The Learning Assistant Program: Peer-Led. Student-Centered. Learning Reimagined. | | Building understanding together: LAs in Math. | | |
At FGCU, academic excellence is more than a goal; it’s a collaborative commitment. Since 2016, Learning Assistants (LAs) have innovated instruction by partnering with faculty to help students build confidence, persistence, and critical thinking skills across disciplines.
LAs are paid, pedagogically trained, highly skilled and motivated undergraduate students who partner with faculty to foster dynamic discussions and active learning among groups of students in the classroom.
The LA Program supports key student success metrics by improving outcomes in gateway courses, providing targeted support for students, and expanding instructional support in STEM.
One example is Biology Professor Margaret Hood who engaged the help of an LA for the first time: “Having an LA in both my classes has made students more engaged, confident, and collaborative. 86% of students agreed that having an LA enhanced their understanding of the material.”
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As FGCU invests in high-impact practices and holistic student development, the LA Program stands as a powerful driver of retention, achievement, and career readiness, making it a cornerstone of FGCU’s vision for the future.
The effect on student success ripples across academic programs. “I was unsure how LAs would fit into a public speaking course, but it has become an essential part of my teaching. By dividing the class into smaller groups, we provide more individualized feedback, resulting in increased student confidence, engagement, and success,” said Communication & Philosophy Instructor Tyler Gibson.
This Fall, the program is supporting 96 LA positions across 14 departments, directly impacting over 3,000 students. More information on the program is available on the LA webpage.
Faculty interested in exploring how LAs can support their classes are encouraged to contact Dr. Brittanney Adelmann at (239) 745-4765 or by email laprogram@fgcu.edu.
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"This Fall, the program is supporting 96 LA positions across 14 departments, directly impacting over 3,000 students.
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Canvas Quicktip Episode 5:
Unlock a Valuable Hidden Feature: /undelete
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The /undelete feature in Canvas is a hidden gem that saves time and frustration when something important is accidentally deleted. By typing “/undelete” at the end of your course URL, you can quickly restore recently removed items like assignments or discussions. It’s a simple, reliable safety net that helps faculty restore content and keep courses running smoothly without rebuilding from scratch.
Scroll down to the section titled “Restore Deleted Items” in the Digital Learning Blog Post on Hidden Treasures: Spotlight on Canvas Features.
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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.
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Reminder! Faculty Excellence Award Nominations Due November 21
Dear Eagle Family,
It is the time of year that we are given the opportunity to recognize the excellent work of our adjuncts, advisors, instructors, librarians and professors.
FGCU faculty, staff and students are encouraged to submit nominations for the Advising, Librarianship, Scholarship, Service and Teaching Excellence Awards. The Faculty Senate-approved guidelines, which outline the nomination process and characteristics for each award, are available on the Faculty Senate Awards webpage.
All nomination forms must be received by 5 p.m. November 21. Please consider participating in this very important process!
Stay tuned for future announcements about additional award opportunities.
Award winners will be announced at the Celebration of Excellence awards ceremony Wednesday, April 22, 2026, and will be kept confidential until that time. More information on this exciting event will be sent to the university community as we get closer to the date.
Debbie M. Thorne, Ph.D. | Executive Vice President and Provost
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JOIN US! Provost's Seminar Series | Friday, December 5, 2025
Location: Seidler Hall, Room 114
Click the Eagle Link for additional details
| The series kicks off with Dr. Michael Osterholm, Director Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy Research and Innovation Office, University of Minnesota, discussing pandemic preparedness. | | Click to access EVP and Provost Thorne's recent communications. | | 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. | | Arthrex Expo at FGCU - Nov. 18, 2025 | | |
We are excited to announce the Arthrex team will be at the FGCU campus for the Arthrex Expo on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the Cohen Student Union.
This collaborative event is a wonderful opportunity for students of all majors, alumni, faculty, and staff to connect with the Arthrex team and learn more about our partnership, as well as career and internship opportunities.
