Dear Faculty, Administrators and Staff,

I am excited to share that the implementation phase of our new strategic plan, Inspiring Great Minds to Greater Purpose, is well underway. Each of the five priority areas is being co-led by two members of the Executive Cabinet. In my role as Interim Provost, I am co-leading Priority 1: Transformational Student Experience with Dr. Monica Burnette, Vice President of Student Services and Priority 3: Impactful Programs, Research, and Innovation with Katie McCarthy, Interim Vice President of Enrollment Management. Fifteen implementation committees with faculty, students, staff, and administrators across all schools and colleges have been constituted and charged.  We look forward to the progress and insights that will emerge from these collective efforts in the months ahead.

In the spirit of this collaborative momentum, we were excited to see the breadth of the ideas submitted as part of the 2025–26 Call for Academy and Idea Hall applications. We are pleased to support the following proposals that exemplify interdisciplinarity, demonstrate significant potential impact, present feasible implementation plans, include detailed budgets aligned with projected outcomes, and provide clear methods for assessing success.

2025–26 Academies

2025–26 Idea Hall Initiatives

Congratulations to these teams and thank you to all who participated in this year’s call for applications.

And on this Election Day, let’s take a moment to reflect on the importance of civic engagement. Together, we can make a difference by voting, participating, and inspiring others to do the same.

Sincerely,
Erik

Please encourage your students to apply to represent Seton Hall at the 2026 BIG EAST Undergraduate Student Research Poster Competition. The application is brief, although project details are required. It is quite an experience for selected students, who will receive additional coaching and funding for overnight travel to present their research at Madison Square Garden on Saturday March 14, 2026. As an added bonus, all competing students will receive one complimentary ticket to the Men’s Basketball Conference Championship Game held in the evening. To apply to be part of the symposium , students should complete a brief application by next Tuesday, November 4.

Seton Hall  welcomes the Christmas season with its 16th annual Christmas at the Hall Tree Lighting Ceremony on Tuesday, December 2 at 6 p.m. on the University Green. Preceded by the Kick-off Mass in the Chapel at 5 p.m., this beloved tradition invites faculty, staff, students and the South Orange community to celebrate the joy of Advent, faith and service. Join colleagues for music, performances, hot cocoa and fellowship  as the University’s Christmas tree shines once again.

Encourage students to get ahead this year by taking classes during Winter Session 2026, from  January 2–13. This accelerated two-week term offers a wide range of online and in-person courses, allowing students to fulfill requirements, explore new interests or stay on track for graduation. Faculty teaching winter courses play a vital role in supporting student progress during this focused academic period. Learn more.

Time Machines: Come view innovative student work

The University Libraries eRepository now features final projects from the Time Machines program, highlighting student work from the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 cohorts. Each year, five students work with rare books, archival collections, art and artifacts in Archives and Special Collections, conducting hands-on research and crafting a final project in a format of their choice. Take a look and see the past come alive!  The projects range from the role magic played in medicine in the late medieval early Renaissance periods, to the Setonian in the 1960s.  Do you have content for the eRepository? If so, please contact erepository@shu.edu.

Junior Brysen Pfingsten wins 2nd place in International Student Research Competition in Singapore

Jason Hemann, assistant professor of computer science and student Brysen Pfingsten represented Seton Hall at SPLASH 2025 (Systems, Programming, Languages, and Applications: Software for Humanity) in Singapore. Pfingsten presented “Visualizing miniKanren Search with a Fine-Grained Small-Step Semantics,” an extension of a project that was originally developed with support from the University’s DataLab, and earned 2nd place in the conference-wide Student Research Competition. Their work exemplifies the creativity, mentorship, and global reach fostered across Seton Hall’s research community.

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 Events

Weekly Events

Faculty Lunch-Time Meet-up:
November 4, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
November 12, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Location: Faculty section of the Pirate Dining Room

SHU Meditates
Thursday, November 6, 12:30 – 1 p.m., on Teams

Faculty Opportunities for the 2025-26 Academic Year:

Visit the website for faculty learning communities to explore  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.

New Episode of Innovate and Educate 
In Season 2, Episode 2 of Innovate and Educate, we explore the importance of keeping your data safe. Chris Richardson, security analyst at Seton Hall, explains the hidden risks of data breaches and shares simple, effective strategies to protect your information. Listen now and subscribe. 

Birds of a Feather AI Series 
Join Megan Kane from the English Department to explore the AI Aware Writing Environment, a platform that integrates AI feedback and detection tools to promote authentic student writing. She will discuss the project’s development, accessibility and security measures and its pilot in Seton Hall’s first-year writing program. Co-hosted by the Center for Faculty Development and the TLTC, this monthly Teams series fosters meaningful conversations about generative AI. Learn more and join the session.

Enhance Teaching and Leadership with AI Role Play in LinkedIn Learning 
AI Role Play in LinkedIn Learning gives faculty and staff an interactive way to practice coaching, mentoring and leadership conversations in an AI-supported environment. This tool helps strengthen communication, improve feedback techniques and build confidence across teams and classrooms. Seton Hall community members have free access to LinkedIn Learning’s full course library and tools.

Use Turnitin in Canvas to Support Academic Integrity 
The Turnitin Plagiarism Framework promotes academic integrity and strengthens student writing by providing grammar, spelling and originality reports. These tools help instructors identify unoriginal content and guide students in producing confident, authentic work. Students can also review their reports and ask questions about their submissions. Read more about Turnitin.

Provost Scholarly Course Release Program – Deadline is TOMORROW!

The deadline for the Scholarly Course Release Program for the Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 semester is tomorrow, Wednesday, November 5. Please make sure to submit your application with your chairperson’s evaluation to your dean. Deans will then submit their ranked applications to the Provost’s Office by Wednesday, November 19. We encourage faculty to consider this support scholarship and grants work.

Employee Benefits Open Enrollment: October 27 - November 14

Need to make changes to your current benefits or enroll in benefits? Open Enrollment is here! Changes can  be made through the University portal between October 27 - November 14.

Upcoming Open Enrollment Fairs:

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.