29th Annual Celebration of Excellence honors legacy of teaching, research, and service | | The annual Celebration of Excellence highlights the achievements of faculty and staff who contribute to FGCU's mission of excellence. | | |
The Celebration of Excellence is interwoven with FGCU’s beginnings and its long-standing commitment to excellence and student success.
The recognition began in 1998 with the Inaugural Faculty Awards for Excellence in Teaching, featuring a single university-wide Professor of the Year award. Dr. Maria Roca, FGCU’s ROCK Center Founder and Director and Associate Professor in the Department of Integrated Studies, served as master of ceremonies during the early years and received the 1997-1998 Professor of the Year Award.
The Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching was officially established in 2002, recognizing both senior and junior faculty. The nomination process is rigorous and highly competitive, requiring portfolio submissions, course syllabi, and classroom observations by faculty peer committees.
“FGCU faculty at the time were part of an early culture who aspired to be great teachers,” said Dr. Michael McDonald, Chief International Officer and Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs, who himself received the 2006-2007 Senior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award.
| | "FGCU faculty at the time were part of an early culture who aspired to be great teachers." | |
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The awards have evolved to include many more categories, including excellence in Advising, Librarianship, Scholarship, Research, and Service, reflecting the university's growing mission and diverse contributions of its community.
The names of all award recipients since 1998 are displayed in the hallway outside the Office of the Provost.
The Eagle community is invited to celebrate fellow Eagles who embody FGCU’s values of collaboration, commitment, and curiosity, on April 22, 2026, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., in the Cohen Student Union Ballroom.
(In-article photo: Award recipients are recognized at the 2025 Celebration of Excellence.)
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| 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. |
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NEXT UP! Provost's Seminar Series with
Ron Shapiro, Esq. Shapiro Negotiations Institute.
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Mark your calendars for this FGCU Eagle excellence tradition!
More details coming soon
| | 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. | |
FGCU AI DAY
March 12, 2026
Florida Gulf Coast University is hosting its inaugural AI Day on March 12, 2026, and we’re gearing up for an incredible, high‑energy event right here in Southwest Florida.
Registration is now open!
AI Day will bring together leading experts from across the country to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming academia, healthcare, business, public safety, and government. It’s a unique opportunity for our region to connect researchers, industry innovators, and community partners around the future of AI. See you there!
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FGCU Digital Badge Forum
March 26 and 27, 2026
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST
FGCU invites Faculty and Staff to join us at the FGCU digital badge forum. This virtual conference is formatted to discuss best practices, evidence-based models, and the emerging trends and technologies shaping the future of learning and the workforce. Join the dialogue to discuss micro-credentials and digital badges with education leaders, researchers, and practitioners.
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All faculty and staff can register for free using the promo code: FGCUDBF2026S.
Registration link
Learn more at fgcu.edu/digitalbadgesummit.
Explore the Power of "AND"® at fgcu.edu/digitalbadges.
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New Syllabus Management System & Training Opportunities
Dear Faculty,
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:
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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.
What does this mean for you?
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Full implementation begins Summer 2026, with the 45-day requirement enforced in Fall 2026 (syllabi are due May 15 for Fall).
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.
Training Opportunities
To help you prepare, PIP will host 6 training sessions (in-person and via Teams) from February 16-27.
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.
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Career Advancement Assistance Program
The Office of Academic Affairs is pleased to announce the Career Advancement Assistance Program. The purpose of the Career Advancement Assistance Program is to provide time for faculty members to engage meaningfully in activities that yield outputs and impacts enhancing FGCU’s scholarly impact and timely promotion of faculty members.
- Faculty categories included in this initiative are those on the professor and instructor tracks. The Career Advancement Assistance Program partially relieves teaching obligations to provide time for scholarly, research, or career development endeavors. During the Career Advancement Assistance Program, faculty teaching load and/or other assignments will be reduced, and no overload teaching will be permitted.
- The number of awards is contingent on the availability of funding through the Provost’s office.
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The deadline for the Fall 2026 Career Advancement semester is Monday, February 16, 2026. Please submit your application in its entirety to Julie Leyden (jleyden@fgcu.edu).
Access the application cover page and detailed information about the program here:
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THIS WEEK!
The Lucas Center Symposium on Teaching & Learning
A Celebration of Passionate Teaching
Tuesday, February 17 & Wednesday, February 18, 2026
You’re invited to join us for this year’s Lucas Center Symposium on Teaching & Learning, a two-day celebration of the dedication and care that educators bring to their classrooms every day. This year’s Symposium shines a spotlight on the tremendous time, effort, and emotional energy invested in teaching and in cultivating meaningful relationships with students. Together, we’ll honor the work that makes transformational learning possible at Florida Gulf Coast University. Through two days of interactive sessions, engaging presentations, and collaborative conversations, you will discover effective, easy-to-replicate, and low-cost strategies that promote student success. Sessions will feature teaching demonstrations, panel and roundtable discussions, and explorations of current research and innovative practices in higher education. We hope you’ll join us in learning, connecting, reflecting and celebrating passionate teaching. The Symposium is open to all FGCU community members; click here to register. If for any reason the above hyperlink does not work, please use the following direct link: https://fgcu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3TMQwhw9dZBZ77M
| | Dendritic Institute for Human-Centered AI and Data Science | | |
The FGCU AI Academy offers a series of interactive, hands-on learning opportunities designed to empower our campus community with practical AI knowledge and skills. These sessions support FGCU’s ongoing efforts to promote responsible, informed, and effective engagement with AI across academic and professional contexts. For Fall 2026, we are offering the following academy programs: Teaching with AI, which equips educators to integrate GenAI into the teaching process through prompt engineering and instructional design, and AI Literacy, a foundational introduction to AI for daily and professional use. Each course is offered twice to maximize access and accommodate diverse schedules. Click to visit the FGCU AI Academic Programs website for full details, dates, and registration.
