the role of interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences on June 1, 2023.

Now in his 14th year at Seton Hall, Professor Farina is a well-known and widely-respected member of the University. He has distinguished himself as a scholar and teacher in the Department of English, where he specializes in 19th-century British fiction and the history of knowledge production. His first book, Everyday Words and the Character of Prose in Nineteenth-Century Britain (Cambridge University Press, 2017), earned Honorable Mention for the Sonya Rudikoff Prize for the Best First Book in Victorian Studies and went to paperback in 2019. He has authored more than 20 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, most recently a forthcoming chapter on dialogue for the Oxford Companion to George Eliot; and more than 25 scholarly book reviews and omnibus review essays. He is presently at work on an alternative history of literary criticism.

In 2021, Professor Farina received the Albert B. Hakim Faculty Service Medal from his colleagues. Highlights of his service at the University include three consecutive years as Chair and two years as Executive Secretary of the Faculty Senate. He has served as director of graduate studies in English; as an associate director of the University Honors Program; and on academic vision and strategic plan implementation committees, among numerous other standing committees and ad hoc task forces that have been crucial to Seton Hall’s success.

He brings to the interim role additional administrative experience both inside and outside Seton Hall, including four years as President of the Northeast Victorian Studies Association and three years as an elected representative on the Modern Language Association delegate assembly. Most recently, he has served as Interim Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and Assessment. In this role, Professor Farina has launched our innovative Academies program and has been instrumental in refocusing academic program assessment on improving student learning outcomes, expanding opportunities for undergraduate research and experiential learning, and promoting faculty grants, scholarship, and success. He is an important member of the Middle States Self-Study Steering Committee, and he has helped promote the creation of many new academic programs at the University.

Jonathan’s experience collaborating with institutional partners at all levels and all areas of the University and with external constituencies, associations, and other entities gives me confidence that he will provide outstanding leadership of the College of Arts and Sciences as the University conducts a national search for the next full-time dean. Please join me in welcoming Professor Farina to the interim role.

Sincerely,

Katia

For faculty, staff and administrators who need transportation to the Baccalaureate Commencement Ceremony at the Prudential Center on Monday, May 22, bus service from campus will be provided.

If you are working as an academic marshal and do not wish to drive to the Prudential Center, your bus will leave Seton Hall from the Recreation Center at 6:45 a.m. sharp.

If you are not working as a marshal, the bus will leave from the Recreation Center at 7:30 a.m. sharp.

Buses for both groups will leave the Prudential Center at approximately 12:30 p.m. for the return trip to the South Orange Campus. Please indicate on the form below if you need a ride back to campus. Seats are on a first-come basis and are limited. RSVP no later than Friday, May 12, 2023. Reservation for Bus Transportation.

We are pleased once again to continue our Faculty Merit pay process as part of a comprehensive effort to reward faculty. As a reminder, excepting the Law School, the following faculty are eligible to apply for merit: (a) all tenured faculty and (b) all faculty who are presently completing at least their fifth year of full-time service to the University and hold the rank of faculty associate, senior faculty associate, clinical faculty, lecturer, or a full-time faculty position in SHMS or ICSST. Receipt of merit is of course contingent upon renewal of an applicant’s contract for the subsequent academic year.

The important improvements to the Faculty Merit process that were recommended by a faculty committee and implemented last year worked well, so we will continue them. Eligible faculty in departments or colleges that specifically do not have approved merit rubrics and/or merit peer review committees can apply for merit by submitting to the Office of the Provost (john.buschman@shu.edu) and your Dean by August 23, 2023 a simple application that includes (1) a Digital Measures/Faculty Success report for work completed since the last promotion or merit award (whichever is most recent); (2) a short bulleted or narrative justification of merit that speaks specifically to research, teaching, and service relative to disciplinary standards of excellence; and (3) documentary evidence of relevant accomplishments (references for publications, grants, etc.).

We strongly encourage faculty to apply for merit, particularly those faculty who have not yet applied, as we hope to be able to grant more awards this year.

As you know, the Strategic Plan called for a salary study, and that study is well underway. We will continue to enhance our means for attracting, retaining and celebrating scholarship, teaching and service excellence at Seton Hall.

