April 13, 2026

TOP NEWS

EVP & Provost Dr. Debbie M. Thorne invites all faculty and staff to the 29th Celebration of Excellence

EVP & Provost Thorne's message inviting you to the 29th Celebration of Excellence. (50-second watch)

EVP & Provost Thorne's message inviting you to the 29th Celebration of Excellence.

(50-second watch)

EVP & Provost Dr. Debbie M. Thorne invites all faculty and staff to the 29th Celebration of Excellence, taking place on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Cohen Student Union Ballroom, followed by a reception from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Cohen Student Union 201. Join your fellow Eagles to celebrate and honor the outstanding accomplishments of FGCU students, faculty, and staff.


Event details:



  • Professional attire required.
  • Community members, families, and friends of award recipients attending the Celebration must follow the parking instructions on the Eagle Link provided below.


RSVP to the reception is required through: https://getinvolved.fgcu.edu/event/12346013

Maintaining Exam Materials

Faculty are required to retain exam materials for three semesters, excluding the summer term, after exams have been administered. This requirement is in accordance with the State of Florida's General Records Schedule GS5 for public universities and colleges for ensuring institutional compliance and preservation of student assessment records for the stipulated period.


What Materials Are Included?

Exam materials covered under GS5 include, but are not limited to, test questions, answer keys, student examination responses, and test administration instructions, as described below:


Non-Standardized Examinations (Item #56): Tests administered by the professor or instructor to measure student performance or level of acquired knowledge. FGCU requires these to be retained for 3 full semesters, not including the summer semester.


At the conclusion of each semester, any of the above electronic or physical records in your possession must be held onto for the mandated period after exams have been administered.


For a complete list of exam record categories and retention requirements, review the FGCU GS5 Records Retention Spreadsheet at: https://www.fgcu.edu/recordsmanagement/



What Do You Need to Do?


Ensure exam materials are organized and stored securely for the required retention period. For more information on records management best practices, talk with your department chair or visit the following resources:




  • State of Florida General Records Schedule GS5: https://files.floridados.gov/media/706721/gs5-june-2023.pdf


Missed a tip? Bookmark Digital Learning's Canvas QuickTip Archive and access expert guidance whenever you need a refresh to use Canvas more efficiently and effectively. CLICK to browse the Archive.

Check out past editions of the Academic Affairs newsletter: Academic Affairs Events

Questions? Email us: academicaffairs@fgcu.edu.

Have you seen a faculty member or academic team exhibiting academic excellence and going the extra mile for student success? Let us know! Click here to submit your story.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Developing Your 5- to 7-Year Grantseeking Strategy


Monday, April 20, 12:00-1:00 PM


Join Hanover Research for an interactive workshop on how to assess and plan forward in your grantseeking. Rob Guroff, Managing Grants Consultant, will guide participants through a workshop-style exploration of best practices and practical tips for scaffolding your academic activities and grantseeking goals. Come ready to engage!


RSVP to Julie Leyden at jleyden@fgcu.edu to attend in person SRHM 225 or virtually via Microsoft Teams.

The Global Engagement Office (GEO) invites you to design and implement -


Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)






  • Professional Development (4 online modules) about designing COIL on Canvas.


Your voice matters!


The Digital Learning Department invites FGCU faculty and staff to participate in our Support Survey.

Why participate?


  • Your feedback directly influences decisions about tools, services, and support priorities.
  • Help shape future training and resources to better fit your teaching and work needs.
  • Ensure faculty and staff voices are represented in digital learning planning.
  • Support continuous improvement of instructional technologies and services.
  • This survey takes ~ 8-10 minutes.


You may access the survey questionnaire via the QR code or through the link below. Survey closes May 1st, 2026.


Link to survey: https://fgcu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_37SiRzWFP1XbgAC

Foreign Influence: The Threat You Can’t Afford To Miss

 

OIEC and ORSP invite you to an FBI briefing on Foreign Influence - Protecting your research, your team, and your institution. The session will provide an overview of foreign influence risks that can impact academic research. The FBI will share current insights into foreign influence tactics targeting universities.

