July 21, 2025

TOP NEWS

New attendance tool in Canvas

Aligned with the goals to have a real-time and fuller picture of student progress, as well as which types of support will best assist students, FGCU will transition from the current Canvas Roll Call Attendance tool to a new solution called aPlus+ Attendance.

"With faculty input, aPlus+ Attendance was carefully selected for its ease of use, flexibility, and seamless integration with Canvas."

The aPlus+ tool will be available in all Fall 2025 Canvas courses before the start of the term.

To help with the transition, a few faculty have volunteered to use aPlus+ in their Summer B courses to provide feedback on its use and comment on the resources needed for easy adoption. 

Support Available: Digital Learning is here to help!

These resources, including step-by-step guides, will be available soon. In addition to self-help resources, the Digital Learning team is available for one-on-one and program/department group training sessions.

Watch your email and Canvas Global Notifications for updates and information about the transition to aPlus+ Attendance.

Faculty Spotlight. Are you a FGCU faculty member who has achieved a recent milestone or an accolade? Email us: academicaffairs@fgcu.edu.

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

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Take note of the dining hours for July 21-25, 2025

Questions? Contact: Business Services

FREE entrance into the Naples Botanical Garden

At FGCU, faculty and staff enjoy many perks! Through the FGCU and Naples Botanical Garden partnership, FGCU faculty and staff receive free entrance into the Garden.

Scholarly Innovation & Student Research (SISR)

WiSER Program Call for Proposals

SISR invites faculty to submit applications for a WiSER Research Assistant.

The WiSER (Work in Scholarly Experiences & Research) program enables faculty to hire student research assistants for 10 hours per week for Fall and Spring semesters.

WiSER provides students with opportunities to work as paid research assistants to help with faculty research. The program was created to offer high-impact learning experiences to students and to give faculty a chance to mentor future scholars and share best professional practices.

The call will be active all summer with a priority deadline of August 1st, 2025.

Office of Research & Sponsored Programs (ORSP)

Notice of Hanover Grant Academy 2025-2026



The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (OSRP) is soliciting nominations for the Hanover Grant Academy. The goal is for eight faculty to undergo an intensive proposal development plan over a one-year time frame. 

The Academy consists of approximately 4-6 in-person meetings during the year and one-on-one meetings with the Hanover experts. The requested information for application is listed below. A key factor in selection will be the goal of submitting a proposal for extramural funding. 

Hanover will provide grantsmanship training, proposal critique, guidance on project and alignment with grant opportunities, and proposal revision assistance. Faculty selected are expected to submit a proposal for extramural funding at the completion of the grant academy. 

Faculty are permitted to apply for an additional round of intensive proposal development assistance provided an application for extramural funding was submitted during their previous participation. 

The deadline is September 15, 2025, by 5 PM. Please submit the application as a single pdf to Dr. Rosemary Higgins (rhiggins@fgcu.edu). Questions can be referred to Dr. Higgins. 

FGCU continues to use our negotiated Federal Rate Agreement

The indirect rates continue to be 43% for on-campus activities and 19% for off-campus activities. ORSP staff will work with faculty to ensure proper rates are applied.

Please reach out to ORSP if you have questions.

Lucas Center for Faculty Development

We invite you to join us for the Lucas Center Dialogues on Culture & Community open to faculty, staff, and students who are interested in thinking together about our individual and collective roles in shaping our community and contributing to the culture of FGCU. 

We encourage and welcome participation from members of all of these groups, and we hope you will bring a friend or student and end your month in dialogue with engaged and committed colleagues.

Join us for the next discussion! Lucas Center (LIB-221) FRIDAY, July 25, from 12:00 p.m.-1:15 p.m.

Feel free to bring a lunch. Drinks and snacks will also be available in the Lucas Center.

Click here for more information on the Dialogues on Culture and Community sessions. 

This Summer! FGCU Ice Cream

Student Plaza

Wednesdays & Thursdays | 11AM-2PM

Payment Options: Credit Cards & Mobile Tap Payments (Apple Pay)

Why Visit Us? Your purchase supports student entrepreneurs gaining real-world business experience in production, marketing, customer service, and leadership.

About the Creamery



FGCU's student-operated ice cream business offers a unique, hands-on learning experience that empowers students to develop practical skills in all aspects of entrepreneurship.

From sourcing ingredients and overseeing production to crafting marketing strategies and delivering exceptional customer service, students gain firsthand knowledge of managing a business. 

This experience builds expertise in leadership, financial management, teamwork, and innovation while instilling a strong sense of accountability and ownership.  

It’s more than just a business lesson—it’s about applying those lessons in a real-world setting, building confidence, and preparing for future success.

University Library

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR STUDENTS

Service-Learning & Civic Engagement

Bring Service Learning to Your Classroom: Request a Custom Presentation Today

Looking to introduce your students to service-learning opportunities at FGCU? The Office of Service-Learning & Civic Engagement offers in-class presentations tailored to your course—making it easy to connect students with meaningful, community-based learning experiences.

Whether you're teaching a Foundations of Civic Engagement course, integrating service-learning into your curriculum, or simply want to spark student interest in community Engagement, our team is here to help.

Presentations can include:

• Overview of FGCU’s service-learning graduation requirement
• Guidance on finding approved service opportunities
• Information on hours tracking and reflection expectations
• Tips for connecting service to career
• 
  

Requesting a presentation is easy—just fill out this quick form and save space in your syllabus: 👉 Request a Presentation

Faculty: Encourage Your Students to Start the Year with Purpose — Promote WOW Day of Service!

FGCU’s annual Weeks of Welcome (WOW) Day of Service is happening on Saturday, August 23, 2025, from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM—and we need your help spreading the word!

This beloved campus tradition is a powerful way for students to build friendships, explore their career paths, and connect with the Southwest Florida community through a morning of meaningful service.

Please encourage your students to register early — space is limited and

YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER TO ATTEND!

Pre-register here:

fgcu.campuslabs.com/engage/event/11179304

Highlights of the event:

• Serve with local nonprofit partners across SWFL
• Free transportation, food, and new friends
• Learn how to track service-learning hours 
• Represent FGCU proudly in the community
• 
  

Encourage your students to sign up early and commit to showing up — our community partners will be counting on them!

View and Share the Event Link

Lutgert College of Business

Center for Supply Chain Excellence

FOUR (4) NEW CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS

Pursuing a certificate at Florida Gulf Coast University is a powerful move to advance your career, not just a resume booster. Our (4) four new Graduate certificates are thoughtfully crafted to equip you with high-demand skills, enhance your professional credibility and support your continued growth.

GETTING STARTED

Applicants must submit an application online per the individual program’s instructions below. Please contact Graduate Admissions at 239-745-GRAD or graduate@fgcu.edu for additional information about the application process.

Satisfaction of minimum University and program requirements does not guarantee admission to a graduate program. Applicants should check with the program for the most up-to-date admission requirements before starting the application process.

• Submit an FGCU Graduate Admissions Application and satisfy all applicable university admissions requirements.
• Create FGCU account; choose non-degree certificate on your application.

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.

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.