Events and Opportunities

The Functional Course Design Endorsement is a semester-long program open to any WMU board-appointed faculty member or instructor of record who is teaching, or plans to teach, a course within the next year. Come work alongside instructional designers and faculty peers in a collaborative setting where you will focus on designing or redesigning a course using a human-centered, concept-focused approach that prioritizes accessibility, alignment, and learner flexibility across any modality.

The program meets in person seven times throughout the semester, from 9 a.m. to noon, on Fridays: September 25, October 2, 9, and 16, October 30, November 6, and November 20. Upon successful completion, participants receive a WMU Endorsement Certificate in Functional Course Design. Registration closes September 18. Seats are limited!

Complete the Functional Course Design Endorsement Registration Form to sign up!

The Weekly Write: A Virtual Writing Accountability Community hosted by OFD

Fall 2026 semester on Wednesdays, through Dec. 9 | 9 to 11:30 a.m. | Virtual via Webex 

Join the virtual Weekly Writes program, hosted by the Office of Faculty Development (OFD), designed to foster a supportive writing environment and community for scholars at any stage in their careers working on publications and projects. These are accountability groups, not peer-review sessions, focused on supporting individuals’ writing processes, goals, and productivity. Participants meet weekly for uninterrupted writing time. Each session includes a brief check-in, two hours of focused work, and a closing reflection. Facilitators provide structure, resource referrals, and the occasional pep talk. Faculty, instructors, and professionals welcome. Commit to as many sessions as you can. Writers are welcome to join anytime in the semester.  Learn more and submit your interest for the OFD Weekly Write. 

For questions, contact Dr. LaSonja Roberts, Weekly Write host

Beyond the Stereotypes: Understanding Today's Students

Wednesdays, Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26, from noon to 1:15 p.m. in Sangren Hall, Room 4550.

This learning community will meet four times throughout the month of October. Together, we will:
• Explore current research on Gen Z and the evolving higher ed landscape
• Examine the unique characteristics and needs of our current student population
• Gain practical, evidence-based strategies to enhance student engagement, belonging and success
• Become knowledgeable in identifying the signs and symptoms of anxiety in students
• Share effective teaching practices and develop ideas you can immediately use in your classes
• Discover available resources for students on and off campus 

Led by Tracey Corbett, Instructor, Business Information Systems, Haworth College of Business.

Virtual series meets via Microsoft Teams | Meets Fridays, Oct. 9 and Nov. 6, from 11 a.m. to noon | Additional Faculty panel: Nov. 6, 12:15 to 1:15 p.m.

Explore purposeful integration or managing AI use, student learning, and ethical practice with faculty colleagues from WMU and Illinois State University. Featuring the book: The Science of Learning Meets AI: A Practical Faculty Guide to Purposeful Integration, Student Engagement, and Ethical Practice. The series kicked off in Sept but you can join anytime; visit the sign-up form for details and to register for the AI Book Club. 

A virtual Q&A open to all Part-Time and Professional Instructors. Have burning questions that you’d like answers to? Have PIO contract-related questions? Having issues getting eLearning to do what you need? Need some advice on how to keep your students engaged? Drop in for a chat! Contact the PIO Fellow, Kat DeKam to receive the meeting link! Check out the other resources available to professional and part-time instructors. 

Funding opportunity! Applications due Monday, Nov. 2 and Feb 8. 

2026–27 Instructional Development Grants are now available! Grants support board-appointed bargaining unit faculty and professional instructors (PIOs) with projects and professional development that tangibly impact student learning. Funding is available for faculty and PIOs at all career stages through two competitive application cycles. Fall applications are due Nov. 2; spring applications are due Feb. 8 for projects that can be completed during the fiscal year. Learn more about Instructional Development Grants. 

For more information, contact the Office of Faculty Development

The Science of Learning Meets AI: Final book club discussion and faculty panel, Friday, Nov. 6: 

• Book club discussion, 11 a.m. to noon 

• Faculty panel: 12:15 to 1:15 p.m.

Explore purposeful integration or managing AI use, student learning, and ethical practice with faculty colleagues from WMU and Illinois State University. Featuring the book: The Science of Learning Meets AI: A Practical Faculty Guide to Purposeful Integration, Student Engagement, and Ethical Practice. The series kicked off in Sept but you can join anytime.

Visit the sign-up form for details and to register for the discussion or sessions. 

Hosted by the Office of Faculty Development  

AI and Assignment Design: Projects, Papers & Presentations – Friday, January 15 12:00 p.m. -12:30 p.m.

As AI makes it easier for students to produce polished work, you may have less visibility into the thinking and learning that goes into the final product. In this practical 30-minute session, we will explore manageable ways to design assignments so that students’ reasoning, revisions, and application of course concepts are more visible, without creating a mountain of additional grading. Bring an assignment you currently use and leave with concrete strategies you can apply right away. 

AI and Assignment Design Series (2026-27): AI is changing what your students can produce and how they approach their coursework. This four-part, learning-centered series offers practical opportunities to examine and design assignments with that reality in mind, without promoting or discouraging AI across the board. Each 30-minute session will offer concrete considerations and strategies for designing or redesigning various assignment types and course components. Attend one session or the entire series.  