On Tuesday, May 9, Seton Hall University will host the 10th Annual New Jersey Big Data Alliance (NJBDA) Symposium in the newly renovated University Center. The event theme this year focuses on the opportunities in new development in the financial industry created by big data and financial technology. Join industry leaders, government representatives, professors, students, and staff from NJ colleges and universities at the premier conference for big data and advanced computing in New Jersey.

The team recently celebrated success at two national tournaments including the 2023 Pi Kappa Delta and the American Forensic Association Speech National Tournaments. Learn more.

Walsh Workshops: How to Submit Your Thesis or Dissertation
On Wednesday, May 3 from 12 – 1 p.m., librarian Gerard Shea will host a virtual session on cover how to submit a thesis to the Seton Hall University repository. Please forward and let your graduate students know of this opportunity, who can register here.

Take a Study Break and Visit Walsh Gallery
Visit the Matter + Spirit, A Chinese/American Exhibition, open through Friday, May 12. See this exhibit about the role of spirituality in contemporary society through the eyes of Chinese and American artists. The Walsh Gallery is open Monday through Friday, 9 - 5 p.m. and is on the ground floor of Walsh Library.

High-Tech SHMS Lab Boosts Seton Hall Pirates’ Pitching
In the School of Health and Medical Sciences’ state-of-the-art Gait/Motion Analysis Laboratory on the Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) Campus in Nutley, Associate Professor Richard (RJ) Boergers and a multidisciplinary team work collaboratively to perform cutting-edge motion capture analysis on Seton Hall Pirates pitchers that goes beyond injury prevention. Learn more.

SHMS Team Receives National Recognition for Avatar-Based Learning Simulation Project
Virtual reality is bringing complex healthcare issues to life for students thanks to a grant-funded learning simulation project developed by faculty at the Center for Interprofessional Education in Health Sciences titled, "Interprofessional Avatar Based Simulations: A Low Stakes Tool to Promote Professional Readiness to Support and Manage Patient’s Unexpected Life Altering Medical Diagnosis via Telehealth." Learn more.

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

Mission Mentors Program 2023-24 CFP - Deadline Extended to May 15!

Applications are now being accepted for the University Teaching Fellows Program

SHU Meditates
Thursday, May 4, 12:30 - 1 p.m., in Teams

Navigating the Tenure and Promotion Process
Friday, May 5, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m., in Teams and UC 206

Summer Writing Retreat
May 23, 24, and 25; 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
University Center rm. 206 and Teams
Registration is required.

Access videos of CFD workshops.

Reminder: Submit Your Canvas Course Requests
If you plan to teach in Canvas in Summer III or Fall, and need your Blackboard course migrated, you will need to complete the Canvas course request form. The deadlines to submit Canvas course requests are:

Request a Canvas Course

Canvas First Look and Q&A Sessions
If you are teaching in Canvas this summer or fall, we encourage you to attend one of the TLTC’s upcoming information sessions for a first look at Canvas, including course structure, assignments, and grading. These sessions will provide faculty with the opportunity to ask questions about Canvas, the course migration process, and the University’s plan for rolling out the new learning management system. View the full Canvas information session schedule.

Understanding Faculty Success
Faculty Success is a secure and easy-to-use online tool for faculty members to organize, track and report on their professional activities, including research, scholarships, degrees and certifications. Attend this virtual workshop on Thursday, May 4th at 3 p.m. to learn about the benefits and best practices of Faculty Success. Register for the Faculty Success workshop.

Promotion and Tenure
As per Faculty Guide 5.1.h, faculty members who intend to submit an application for promotion and/or tenure next Academic Year (2023-24) must submit a notice to this effect to their Department Chairperson no later than May 15, 2023. In departments that require external reviews, the chairperson should begin the process of soliciting official external reviews before summer and in strict accordance with FG 5.2.b. We encourage applicants to attend the Center for Faculty Development event, "Navigating the Tenure and Promotion Process," that will be held via Teams Friday, May 5, at 10:30 a.m.

Lunch and Learn: Addressing AAPI Mental Health
Join the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for a lunch and learn panel addressing AAPI (Asian/American Pacific Islander) mental health on Wednesday, May 3 at noon in the University Center, Room 206. Light lunch will be provided. We will discuss cultural stigma, Anti-Asian racism and discrimination, finding sensitive health providers, raising awareness, and navigating bicultural identities. Learn about the panelists and register.