December 8, 2025

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Advancing Oral Health in Older Adults Through Nurse Practitioner Education

Faculty from FGCU's School of Nursing developed an instructional video on oral health assessment for older adults (from left): Amy Dudley, Loureen Downes, Bhisnauth Churaman, and Tammy Sadighi. Click photo to watch the video.

FGCU’s faculty from the School of Nursing in the Marieb College of Health and Human Services, Drs. Tammy Sadighi, Loureen Downes, Bhisnauth Churaman, and Amy Dudley, developed an innovative instructional video to educate nurse practitioners on oral assessment and treatment in older adults. This initiative addresses an overlooked component of oral health and its influence on chronic diseases.

Poor oral health in older adults is associated with Alzheimer disease, atrial fibrillation, pneumonia, and diabetes. The team partnered with Family Health Centers Dental Clinic, which provides essential services to underserved populations across Southwest Florida. Graduate students will extend this work at Shell Point Retirement Community focusing on strategies to improve oral care for older adults.

The instructional video was disseminated to 238 nurse practitioner programs nationwide earning national recognition and led to an invitation from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) to deliver an international continuing education course.

A research study will evaluate impact on nurse practitioners’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding oral health in primary care.

Aligned with FGCU’s strategic goals to innovate in academic excellence, enhance student success and well-being, and elevate regional partnerships, this project reflects a sustained commitment to innovation, community engagement, and improved quality of life for older adults. Funding was provided by the AANP and the FGCU’s School of Nursing.

"Graduate students will extend this work at Shell Point Retirement Community focusing on strategies to improve oral care for older adults."

Click here to watch the instructional video.

TOP NEWS

Mark your calendar! Next Provost's Seminar:

FGCU – Your University featuring President Aysegul Timur, Ph.D.

Thursday, January 15, 2026 | 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. AB9 (The Water School), Room 106. More details on Eagle Link.

The Provost's Seminar Series provides unique opportunities for students and the Eagle community to meet and learn from experts with remarkable careers and subject-matter expertise.

Canvas Quicktip Episode 7: Auto-generate Alt Text descriptions for Canvas Course Images  

Make your Canvas content more accessible with Ally’s AI Alt Text Assistant!  

The Ally AI Alt Text Assistant in Canvas makes meeting accessibility requirements a breeze. All images in a Canvas course must contain an image description (Alt Text). This feature in the Ally Accessibility tool within Canvas helps you to auto-generate image descriptions, which is essential for meeting ADA requirements and improving overall comprehension.

The AI Alt Text Assistant is easy to use: Simply generate, review, edit, and approve the suggested description to boost your Ally accessibility score.

For more information check out the Ally guide to Add Image Descriptions. 

Looking for a Canvas QuickTip? 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.

Tell your students!

Save on Spring Course Materials with First Day Ready

While we are about seven weeks from the start of the spring semester, it’s never too early to start planning and saving on your course materials.

FGCU is proud to offer the First Day Ready program, which ensures all required materials for undergraduate courses are available by the first day of class. At just $20 per credit hour, this program provides a convenient and affordable way to stay prepared.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Watch your inbox in early December for an email from Barnes & Noble with details and instructions. This message will confirm your order and delivery method.

• Enrollment is automatic each semester, but you may opt out if you choose. If you remain enrolled, the charge will be added to your student account and reflected in your bill and payment center alongside tuition and fees.

• The selection window opens December 8, and the opt-out deadline is January 14.

To learn more, visit the First Day Ready landing page.

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

Have you seen a faculty member or academic team exhibiting academic excellence and going the extra mile for student success? Email us: academicaffairs@fgcu.edu.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Dendritic Institute for Human-Centered AI and Data Science

Two university-wide opportunities!

