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Tag: Opportunities

Now that the chaos of August is past, September is a great time to invest in your professional growth. The energy of beginnings — new students, new courses, new colleagues — offers everyone an opportunity for exploring innovative teaching strategies, connecting with colleagues, and strengthening the practices that make your work most meaningful to you. Whether you need touchpoints for community and reflection, help considering AI's role in education, or finding focused time for your scholarship, this month's offerings provide multiple pathways for professional growth and collegial connection. 
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Now that the chaos of August is past, September is a great time to invest in your professional growth. The energy of beginnings — new students, new courses, new colleagues — offers everyone an opportunity for exploring innovative teaching strategies, connecting with colleagues, and strengthening the practices that make your work most meaningful to you. Whether you need touchpoints for community and reflection, help considering AI's role in education, or finding focused time for your scholarship, this month's offerings provide multiple pathways for professional growth and collegial connection. 

For any event below, click on the link for more information. Some events require registration.

WEEKLY OPPORTUNITIES

  • Coffee & Chat, every Monday, 10:00-11:00
    Faculty can spend some time with members of the CAT+FD staff in our Conference Room for refreshments and conversation.
  • Fall Faculty Writing Group Lunch, every Monday, 11:00-2:00
    Members of the Fall Faculty Writing Group meet every Monday to write and dine together.
  • Walking Club, every Tuesday & Thursday, 8:30-9:00
    All members of the Xavier community are invited to gather outside the Fitness Center to get in some steps together.
  • Quarter of Quiet, every Wednesday, 2:00-2:15Members of the Xavier community are welcome in the Chapel's Meditation Room for 15 minutes of unguided contemplation. 

SEPTEMBER OPPORTUNITIES

  • Start-of-Semester Mindfulness Check-in, September 3 at 1:00 pm, CAT+FD Conference Room - 534AJoin us for an informal and open conversation about being more mindful and contemplative.
  • Create Engaging Video Lectures with Camtasia, September 3 at 3:00 pm, OnlineThis workshop will be led by Casey Seiter, Customer Success Manager for TechSmith EDU, an expert in educational video creation and digital storytelling.
  • SERG (Science Education Research Group), September 3 at 3:30 pm, NCF 568
    This monthly meeting provides space to share questions, concerns, and suggestions about pedagogy with colleagues in a supportive, multidisciplinary environment.
  • New Faculty Brown Bag, September 4 at 12:15 pm, Mellon Seminar Room - LRC 532BNew full-time faculty should attend these brown bags to learn about and engage with peers who understand the joys and challenges of the first year at Xavier.
  • Fall Faculty Writing Group Kick-off, September 4 at 5:00 pm, Mellon Seminar Room - LRC 532BFaculty enrolled in this semester's Faculty Writing Group should plan to attend. Dinner will be provided. 
  • Part-time Faculty Brown Bag, September 9 at 3:00 pm, Online
    CAT+FD welcomes all current part-time faculty to our monthly online gathering, designed with your busy schedules in mind.
  • Academic AI Statement Roundtable, September 10 at 11:00 am, Mellon Seminar Room - LRC 532B
    Engage with faculty, staff, and students to discuss the draft statement about AI use in academic settings at Xavier.
  • #LEX Advanced: Rubrics Reimagined: Save Time and Boost Feedback, September 11 at 3:00 pm, Online
    This workshop will provide you with strategies to ensure your assessments truly measure student learning in this rapidly changing educational landscape.
  • Academic AI Statement Roundtable, September 15 at 2:00 pm, Mellon Seminar Room - LRC 532B
    Engage with faculty, staff, and students to discuss the draft statement about AI use in academic settings at Xavier.
  • 2nd Year Faculty Luncheon, September 18 at 12:15 pm, Mellon Seminar Room - LRC 532B2nd-year faculty are invited to join their cohort colleagues for an informal lunch to reconnect and to learn about advising.
  • Build Your First AI Chatbot: Hands-On Workshop, September 19 at 2:00 pm, CAT+FD Teaching Lab - LRC 532AAll members of the Xavier community are welcome to join CAT+FD and the Library for an interactive workshop where you'll go from chatbot novice to creator.
  • Academic AI Statement Roundtable, September 26 at 10:00 am, Mellon Seminar Room - LRC 532BEngage with faculty, staff, and students to discuss the draft statement about AI use in academic settings at Xavier.
  • #LEX Advanced: Online Assessment Strategies in the Age of AI, September 30 at 3:00 pm, Mellon Seminar Room - LRC 532BDiscover how to adapt, innovate, and create online testing experiences that are both academically rigorous and genuinely reflective of student mastery.

OUTSIDE OPPORTUNITIES

CAT+FD is not a sponsor of any of the following. These links are provided to share additional professional development activities. 

  • 8th Annual Sparking Success Faculty Development Conference, Tulane University, January 7-8. Tulane University’s Center for Engaged Learning and Teaching (CELT) invites proposals for interactive breakout sessions for the 8th Annual Sparking Success: Faculty Development Conference, to be held Thursday, January 8, 2026. Sparking Success encourages faculty, staff, and graduate and professional students to come together, build community, and find inspiration for enhancing our lives on campus. Session proposals are due by November 1.
  • 32nd Annual HBCU Faculty Development Network Conference, Charlotte, NC, October 30-November 1. This year’s theme, “Turning Challenges into Opportunities: Advancing Faculty Development to Serve Dynamic Institutions,” invites faculty, administrators, and higher education professionals to engage in transformative dialogue and hands-on learning. Through workshops, plenaries, and networking sessions, the conference will explore innovative strategies in teaching, learning, leadership, technology, and student success—empowering participants to thrive in a rapidly changing educational landscape.
  • Brightspace D2L Academy. The D2L Academy is a version of Brightspace available to all members of the Brightspace Community where you'll find Premium (paid) content like Certificate and Subscription Training Courses, as well as FREE Courses, Downloads and Teaching Tools. The D2L Academy is also where you can connect with Brightspace Guided Training, and the Product Idea Exchange (PIE).

