Kickoff Week

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

Eisler Center Ballrooms

Academic Affairs Welcome Breakfast with President Pink & Provost Fleischman

Join fellow faculty and staff for breakfast as we begin the 2025-2026 academic year. Dr. Pink and Provost Fleischman will share welcoming remarks at 8:30 AM. Faculty who have received tenure, promotion, and/or merit for 2025-2026 will also be recognized.

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Eisler Center Ballrooms

Ferris Faculty Association (FFA) Luncheon

Join colleagues from across campus for a hosted luncheon. All FSU bargaining unit employees welcome.

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

IRC 137

Faculty-led study abroad proposal workshop

Facilitator: Megan Houser-Tran and Tara Braun

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

FLITE 135

Reimagining Credit for prior learning: ferris and the mi-learn design lab

Join us for a dynamic session highlighting Ferris State University’s growing engagement with the Michigan Center for Adult College Success and its MI-LEARN Design Lab initiative. This event will provide an overview of statewide efforts to reimagine systems that better serve adult learners, particularly around Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) and accelerated credential pathways.
We will showcase Ferris’s strategic focus on CPL as a means to promote equity, access, and belonging for adult and transfer students. You will learn about current work underway, institutional goals, and key opportunities for faculty and staff to shape a more student-centered and scalable CPL process.
This event will also feature an interactive component wherein you can offer input, ask questions, and explore how your department or role might contribute to this transformative effort. If you advise, teach, support, or care about adult and transfer learners, we welcome your voice in this conversation!  

Facilitator: Lori Jenema, Ashley Hawley, Janelle Hemingway, Deedee Stakley, and Michael Zaborowski

2:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

FLITE 112

Navigate 360 Essentials: from setup to student support

This session will introduce you to the essential tools in Navigate360 that help connect your efforts to the larger story of student success at Ferris. We’ll cover how to set up your availability and sync your calendar, manage appointments and message campaigns, and utilize alerts and referrals to raise concerns and connect students to resources. You’ll also gain insight into how Navigate360 usage data both help us better understand student needs and inform institutional support strategies.

Facilitator: Dani Hiar

2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

FLITE 405

curriculog working session

In this session, we will demonstrate how to use Curriculog and be available to work with you to show you step-by-step how the new curriculum system operates.

Facilitators: Meagan Shevock and Rusty Leonard

8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Eisler Center Ballrooms

Academic Senate Symposium

4:15 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Cranker’s Brewery

213 S. State St.

Big Rapids, MI 49307

Academic Senate Social Hour

Meeting times and locations provided by the colleges.

College Meetings

College of Arts, Sciences, and Education, 9:30 – 10:45 AM, Science 126
College of Business, 8:30 – 11 AM, BUS 111
College of Engineering Technology, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, The Peaks, 11515 Northland Dr., Big Rapids
College of Health Professions, 10 AM – 12 PM, VFS 328
College of Pharmacy, 10 AM – 12 PM, Virtually on Teams
Kendall College of Art and Design, 9 AM – 3 PM, WNF 217 (Boyer Hall)
Michigan College of Optometry, 9 AM – 12 PM, MCO 210
University College Strategic Planning, 9:30 – 10:45 AM, FLITE 240
University College & University Libraries, 11 AM – 1 PM, FLITE 240

1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

DEC 217 and Zoom 

Office of Research & Sponsored Programs Overview

Please join us for an overview of the Office of Research & Sponsored Programs. Learn about grant funding, the Summer Student Fellowship Program, compliance programs (IRB, IBC), and training offerings.

Facilitators: Tom Dowling, Wendy Stapp, and Maureen Wawsczyk

2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

CVL 111

Walk-In Canvas Support

Do you want assistance or ideas for getting your Canvas course ready for the Fall semester? We invite you to stop for one-on-one help with everything from course setup to troubleshooting. No appointments are needed!

Facilitator: Jody Gardei

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

CVL  111 and Zoom

Your Story Starts Here: Designing Scenario-Based Learning

What if your students could experience your content instead of just reading about it? In this hands-on session, we’ll explore how to transform your existing course content into powerful scenario-based learning experiences that promote critical thinking engagement.

Whether you’re curious about AI or prefer to keep it classic, you’ll leave with a process you can use right away. Come ready to listen, learn, or work on your own idea. This session is active, supportive, and designed for all experience levels.

Facilitators: Mandy Purcey

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

BUS 118 and Zoom

Collecting Course Assessment Data in HelioCampus Using Canvas

Join us for a demonstration on how to quickly collect your course assessment data using the new assessment system, HelioCampus, available in Canvas. Save time by using HelioCampus to collect and report your course assessment data! Learn how to link your assessments to your outcomes and use the built-in course reports!