 

  • Registration is required for this event.
  • Doors open for lunch at 12:30 PM and the presentation will run from 1:00-2:00 PM.
  • Click this Eagle Link to sign up.


Expanding Access: FGCU’s Degree Completion Initiatives

 

FGCU is dedicated to helping adult learners and returning students "Finish What They Started" by streamlining the path to graduation. Recognizing that modern learners often balance complex professional and personal lives, our Degree Completion pathways are designed to help students leverage previous academic work and life experience to earn their bachelor’s degrees.

 

Core Pathways Include:

  • FGCU CompleteTailored for students with an earned AA, offering flexible online, in-community, and on-campus course formats.
  • Return to the Nest (RTTN)Re-engages former FGCU students with personalized re-entry support to help them cross the finish line.
  • Credit for Prior Learning (CPL)Validates the expertise of our workforce by awarding credit for professional certifications, military training, and significant learning acquired outside the classroom.
  • Destination FGCUA seamless transfer partnership with Florida Southwestern State College and other partner institutions, ensuring a clear pipeline for AA graduates to transition into FGCU.

 

The Navigator Advantage To ensure persistence, every student in these pathways is paired with a dedicated FGCU Navigator. These staff members provide high-touch, personalized guidance from inquiry to commencement, working to identify and remove institutional barriers to graduation.

Faculty and staff are encouraged to share these resources with students or community members looking to return to higher education.


Learn more: fgcu.edu/degreecompletion

The Skills Advantage: From Campus to Career

is recruiting faculty for the Fall 2026 cohorts


The cohorts are a one-semester deep dive designed to help you more fully integrate transferable skills into your assignments, teaching you best practices for skills forward pedagogy, learning the career value of these skills, and becoming familiar with FGCU’s nine Transferable Skill Badges. Faculty will also design two badge-able assignments for their own courses and implement those assignments into future courses. 

 

The cohort is open to full-time faculty teaching in any undergraduate program or in gen ed. The Fall cohort is limited to 12 participants. This is a compensated faculty development activity. The cohort will meet biweekly throughout the Fall term. 

 

Apply by filling out the formstack or clicking on the above QR code. Applications are due by April 24th.

 

Interested but can't join the cohort right now? There are other ways to get involved!

  • Canvas Course: This self-paced Canvas course provides the basic information you need to create and embed course assignment that helps students make progress toward the transferable skill badges. To be added to the course, send an email to theskillsadvantage@fgcu.edu
  • Program/ Course Level Training: The Core Skills Office can work with Chairs and program leaders to embed transferable skill badging assignments into a multi-section course or into a sequence of courses in a major.

 

For more information about The Skills Advantage, visit https://www.fgcu.edu/theskillsadvantage/ or send an email to theskillsadvantage@fgcu.edu.

2027 Faculty-Led Study Abroad Program Proposals - Due May 29, 2026


Faculty interested in leading a study abroad program during Spring Break, Summer or Fall 2027 may request a proposal packet by e-mailing the Study Abroad Office at studyabroad@fgcu.edu.  


Faculty proposing new programs or who have not previously led a program at FGCU should also schedule a meeting with Dr. Dechen Albero (dalbero@fgcu.edu) or Dr. Michael McDonald (mmcdonal@fgcu.edu) to discuss their plans.


Proposals and supporting documents are due via e-mail to studyabroad@fgcu.edu by May 29, 2026.

 The Lucas Center for Faculty Development invites you to register for our Summer Programs!

 

For more information on each workshop/academy and to secure your spot, visit:


🔗 https://www.fgcu.edu/lucascenter/programs#Academies

📍 All programs take place in-person at the Lucas Center (LIB-221)

⌛Please note that programs may fill up prior to the indicated registration deadline!

 

Course Design Academy – May 11th, 13th and 15th from 9:00a-3:00p

Participants will meet to explore learner-centered design principles, discuss ideas in small learning teams, and collaboratively design more intentional, transferable, and transformative learning experiences.

Click here for more info & to register for the Course Design Academy

 

Assignment Design Academy – May 19th from 8:30a-1:00p & May 21st from 9:00a-12:00p

Participants will learn about the Transparency in Learning & Teaching (TILT) framework & apply it in the revision or creation of an assignment they plan to use in an upcoming semester. Greater transparency has been shown to improve the quality of students’ work & improve success.