New Syllabus Management System & Training Opportunities

Dear Faculty/Adjuncts,

To ensure efficient compliance with new regulations, Florida Gulf Coast University has adopted Simple Syllabus as our new syllabus management system. This change will streamline syllabus collection and ensure compliance with updated Board of Governors (BOG) Regulation 8.003, which will require:

• All syllabi to be published 45 days prior to the first day of class (effective Fall 2026).
• Inclusion of specific items in the public-facing syllabus.
• Faculty attestation that course materials meet all policies.
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What does this mean for you?

• We are launching a soft rollout of Simple Syllabus in Spring 2026. Faculty may choose to adopt now or continue with current practices–but we are strongly encouraging everyone to begin using the new system.
• Full implementation begins Summer 2026, with the 45-day requirement enforced in Fall 2026.

Required elements in the public syllabus include:

• Course identifiers (prefix, number, CRN, title)
• Instructor information (name, rank, office, phone, office hours)
• Required textbooks (auto-populated from Barnes & Noble)
• Recommended materials, topics covered, grading scale (faculty input)
• Official course description and approved learning outcomes (will be prepopulated)

Faculty can add additional details and update syllabi anytime using version control features in Simple Syllabus.

Training Opportunities

To help you prepare, PIP will host 30 training sessions (in-person and via Teams) from now through January 5–6, .

Register through EagleLink: https://getinvolved.fgcu.edu/organization/pip.

Thank you for your commitment to this important initiative. If you have questions, please reach out to Merri Incitti at ext. 7048 or mincitti@fgcu.edu.

Office of Research & Sponsored Programs (ORSP)

Required Training for NSF 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:

o   Completion of research security training by all senior/key personnel; and

o   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.

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:

https://www.fgcu.edu/academics/research/files/orsp-deadlines.pdf

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.

Call for Nominations: Hanover Grant Academy (January–October 2026)

The Office of Research & Sponsored Programs (ORSP) is soliciting nominations for the Hanover Grant Academy, a 9-month intensive program running from January through October. Up to eight faculty will be selected to participate in a comprehensive proposal development process aimed at securing extramural funding.

The Academy includes:

• Approximately four in-person group sessions
• One-on-one meetings with Hanover experts
• Grantsmanship training
• Proposal review and critique
• Guidance on project development and alignment with funding opportunities
• Support for proposal revision

Eligibility & Expectations:

• A key selection criterion is the intent to submit a proposal for extramural funding.
• Selected faculty are expected to submit a proposal by the end of the Academy.
• Faculty may apply for an additional round of intensive proposal development assistance provided an application for extramural funding was submitted during prior participation.

Application Deadline: Friday, December 19, 2025, by 5:00 PM

Please submit the application (below) as a single PDF to Dr. Rosemary Higgins at rhiggins@fgcu.edu. For questions, contact Dr. Higgins directly.

Faculty Name:

Rank:

College or School:

Title of research proposal:

Target agency (with URL):

Secondary target agencies (with URLs):

Approximate budget (total direct costs):

History of prior extramural application(s) for proposal:

If reviews/critiques are available, please include them with the application package

Brief justification for nomination for grant academy:

Attachments:

               Current CV:

               Support letter from Chair or Dean

Other Supporting materials

Other questions:

What do you feel are your strongest grant seeking skills?

What grant seeking skills would you like to develop or grow?

What are your top 3 goals for participating in the Academy?

PAST ANNOUNCEMENTS

Missed an announcement? We've got you covered.

The Lucas Center Symposium on Teaching & Learning A Celebration of Passionate Teaching. Tuesday, February 17 & Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Click here for more information.

FGCU's Office of the Ombuds is here to assist faculty, staff, and students! Employees who may be experiencing a university-related concern or conflict are encouraged to reach out to the Ombuds Office as an informal and confidential resource | Visit the Ombuds’ webpage for more information.

Submission requests must be sent to academicaffairs@fgcu.edu by end of business on the Wednesday of the prior week. Submissions received after this deadline will not be shared until the following newsletter.

Please send attachments as either a .PNG or .JPEG file 250kb or less.

.PDFs are NOT accepted.

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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.