Facilitators: Katie Kalata and Dawn Sizeland

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

CVL 111

Bridging Knowledge and Community: The Power of Academic Service Learning

The session will begin with an overview of Academic Service Learning (ASL), defining it as a pedagogical approach that connects classroom learning with real-world service, supported by structured reflection. We will emphasize ASL’s dual purpose to deepen student learning while positively impacting the community.

Key components of ASL will be discussed, including academic integration, reciprocal community partnerships, civic engagement, and reflective practices. Attendees will discover how ASL can promote critical thinking, empathy, and a stronger sense of civic responsibility among students. The presentation will highlight the benefits of ASL for students, educators, and community organizations, illustrated by real-world examples from fields such as public health, education, and environmental science. We will also address strategies for effective integration and challenges such as aligning service with course objectives and evaluating learning outcomes.

The session will conclude with a call to action to embrace education not only as a means of academic achievement, but as a catalyst for social impact and community connection.

Facilitator: Kristin Conley and Sarah Hinkley

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

CVL 111 and Zoom

Belonging Starts Here: eLearning’s “Module 0” Reimagined

As you shape your Canvas learning environment so that every student feels seen, supported, and ready to succeed, you have the power to set that tone from the very beginning—and the eLearning team is here to help.

Join this session to explore “Module 0,” a template for a Canvas module that can help you set the tone for inclusion, connection, and clarity from the beginning of the course. Grounded in four key design principles of student confidence, clear expectations, community building, and early engagement, Module 0 offers a consistent, welcoming start for the Canvas portion of your courses.

We’ll walk through student-facing examples and show how you can customize the content in Module 0 to reflect your voice and course goals.

Facilitator: Angie Buys

2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

CVL 111

The Anxious Generation: A University Read and Collective Inquiry

Join a university-wide learning community as we explore The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, a compelling investigation into the youth mental health crisis and its roots in what Haidt terms the “great rewiring of childhood.” This shift from a play-based, socially rich upbringing to one shaped by smartphones and social media has, he argues, profoundly altered the way young people grow, connect, and perceive themselves.

In this community, participants will engage in conversations about how these digital shifts have negatively impacted social and neurological development, contributing to rising rates of anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, and sleep disruption. We’ll examine specific concerns such as social anxiety, attention fragmentation, and screen-related addiction, as well as the underlying forces that fuel them.

This learning community will offer space for critical analysis, shared storytelling, and collective thinking about healthier approaches to development, connection, and digital life. Open to students, faculty, and staff, this experience encourages all participants to consider how campus culture and personal habits might be reshaped to promote greater well-being in a hyper-connected world.

You will leave with a packet of resources designed to support incorporating the book or a chapter of the book into your teaching this academic year. Copies of the book will also be provided.

Facilitator: Kristin Conley

4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Zoom

Trends in Career Readiness

The workplace is changing very quickly with AI applicant tracking systems, emerging new occupations, employer recruitment changes, competency-based hiring, economic hiring impacts, and more. Join your colleagues to learn about the latest trends, how Ferris State is preparing students for career success, and how you can support students’ career readiness in and out of the classroom.

Facilitator: Angela Roman

8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

CVL 111 and Zoom

From Recording to Results: Making the Most of Canvas Studio

In this session, we’ll explore how to get the most out of Canvas Studio, from recording and organizing your videos to enhancing student interaction and tracking viewer data. You’ll learn how to:

• Record and upload custom course videos
• Embed Studio content directly into Canvas pages, assignments, and discussions
• Add video quizzes and captions to boost accessibility and engagement
• Use analytics to understand how students are interacting with your content

We’ll also share ready-to-use resources and templates to help you organize your videos, plan your content, and make your visuals more effective.

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to elevate your existing video content, this session is packed with tips to take your teaching to the next level.

Facilitator: Charles Stanley

9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Zoom 

First-Gen Forward: What Faculty and Staff Can Do Today

Do you know what percentage of your students are first generation (hint, it's about 30%)? Do you know what “first generation” means? We have learned over the years that many students and faculty do not realize they are (or were) first-generation students. We invite you to learn more about what it means to be first generation and hear about the amazing resources (including many new ones) that are available to first-generation students.

Facilitators: Dave McCall, Sarah Lucas, and Jerry Emerick

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Zoom

Integrating Lucid Whiteboard into Canvas: A New Approach to Visual Engagement

Are you looking for new ways to make your Canvas course more interactive, visual, and collaborative? Join us for this hands-on session where we’ll explore Ludic Whiteboard, a powerful, user-friendly tool designed to enhance learning through visual thinking and real-time collaboration. Whether you’re mapping concepts, facilitating group work, or building interactive presentations, Lucid Whiteboard can bring a fresh dimension to your teaching toolkit.

Come see how easy it is to integrate this into your Canvas course and walk away with ideas you can use right away. No prior experience is required!

Facilitator: Charles Stanley