Our collective dedication to academic excellence, innovative research, and student success has positioned us as leaders in higher education. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of knowledge, making a profound impact in the classroom while also enriching our intellectual community and society at large. Thanks to your unwavering support, our students have thrived, showcasing remarkable resilience and creativity. As we look ahead, it is crucial that we continue to build on this momentum.

Below you will find updates about:

• Staffing

• Faculty Development & Research

• Innovations in Learning & Teaching

• Campus Facilities

• Student Success

• Mental Health & Wellness

• Global Engagement

Be sure to check Upcoming Events & Important Dates for opportunities to connect.

Staffing

Welcoming our impressive group of new full-time faculty and staff is but one reason for my confidence in the institution’s future. The commitment and expertise of our new faculty and academic leadership (listed below) will undoubtedly enrich the Quinnipiac Community. 

• Raid Al-Aomar (Industrial Engineering)

• DeVonne Allen (Social Work)

• Md Shahriar Aziz (Business Analytics & Information Systems)

• Andrea Baldick (Diagnostic Imaging)

• Nikki Barratt (Environmental Science)

• Danielle Beerli (Management)

• Brianne Borgia (Physical Therapy)

• Tara Broccoli (Psychology)

• Samela Brown (Physician Assistant Studies)

• Richard Duque (Sociology)

• Joseph Fetta (Nursing)

• Danielle Giglione (Entrepreneurship)

• Mohammad Ismail (Finance)

• Imrana Iqbal (Strategic Management)

• Nicole James (Digital Visual Arts)

• Dilhani Jayathilake (Civil Engineering)

• Gregory Johnson (Mathematics)

• Jeremy Ladd (Political Science)

• Weronika Lewkowicz (Biology)

• Keyvan Mahboubi (Biology)

• Andrea Nicol (Diagnostic Imaging)

• Jude Owoh (Biology)

• William Pettinico (Economics)

• Kate Pfeiffer (Nursing)

• Alice Rosenthal (Law)

• Shalita Sampson (Social Work)

• Leonile Scott (Nursing)

• Kruti Shah (Software Engineering)

• Swee Hong Sieow (Marketing)

• Nathaniel Stafford (Psychology)

• Charles Tilley (Nursing)

• Pavelle Wesser-Mitra (Writing)

• Jennifer Wethje (Nursing)

Also joining Quinnipiac are three new deans: Nadine Barnett Cosby (School of Communications), Brian Gallini (School of Law), and interim dean Jeff McCubbin (School of Health Sciences). As we welcome new faculty and staff, I encourage you to reach out and offer your support. Building a strong, collaborative community is essential to our continued success.

Faculty Development & Research

New Associate Provost: Stephanie Jacobson has stepped into the role of Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and Development, with a focus on:

• Mentorship and Development: Building a sxtrong culture of excellence and support across all areas of faculty work (teaching, scholarship, service)

• Wellness: Ensuring faculty well-being and connection.

• RPT Process: Continuing to strengthen the Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure process.

She aims to engage with faculty and staff in setting priorities for the office and fostering community across Quinnipiac. To be part of this process, please register for an upcoming “Listening Lunch” with the Associate Provost.

Join the One Book One University Initiative: Associate Provost Jacobson is also launching a university-wide book series for faculty and staff. Share your suggestions for our first book.

Introducing Faculty Affairs Fellows: The inaugural cohort of our seven Faculty Affairs Fellows began their work in the Spring 2024. Fellows use their expertise to propose, design and coordinate university-wide programming and projects to advance faculty success, support and engagement. Their important efforts are many, including:

• Teaching Excellence: Lynn Byers and Grant Crawford developed the Excellence in Teaching badge and training, with plans for a micro credential for workshop facilitators this Fall.

• Research Growth: Mohammad Elahee is organizing research initiatives, including Fulbright workshops and sabbatical presentations. Stay tuned for more Sabbatical Talks this Fall.

• New Faculty Support: Hilary Fussell Sisco led the New Faculty Academy – look out for a similar event for part-time faculty this Fall.

• Mental Health Resources: Penny Leisring created a tipsheet for faculty to support student mental health and created a list of resources you can include in your syllabus and Blackboard site. Join the Mental Health and Wellness community of practice by emailing her at penny.leisring@qu.edu.

• Listening Skills Podcast: Katie Place’s podcast “Thank You For Listening,” offers 20-minute workshops for faculty and students on listening skills and is available on Spotify. Don’t miss her Fall workshop on “Pedagogies of Listening.”

• Community Building: Tracy Van Oss is organizing informal gatherings around campus resources, many of which focus on experiential learning.  Join the first event on Sept. 5 from 3-5p.m. at the Albert Schweitzer Institute (register here), food will be provided.

Many thanks to the Faculty Fellows for their work. I look forward to their fall offerings and the myriad ways these opportunities will benefit our community.

Workshops & Development Opportunities: We’re committed to equipping you with practical tools to excel in the classroom and beyond.

Opportunities include:

• Media Engagement: Discover how Quinnipiac's partnership with FleishmanHillard can enhance your professional profile and that of your academic program (register here).

• Write for the Conversation: Increase your professional visibility and contribute to public understanding of complex issues (register here).

• NCFDD Membership: Join the 350+ faculty and graduate students already benefiting from the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD).  Gain access to resources like the weekly Monday Motivator email, 14-day writing challenges, peer mentoring, and monthly accountability buddy matches (join now).