This is part of the AI and Assignment Design series taking place on January 15 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Sign up for one session, or sign up for them all - the meeting link will be the same all day, so you can pop in and out of sessions at your leisure.

AI and Assignment Design: Discussions – Friday, January 15 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Has “post once and reply to two classmates” become more of a routine than a real conversation? This session offers practical strategies for moving beyond formulaic posts and AI-generated replies to create online discussions where students share their own thinking, build on one another’s ideas, and engage in conversations. You’ll reconsider one of your current discussion prompts and develop ideas for encouraging genuine interaction.

AI and Assignment Design Series: AI is changing what your students can produce and how they approach their coursework. This four-part, learning-centered series offers practical opportunities to examine and design assignments with that reality in mind, without promoting or discouraging AI across the board. Each 30-minute session will offer concrete considerations and strategies for designing or re-designing various assignment types and course components. Attend one session or the entire series. 

This is part of the AI and Assignment Design series taking place on January 15 from 12 pm - 2 pm. Sign up for one session, or sign up for them all - the meeting link will be the same all day, so you can pop in and out of sessions at your leisure.

AI and Assignment Design: Grading and Rubrics – Friday, January 15, 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Clear expectations make grading easier for instructors and students, but deciding what those expectations should be when AI is involved can be challenging. This session explores assignment-level language, rubric criteria, and ways to assess work that intentionally incorporates AI. You will gain practical strategies for defining acceptable AI use and reducing difficult conversations when student work does not align with your expectations. 

AI and Assignment Design Series: AI is changing what your students can produce and how they approach their coursework. This four-part, learning-centered series offers practical opportunities to examine and design assignments with that reality in mind, without promoting or discouraging AI across the board. Each 30-minute session will offer concrete considerations and strategies for designing or re-designing various assignment types and course components. Attend one session or the entire series. 

This is part of the AI and Assignment Design series taking place on January 15 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Sign up for one session, or sign up for them all - the meeting link will be the same all day, so you can pop in and out of sessions at your leisure.

AI and Assignment Design: Attribution – Friday, January 15, 1:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Acknowledging AI use is not always as simple as adding a reference at the end of an assignment. This session explores practical ways students can communicate how and where they used AI through citations, AI-use statements, process notes, and other forms of attribution. You will leave with examples and adaptable language you can use across different types of assignments. 

AI and Assignment Design Series: AI is changing what your students can produce and how they approach their coursework. This four-part, learning-centered series offers practical opportunities to examine and design assignments with that reality in mind, without promoting or discouraging AI across the board. Each 30-minute session will offer concrete considerations and strategies for designing or re-designing various assignment types and course components. Attend one session or the entire series.

This is part of the AI and Assignment Design series taking place on January 15 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Sign up for one session, or sign up for them all - the meeting link will be the same all day, so you can pop in and out of sessions at your leisure.

Funding opportunity! Applications due Monday, Feb 8. 

2026–27 Instructional Development Grants are now available! Grants support board-appointed bargaining unit faculty and professional instructors (PIOs) with projects and professional development that tangibly impact student learning. Funding is available for faculty and PIOs at all career stages through two competitive application cycles. Spring applications are due Feb. 8 for projects that can be completed during the fiscal year. Learn more about Instructional Development Grants. 

For more information, contact the Office of Faculty Development

Coming Soon!

Thursday, October 1

1 to 2 p.m.

Virtual

In this webinar, NCFDD invites faculty to rethink difficult classroom moments as opportunities for learning, reflection, and connection.

Thursday, October 8

2 to 3 p.m.

Virtual

In this webinar, you will learn:

• How conflict-management is an essential part of thriving in the Academy.
• How to decide when to push back and when to pull back in the face of conflict.
• The difference between healthy and unhealthy conflict.
• How to get clear about the role that power plays in resolving departmental conflicts.
• Ten tips for engaging in healthy conflict

The Office of Faculty Development is partnering with NCFDD to host a private 14-Day Writing Challenge!  This challenge is open to WMU faculty, instructors, and graduate teaching assistants looking to experiment with daily writing and find joy in the process. 

• Commit to writing for at least 30 minutes a day for two weeks Login to our online community, start the timer, complete your writing, and post your progress at the end.

• Take 5 minutes to support other writers in your group by commenting on their progress

• “Writing” refers to any scholarly activity ranging from the spark of a new idea to polishing a near-complete project (article, grant proposal, exhibit, book chapter, etc.).

The average participant writes for 350 minutes over the two weeks and 98% of recent participants agreed that “the 14-Day Writing Challenge was helpful in making progress on your scholarly work.”

• Challenge runs: Monday, Nov. 2 - Sunday, Nov.15, 2026 

• Registration closes on Sun. Oct. 25 

Writing Challenge Details and Registration 

Friday, November 6

1 to 2 p.m.

Virtual

This webinar unpacks the difference between impostor syndrome and impostorization and offers strategies to counter each.

Thursday, November 12

2 to 3 p.m.

Virtual

Join NCFDD to learn:

• The impact that stress and negativity can have if they are not managed
• Identify the most common areas of stress in academic life
• Concrete strategies for managing the physical, emotional, and attitudinal effects of stress