Click here for more info & to register for the Assignment Design Academy

 

Academic Portfolio Workshop – Week of June 1st

Participants will engage in a week-long mentored experience designed to aid in the development of an organizational framework for an upcoming promotion portfolio. Feedback is intended to help you showcase your strengths & accomplishments & offer guidance on how to organize your portfolio to meet university standards. Full-time faculty members are eligible to participate.

Click here for more info & to register for the Academic Portfolio Workshop

Eagle X 2026: A Tradition of Celebrating Excellence


All are welcome to attend!

Plan to attend Eagle X on Apr 17 



  • For questions about Scholarly Research, please contact Dr. Megan Norcia at mnorcia@fgcu.edu.
  • For questions about Community Engagement Projects, please contact Justin Fitzgerald at jfitzgerald@fgcu.edu.
  • For questions about Internship Experiences, please contact Ashleigh Droz at adroz@fgcu.edu.
  • For questions about Leadership Experiences, please contact Alexandra Pipitone at apipitone@fgcu.edu.
  • For questions or to explore sponsorship opportunities for Eagle X, please contact Jessica Rhea at jrhea@fgcu.edu.

FGCU AI Summer Academy 2026



The Dendritic Institute for Human-Centered AI & Data Science invites faculty, staff, students, and community members to participate in the FGCU AI Summer Academy, a month-long program taking place in May 2026.


The Academy features 30 sessions and nearly 200 hours of programming covering AI in teaching, research, technical development, leadership, and applied domains.


Participants may register for individual sessions based on their interests.


👉 Learn more and register:

https://www.fgcu.edu/eng/dendritic-institute/academy/summer_academy/

Office of Research & Sponsored Programs (ORSP)

FGCU Institutional Review Board (IRB) Announcement

 

In accordance with the IRB regulations and FGCU IRB Guidelines, IRB approval must be obtained BEFORE any research projects involving human subjects may proceed. The Board cannot retroactively approve the collection of data which falls under our definition of research. However, the regulations recognize that there are instances where data are collected without the intention to conduct human subject research.

 

To approve the use of these data, the IRB will evaluate the data collection process to ensure it meets the same ethical and regulatory standards required for any research involving human subjects, including the requirement for informed consent. If the IRB determines that the data were not collected in accordance with these standards, the Board will NOT approve the use of these data.

 

The IRB’s role is to provide ethical and regulatory oversight for research involving human participants, safeguarding their rights and welfare while also supporting the integrity of the research, the research team members, and the interests of the University.

 

For detailed guidance on conducting research with human subjects, please refer to the FGCU IRB guidelines or contact the IRB office.

 

Questions? Please email Sherry Alexander at sralexander@fgcu.edu

Notice of Intent for Extramural Proposals


The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) has Streamlyne in place for PreAward Applications. If you are unsure about a submission and not quite ready to enter your request into Streamlyne, ORSP has developed a Notice of Intent (NOI) for Principal Investigators or Project Directors to complete to request a consultation for proposal submission for extramural funding. The NOI requests information for the investigator, proposal, and agency. This will assist applicants and ORSP in facilitating the process of applications.


ORSP can also review the request for proposal for details regarding required information to guide investigators on required elements for a submission. Some proposals are quite simple; others require a significant number of documents.


The NOI can be found at: https://fgcu.formstack.com/forms/notice_of_intent_form.

SciENcv Update



NIH and NSF now require that the PI and all Key Personnel generate their Biosketches and Current & Pending Support documents for every proposal submission through SciENcv. They also require an ORCID iD to be linked to SciENcv.

 

If you have not yet signed up for an ORCID iD number, please do so as soon as possible to avoid any delays at the time of proposal submission. If you have not yet created a SciENcv account to maintain your Biosketch and Current & Pending, ORSP suggests that you do so now.

 

There are several ways to log in to SciENcv; however, the most efficient method is through login.gov. If you do not already have a login.gov account, you should first create one using your FGCU email address and then use it to set up your SciENcv account.