Event Details
Date: Tuesday, November 18
Time: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Location: FGCU Cohen Student Union
Learn more and register: www.fgcu.edu/arthrexexpo
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FGCU School of Resort & Hospitality
Order Your Holiday Favorites & Support Student Success
This Thanksgiving, enjoy hand crafted desserts made with premium ingredients by FGCU's School of Resort & Hospitality’s faculty, staff, and students.
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The featured desserts are:
- Classic Pumpkin Pie
- Dutch Apple Pie
- Brown Butter Maple Chess Pie
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Decadent GF Chocolate Torte.
All desserts are available as whole pies, with select flavors also offered by the slice. 100% of all proceeds go directly toward student professional development experiences, helping bridge classroom learning with real-world application such as working high-profile events like the Super Bowl to representing FGCU at conventions and international festivals.
Each purchase helps our Eagles gain hands-on experience while you enjoy more time with family and friends.
Order your pies before the November 19 deadline!
Place your order here or scan the QR code.
Thanksgiving Pie Order Pick-Up Times:
Monday, November 24, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at Sugden Hall Atrium
Tuesday, November 25, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at Sugden Hall Atrium
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University Library | Scholars Commons
Share Your Scholarship with the World
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The Lucas Center is seeking Faculty Partners for the Spring 2026 Student-Faculty Partnership Program (SFPP).
Applications are open through Thursday, November 6!
The Student Faculty Partnership Program (SFPP) at FGCU places one student and one faculty member in dialogue with each other for an entire semester. Students work up to 6.5 hours per week in the paid role of teaching consultant to a faculty member, earning approximately $1,560 per semester. Through this program, student consultants analyze, affirm, and support the revision of classroom practice in the context of one of the faculty partner's courses with the goal of maximizing engagement and learning for all involved. Student and faculty partners take a range of approaches to their collaboration, starting with a focus on classroom practice and often expanding to consider curriculum, assessment, inclusion, and other dimensions of teaching. Overall, student and faculty partners work to develop a dialogue in the interest of improving the course.
If you are interested in learning more about the SFPP you can read about the program and watch a video in the FGCU 360 feature here or visit the SFPP section of the Lucas Center website here.
Use the following link to submit your application to be a faculty partner:
https://fgcu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cZrZFxIr2qjJvXU
Are you unable to participate but want to share? Feel free to forward this email to other faculty you think may be interested! Do you know a student who may be a good partner? Please share the student application link: https://fgcu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eM9j8fYT0eixeqG
If you have any questions please contact FGCU Lucas Center at lucascenter@fgcu.edu.
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COIL Call for Applications: Fall 2025
Click here to apply or scan the QR code.
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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 Summer 2026 Career Advancement semester is Monday, November 17, 2025. Summer semester is now available for 12-month AND 9-month faculty. Please see the guidelines for details. For 9-month faculty, if selected, they will receive 25% of their base salary as additional summer pay. No summer teaching will be allowed for those in the program during the summer career advancement semester.
Access the application cover page and detailed information about the program here:
Please submit your application in its entirety to Julie Leyden (jleyden@fgcu.edu).
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Office of Research & Sponsored Programs (ORSP) | |
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.
To learn more about Hanover, please attend one of the upcoming informational meetings:
An Introduction to Working with Hanover
Wednesday, November 5
3:30-4:00pm
Teams or Cohen 246
Friday, November 7
11:00-11:30am
Teams or SRHM 225
Please RVSP to Julie Leyden
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?
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PAST ANNOUNCEMENTS
Missed an announcement? We've got you covered.
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Faculty: motivate your students to present their research at FGCU's Fall 2025 Accounting Interdisciplinary Student Conference on November 18 & 20. Students from ALL disciplines are welcome to submit papers. | Registration link or scan QR. Contact: bcarden@fgcu.edu
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The Lucas Center Symposium on Teaching & Learning A Celebration of Passionate Teaching. Tuesday, February 17 & Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Click here for more information.
| | Digital Learning Online Workshop: Integrating GEN AI In Your Course. This asynchronous, self-paced workshop in Canvas introduces faculty to the foundational principles and practical applications of Generative AI in teaching. Although a course date is listed, this workshop features rolling enrollment and can be started at any time. Please disregard the listed date when registering. Register here or contact kiconroy@fgcu.edu. | | Digital Learning EDUBITES: A Taste of Time: Serving Up Student Success with Copilot. Let's take a bite-sized look at how you can support students in making time management a habit they actually enjoy.| November 17, 2025 at 11:00 - 11:20 a.m., via Zoom. | You will get the Zoom link when you register here or contact kiconroy@fgcu.edu. | 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. | |
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November 5, 2025
National First-Generation College Celebration Day (FGCC), is observed annually nationwide. It honors the signing of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, which expanded opportunities for low-income and first-generation students to attend college.