| | Office of Research & Sponsored Programs (ORSP) | | |
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.
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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.
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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:
- 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.
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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.
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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.
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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):
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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.
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Fourteen (14) business days are required for subrecipient documentation when FGCU is the prime for the proposal.
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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
| | Apply for Grant-in-Aid Program!🎓📚The application is open now 📚🎓FGCU is offering awards for the 2026-2027 academic year to support employees in advancing their education! Whether you're a Support Personnel (SP), Administrative/Professional (AP), or Faculty member, this is your chance to take your learning to the next level. Read more about Grant-in-Aid and apply here. | | |
Community Partner Announcement | Lee Health’s 2026 Community Health Survey. Open January 6 through March 3. Please, use this link to participate.
| | Bower School of Music & the Arts | |
February 13-22: The Good Doctor
TheatreLab, Arts Complex, FGCU Campus, 10501 FGCU Blvd. S., Fort Myers
February 13, 14, 20 & 21 at 7:30 p.m.
February 15, 21 (with post-performance discussion) & 22 at 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15 for the general public; $7 for students
Available at fgcu.edu/theatrelab; Phone: 239-745-4268
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Global Engagement Office
CLICK TO RSVP
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The Lucas Center for Faculty Development
Scholarly Expectations For Faculty
Facilitated by: Provost Dr. Debbie Thorne
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The Lucas Center for Faculty Development invites you to a conversation about Scholarly Expectations for Faculty at the data visualization wall on the first floor of Library West. At this session, Provost Thorne will answer questions from faculty and share her perspective on what it means to be a scholar at a regional comprehensive university.
This session will be facilitated on Friday, February 20, from 1:30p to 2:30p at the Data Visualization Wall Click here to register!
| | United Campus Ministries in collaboration with the Office of the President at FGCU invites all faculty and staff to an appreciation luncheon on February 23, 2026, at 12:00 p.m., in AB 9, Room 138. | | |
Guest speaker Kristoffer Doura is an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, former NFL player, and current adjunct faculty member at FGCU. He will share an inspirational message entitled "Faithfulness in the Quiet Work."
Please RSVP by February 17 here.
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Dendritic Institute for Human-Centered AI & Data Science at FGCU, in partnership with Florida SBDC at FGCU, and sponsored by Fifth Third Bank
AI in Action: Strategies for Business Growth
February 26, 2026
An Industry Forum focused on practical, non-technical applications of artificial intelligence for small and medium businesses. It may be of interest to faculty, staff, and students engaged in business, technology, innovation, and community engagement. Register here. Visit Dendritic Signature Events for more details.
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Upcoming Talk: Pixar in a Box: The Math Behind the Movies
March 11, 2026, 4:45 p.m.
With welcoming remarks by Provost Thorne at 4:45 p.m.
We are excited to invite you to an upcoming talk offered through a collaboration between the FGCU Mathletes Circle, the Department of Mathematics, the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), and the College of Engineering. The talk is open to FGCU faculty, students, community members, families, and K–12 students. Our speaker, Dr. Tony DeRose, spent 23 years as a Senior Scientist at Pixar Animation Studios and is a pioneer in geometric modeling and animation. His work has helped shape iconic films such as The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, and Brave. In his presentation, “Pixar in a Box: The Math Behind the Movies,” Dr. DeRose will explore how mathematics underpins storytelling, creativity, and technology, offering students and the broader community a tangible bridge between discovery and practice.
Registration: Please register yourself and any family members using the following link: https://forms.gle/xV4WgpLUkpA2QHoJA. Classroom location details will be emailed to registered participants.
Organized by: Tanya Huffman, Dr. Cijy Sunny, Dr. Chuck Lindsey, Julie Rose, Director, WCE Student Support Services, U.A. Whitaker College of Engineering.
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Faculty Senate and Academic Affairs
All faculty are invited to attend the Faculty Spring Jam Session on March 27, 4:00–7:00 p.m., at the FGCU Boardwalk. Come enjoy a fun afternoon of live music, open mic, and karaoke, and connect with colleagues in a relaxed setting.
Interested in performing? Sign-Up for Performers, click here.
Just attending? RSVP for attendance here. Please RSVP so we can plan accordingly.
| | OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR STUDENTS | | Career Development Services | | | | |