 

To create an ORCID iD, go to this link and sign up where indicated. If you already have your SciENcv and ORCID ID accounts, the SciENcv site will prompt you to link the accounts.

 

ORSP is aware of ongoing issues and delays in responses from the associated help desks. Please contact ORSP early so we can assist you with generating Biosketches and Current & Pending Support documents that are compliant with grant submission requirements.

Required Training for NSF and NIH Submissions


The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has required training starting December 2, 2025. The new requirements set forth in NSF Important Notice No. 149 will take effect.

 

What you need to know:

 

  • Proposals submitted before December 2, 2025, including those submitted during the recent lapse in appropriations, are not subject to those requirements originally set to take effect on October 10, 2025.
  • As of December 2, 2025, such new certifications are required at the time of proposal submission within the Cover Sheet, Biographical Sketch, and Current and Pending (Other) Support forms. These include new certifications related to:
  • Completion of research security training by all senior/key personnel; and
  • An institution of higher education’s status regarding contracts or agreements with any Confucius Institute.
  • Organizations are required to provide supporting documentation, including copies of grants, contracts, and agreements, upon request by NSF.
  • You are instructed to take this course, download and save your completion certificate and provide it to ORSP_preaward@fgcu.edu. This certificate must be uploaded with your proposal to NSF.
  • To assist research organizations and investigators, NSF has published a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) web page summarizing the new requirements, certification procedures, and relevant timelines. Access the FAQs here.

 

Training can be done using the following link and takes 45-60 minutes: https://www.secure-center.org/ctm.

 

NIH research security training (RST) becomes mandatory for applications submitted for due dates on or after May 26, 2026 - https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-26-017.html

 

If you have questions, please reach out to ORSP.

Application Deadlines

 

There are posted deadlines for ORSP applications. For time-sensitive opportunities, ORSP will attempt to accommodate requests but cannot guarantee submission unless the following are met:

 

For FGCU to meet sponsor requirements and provide added value to each proposal, the following standard internal deadlines have been established for electronic and paper submissions (these lead times do not include time required by the relevant unit(s) for their review/approval):

 

  1. Five (5) business days (days when FGCU business operations are open) prior to submission deadline: The final complete budget, additional administrative materials, and draft narrative are due to ORSP.
  2. Fourteen (14) business days are required for subrecipient documentation when FGCU is the prime for the proposal.
  3. Two (2) business days prior to submission deadline: The final complete proposal is due to ORSP, including the final proposal narrative. Final changes between the two deadlines are limited to tweaking of the narrative that has no impact upon the budget and other administrative documents.

 

The deadlines are in place so that last minute errors/warnings can be addressed in advance of the sponsor’s deadlines. If error/warnings are received close to the sponsor deadline and cannot be adjusted, applications may not be submitted if we are not able to remedy the issue(s).

 

More information can be found at:

orsp_deadlines3.2026.pdf

THIS WEEK

Bower School of Music & the Arts

April 10-26 | She Kills Monsters

TheatreLab, Arts Complex

FGCU Campus, 10501 FGCU Blvd. S., Fort Myers


April 10, 11, 17 & 18 at 7:30 p.m.


April 12, 18 (with post-performance discussion) & 19 at 2:00 p.m.


Tickets are $15 for the general public | $7 for students


Available at fgcu.edu/theatrelab

Sunday, April 19


Chamber & University Choirs and Symphony Orchestra with Choral Artistry Concert perform Beethoven’s 9th Symphony


 First Presbyterian Church of Bonita Springs, 9751 Bonita Beach Rd SE, Bonita Springs

 Tickets are $35 for premium seating and $20 for general admission

Available at choralartistry.org/performances

FGCU & The Edison Awards present

RSVP: https://fgcu.formstack.com/forms/edison_awards_event_2026_rsvp

SAVE THE DATE!

College of Education


Tina Mullins

Oral Dissertations: April 20, 2026, 2 p.m., Marieb Hall 214

University Library

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR STUDENTS

Career Development Services

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Disclaimer: The views, opinions, and content expressed in these programs, events, and materials are those of the author(s)/presenter(s) and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views, positions, or endorsements of Florida Gulf Coast University's Academic Affairs Division.