Our First-Generation College Celebration event will celebrate the achievements of all first-generation students, staff, faculty and alumni, and is meant to increase awareness of the first-generation college student experience here at FGCU and nationally, and to ensure that first-generation students are connected to campus resources needed to succeed!
Our Library Lawn Celebration will take place on Wednesday, November 5, 2025 from 10:00am - 2:00pm. There will be several Campus Partners in attendance, activities and games, food, and more! Retention and Graduation Services will be providing special "first-gen" stoles for first-gen graduating seniors. There are also service-learning opportunities available for students. EagleLink URL here.
Our Panel of Pioneers: The First-Gen Experience, will take place the following week on November 13, from 9:30am - 11:30am in AB9 106. This will be a panel led by half students, half alumni, to discuss their experience being first-generation. This panel, like the lawn celebration, is open to anyone to attend, but will require an RSVP through EagleLink.
Please visit our EagleLink page and view the "First Generation Celebration - Panel of Pioneers" event to RSVP. EagleLink URL Here.
| | University Library | November 5 | |
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Bower School of Music & the Arts at FGCU
November 7-16
The Skin of Our Teeth
TheatreLab, Arts Complex, FGCU Campus, 10501 FGCU Blvd. S., Fort Myers
November 7, 8, 14 & 15 at 7:30 p.m.
November 9, 15 (with post-performance discussion) & 16 at 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15 for the general public; $7 for students
Available at fgcu.edu/theatrelab | Ph. 239-745-4268
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Sunday, November 9
Jeanie Darnell, soprano & Michael Baron, piano
Nisita Concert Series
U. Tobe Recital Hall, Music Building
FGCU, 10501 FGCU Blvd. S., Fort Myers
Tickets: $15 for the general public; $7 for students
Available at fgcu.edu/concerts
Ph. 239-745-4268
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November 8, 2025
FGCU GIDDI Community Education Seminar Series
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The FGCU GIDDI Community Education Seminar Series is dedicated to providing the community with essential information to help individuals and their families thrive in Southwest Florida, particularly those with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.
We invite guest speakers to enhance the community's understanding of available resources and provide answers to commonly asked questions.
November Seminar ft. APD and VR
Event details
Saturday, November 08, 2025
9:00 AM-11:00 AM
Sugden Hall (SRHM), Room 111
Join us for an interactive discussion that is sure to get your questions answered!
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November 14, 2025
Fall Faculty Fest
Faculty:
join us for food, fun, drinks, and friends!
EagleLink:
getinvolved.fgcu.edu/event/11559895
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Saturday, November 15, 2025
Starting at 8 a.m.
WALK TO SAVE LIVES! 2025 LEE COUNTY HEART WALK
FGCU Library Lawn
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November 17, 2025
Global Engagement Office
28th Annual International Reception
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Whitaker Institute for STEM Education
November 20, 2025
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Community Engagement Showcase
December 4, 2025
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Cohen Student Union Ballroom
Recognizing the silos that exist on campus, this initiative invites offices, departments, and registered student organizations (RSOs) to share how they engage with the Southwest Florida community to drive student success and academic excellence.
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This event will enable FGCU students and employees to discover efforts happening across the university and connect with others. Please JOIN US!
Click for more details.
| | OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR STUDENTS | | |
Etiquette Dinner
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A fun and interactive three-course meal. Seating is limited. RSVP here.
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Wednesday, November 19, 2025
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM | Cohen Student Union Ballroom
OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS
FREE clothing and opportunities to meet with campus partners!
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