This year, the liturgical season of Lent overlaps with the sacred month of Ramadan. In the Christian and Muslim traditions, this is a time of contemplation. Coincidentally this year, they also overlap Xavier's Midterms, which as we know, is a time of deep introspection for many of our students.  During this period, remember to take a balanced approach to your own working life, and give yourself some time to interact with colleagues from across the campus. Click on the name of any event below to learn more about it.
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Full Eclipse of the Moon as seen in from Irvine, CA, USA
Sergei Mutovkin from Irvine, California, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This year, the liturgical season of Lent and the sacred month of Ramadan coincide, both calling for reflection, renewal, and intentionality. It is fitting that this also overlaps with Xavier’s Midterms—a time when our students engage in their own forms of deep introspection.

As we guide them through this demanding season, let’s also be mindful of our own well-being. Balance is essential, and taking time to connect with colleagues can be both restorative and inspiring. This month’s calendar of events offer opportunities to reflect, recharge, and engage with our community.

Click on the name of any event below to learn more—I hope to see you there. And don't miss the lunar eclipse this Thursday night!

WEEKLY OPPORTUNITIES

  • Coffee & Chat, every Monday & Tuesday, 10:00-11:00
    Spend some time with members of the CAT+FD staff in our Conference Room for refreshments and conversation.
  • Quarter of Quiet, every Wednesday, 2:00-2:15
    Give yourself 15 minutes of unguided contemplation. Join us in person  the Chapel's Meditation Room or in spirit from any location. 

MARCH WORKSHOPS & BROWN-BAGS

  • Xavier Faculty Writing Group, Monday, March 10, 11:00-1:00
    Members of the Xavier Faculty Writing Group gather each Monday to enjoy lunch together while putting in some extra time on their writing projects. 
  • Part-Time Faculty Brown Bag: X-Core & Part-Time Teaching, Tuesday, March 11, 4:00-5:00
    Each month, part-time faculty members are invited to meet to discuss their classes and to learn more about teaching at Xavier.
  • Social Hour/PIE-1 Day, Thursday, March 13, 4:00-5:30
    Since midterm grades are due on the Pi Day (Friday, March 14) this year, CAT+FD is celebrating PIE-1 Day on Thursday, March 13. Take a break from your grading, and join us in the Mellon Seminar Room for some fellowship and some pie!
  • Xavier Faculty Writing Group, Monday, March 17, 11:00-1:00
    Members of the Xavier Faculty Writing Group gather each Monday to enjoy lunch together while putting in some extra time on their writing projects. 
  • New Faculty Brown Bag: Xavier's Core Curriculum (X-Core), Tuesday, March 18, 12:15-1:00
    First-year faculty are invited to learn more about Xavier's unique undergraduate core curriculum, known as X-Core. 
  • Xavier Faculty Writing Group, Monday, March 24, 11:00-1:00
    Members of the Xavier Faculty Writing Group gather each Monday to enjoy lunch together while putting in some extra time on their writing projects. 
  • SERG (Science Education Research Group), Tuesday, March 25, 3:30-4:30
    The monthly SERG meetings are informal, multidisciplinary forums for the discussion of pedagogical issues. These meetings are open to all interested faculty. There is no need to register.
  • Mindful Check-in, Wednesday, March 26, 1:00-1:50
    Please join us for an informal and open conversation about your experiences, challenges, questions, and the upcoming April “Take 5" Challenge. Faculty, staff, and students are welcome.
  • Xavier Faculty Writing Group, Monday, March 31, 11:00-1:00
    Members of the Xavier Faculty Writing Group gather each Monday to enjoy lunch together while putting in some extra time on their writing projects. 

OUTSIDE OPPORTUNITIES

CAT+FD is not sponsoring or partnering on any of the following events. If you have questions, please contact the event organizers.

  • NSF – EiR – Secondary Data Institute, May 25-30 (Prairie View A&M): Researchers at HBCUs often face unique challenges concerning research productivity and grantsmanship. This project aims to address these challenges by providing training opportunities and mentoring in the statistical analysis of archived data sources at the University of Michigan’s Inter-University Consortium of Political and Social Research (ICPSR). This project supports a residential summer institute on PVAMU’s main campus near Houston, Texas, focusing on developing skills to analyze and integrate secondary data analysis into research and teaching.
  • HBCU Ai Conference and Training Summit, April 1-3 (Huston-Tillotson University): The HBCU Ai Conference and Training Summit is the first-of-its-kind event, dedicated to reshaping the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by empowering Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Scheduled to take place April 1-3, 2025, this transformative summit brings together thought leaders, educators, researchers, and industry professionals to bridge the gap between HBCUs and the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
  • 2025 Notre Dame Inclusive Teaching Academy, June 2–6 (Chicago, IL): The Notre Dame Inclusive Teaching Academy provides robust, intensive training in support of the transformation of faculty teaching. Learn about, reflect on, and apply principles of inclusive pedagogy alongside colleagues from across the country as you redesign course materials and prepare to lead inclusive teaching efforts in your department and on campus.