Fostering Integration. Disciplines do not exist in a vacuum. I would argue that all disciplines are connected in meaningful ways and that we have an obligation to help students develop their integration skills. How might we model and foster integration? For example, the broad topic of AI could be used to frame and teach your subject, whether it be chemistry, ethics, marketing, or any other discipline. I have been reflecting on the small and larger ways that I have emphasized integration in my courses over the years. Examples that come to mind:

As shouldn’t come as a surprise, there are numerous books out there with the title, It’s All Connected. Suffice it to say that our students will be well served if we attend to the who, what, when, where, and why of our course content.

Precise Terminology. Words matter. A phrase that I find great meaning in is “high impact teaching.” One piece that I consider a teaching and learning touchstone is linked below. What I have found in my travels, though, is that there is confusion among the terms high-impact teaching, high-impact practices and experiential learning. I would encourage you to review these three sources that help clarify the differences and similarities. I have also included a link to a recent report that provides interesting new data and also addresses integration!

As a bonus, I highly recommend a recent piece that takes issue with the term Excellence.  

New Perspectives Wanted. One way that I keep my critical thinking and integrative skills sharp is to seek out varying perspectives. Here is a sampling of things that have either come across my desk or occupied my thinking. These resources are in varying formats and I hope to provide food for your own thinking as well as offering perspectives that may be fresh, challenging, helpful, or all of the above.

–Christine Rener

P.S. Special note for adjunct, visiting, and affiliate faculty: Indiana University is hosting a free virtual conference especially for you. The topics and presenters look quite interesting, so I invite you to check out the Teaching with Purpose: Supporting Learners in a Changing World to be held on Friday, September 26. 

Nearly every Friday throughout the academic year, we are hosting sessions related to digital literacy. Sponsored by the Digital Literacy Initiative, Pew FTLC, and eLearning Technologies, we are featuring faculty and staff experts who will share approaches, provide hands-on learning, and facilitate lively, cross-disciplinary conversations. The sessions rotate between the Allendale campus, Pew Grand Rapids campus, and Zoom. 

All sessions will take place from 11am to 12pm on Fridays. The table below provides schedule details and registration links for each session. As the schedule continues to be built, additional details will be added. 

Session materials are being shared via a Blackboard Organization–Digital Literacy-Faculty Professional Development–open to all faculty and staff. This organization is open for self-enrollment. Contact us at PewFTLC@gvsu.edu for access support, if needed. 

Looking for a community of support beyond your department? Hoping for connection while navigating whatever this semester throws at you?

Consider joining one of our Faculty Mentoring Communities! These groups meet once or twice per month and offer an opportunity to gather with colleagues, explore multiple sources of guidance and connection, and further your professional growth and development. There are communities designed to serve first-year-faculty (FYF Mentoring) as well as some designed to serve faculty beyond their first year (faculty-to-faculty or F2F mentoring).

There are multiple options for each type of mentoring allowing you to select a community that meets during a time that works with your schedule. Most groups are accepting new members now and their Fall 2025 schedules can be found on our Mentoring Communities webpage.

You can register online via our Mentoring Communities Registration form. Learn more about our Mentoring Program at www.gvsu.edu/ftlc/mentoring.

Student Mental Health Summit: Belonging as Resilience

The GVSU Student Mental Health Summit: Belonging as Resilience, hosted by the Pace Initiative for Student Mental Health and sponsored by the Pew FTLC, will take place on October 15, 2025, from 1:00-4:00 p.m. in the Grand River Room in the Kirkhof Center on the Valley Campus. This event brings together faculty, students, and staff to explore strategies for enhancing mental health support on campus.

Prepare for contract renewal, tenure, or promotion with our multi-week virtual workshop! Gain guidance on crafting your Personal/Reflective Statement and assembling your portfolio through large group meetings, optional small groups, and one-on-one mentoring. To see the full description and participant expectations, please visit our PPW webpage.

Date: October 27-November 24
Large Group Meetings on Mondays, 1-3 PM
Spots will be limited to 12 folks. Register by October 20.

Every semester, we hear from faculty about how impactful Learning Communities are for their career, their students, and their connection to their colleagues. There's still time for you to join one for Fall 2025 or for the entire Academic Year. 

Learning Communities (LCs) bring faculty together for a 1-2 semester-long conversation on a topic of mutual interest and encourage an application of the knowledge gained. Here a few of the LCs you could join today via our Grants System:

Register for the next installment of the Student Success Series - Disability Justice in Higher Education

Date: Wednesday, October 8th
Time: 8:30-10:45 AM (continental breakfast available at 8:30 AM, event starts at 9 AM)
Location: Kirkhof Center 2204 (Pere Marquette - Valley Campus)

Keynote: From Compliance to Justice: Practicing Disability Justice in Higher Education

Brittanie Hernandez-Wilson

This symposium brings together students, faculty, staff, and community partners to explore disability justice as a framework for advancing student success and transforming higher education. 

Through a keynote presentation and panel discussions, participants will engage in conversations about accessibility, equity, and systemic change that directly impact retention, persistence, and belonging. Topics will include reimagining campus culture to support achievement, dismantling ableism in policies and practices that create barriers to completion, and building inclusive environments where all students have the opportunity to thrive academically and personally.

Please RSVP by Wednesday, October 1. 

For more information about our speaker and the GVSU Student Success Series please visit our website.