• Professional Development Fund: We’re pleased to offer generously provided donor funds to support faculty presenting at conferences or summits.  You can apply for reimbursement of eligible travel expenses here.

Library Enhancements:

• New Catalog & Search Interface: As of July 1, our libraries have launched a new, user-friendly catalog and search interface.  This platform enhances your ability to search large digital collections and supports your research, teaching, and learning needs.

• Librarian Support: Need help navigating library resources?  Our librarians can provide an introduction to the library, an overview of specific library tools and resources, or specific research assistance within your classes (submit a request).

• Open Educational Resources (OER): Explore OER with a librarian to help reduce costs for students by offering free or low-cost texts.

Center for Research and Sponsored Programs: The total size of our grants portfolio now tops $8 million, an 8x increase in four years. Congratulations to our faculty and staff for this impressive growth!  More exciting developments are on the horizon to continue this success and increase support for your grant-seeking efforts.

• New Tools: To streamline the grant process, we’re transitioning to Cayuse grant management software, a centralized hub for all project-related information, agreements, and other grant management materials.  Training opportunities will begin in September.

• Find Funding Opportunities: Stay tuned for the launch of our new Pivot-RP Fund Finder, designed to help you discover funding opportunities.  The implementation team has been working hard all summer to ensure a smooth transition.

Empowering Student Research: Our Quinnipiac University Interdisciplinary Program for Research & Scholarship (QUIP-RS) continues to thrive, providing undergraduates with the opportunity to engage in funded research alongside faculty mentors over an 8-week summer program. This year, I was delighted to be able to substantially increase the funding, which allowed for:

• An additional 2-3 projects

• Higher mentor stipends to recognize faculty dedication

• Housing stipends for students opting for onsite accommodations

Join us at the Fall QUIP-RS Symposium during Bobcat Weekend, where students will showcase their research in poster presentations. A big thank you to the QUIP-RS co-chairs Drs. Alexandre de Lencastre and Katie Place for their outstanding leadership.

Innovations in Learning & Teaching

New Name: The Quinnipiac Innovations in Learning and Teaching (QILT) group was created to centralize resources for teaching and learning while promoting continuous improvement. This group, including the newly hired Director for Faculty Advancement in Teaching Excellence Sara Rzeszutek, will report to Adam Nemeroff in his new role as Assistant Provost for Innovations in Learning, Teaching, and Technology.

New Syllabus Guide: QILT has launched a new Syllabus Guide, developed with faculty input, to align course design with best practices. For more teaching and learning resources, visit their new website qilt.qu.edu or email them at qilt@qu.edu.

LMS Review: We are nearing the completion of our comprehensive Learning Management System (LMS) evaluation, comparing Blackboard Ultra and Instructure Canvas. For more details, please see the LMS evaluation. Tremendous appreciation are due Kristen Bourgault and the LMS Evaluation Committee for their efforts.  Stay tuned for the results soon!

Academic Technology Resources: We renewed our agreement with Yuja Enterprise Video and adopted Qualtrics surveys and VoiceThread discussions. We’re excited to introduce new resources focused on integrating AI into your teaching, including Microsoft Copilot, Adobe Firefly, and Zoom Companion. Over 100 individuals have already participated in our summer workshop “AI: Is It My Teaching Co-Pilot?"  For more information on what is available, visit accessing AI tools with Quinnipiac credentials.  Visit the Innovations in Learning and Teaching LibCal for more information and stay updated through our periodic newsletter.

Campus Facilities

Our campus continues to grow in alignment with our academic achievements.

• The Grove, a new 417-bed residence hall, has opened, offering a unique living-learning environment that brings together upper-class residents and faculty fellows to enhance the community experience for first-year students.

• The School of Business and The S.I.T.E. (Science, Innovation, Technology and Exploration) buildings are on track for a grand opening in May 2025. A heartfelt thank you to all faculty, staff, and department chairs who participated in the series of meetings and walk-throughs regarding the South Quad project over the summer.

• The back-fill scoping project is progressing well, with ongoing discussions involving cross-unit and school stakeholders to reassess space needs since the 2021 Academic Scoping Study. This project aims to confirm how the South Quad will address these needs and to update our master capital plan to prioritize remaining unmet space needs.  The results of this work should be completed this semester.

Student Success

Throughout the 2023-2024 academic year, Quinnipiac University has intensified student retention efforts by developing proactive strategies informed by student surveys and predictive modeling.  These tools emphasize that students’ sense of belonging and their future orientation are critical to their success.

“Get Them Back”: To further align retention processes and accountability, a cross-school and unit working group was established in Fall 2023.  This group focuses on improving course registration outreach and data management. Preliminary Fall 2024 enrollment numbers suggest that these enhanced strategies and interventions are effectively increasing student retention.

Learning Commons & Academic Support:

• QU 105: The Learning Commons has expanded the Quinnipiac Learning Strategies Seminar, a one-credit course designed to help students improve academically and focuses on teaching evidence-based strategies for success.

• Resources: Faculty and staff are encouraged to explore the Learning Commons for Faculty page – a comprehensive hub tailored to support academic success and collaboration.

• Office of Student Accessibility (OSA): OSA offers essential resources to support students with diverse learning needs. For more information, please review the OSA resource pages in MyQ or contact 203-582-7600 or access@qu.edu.

Career Development & Experiential Learning: Through its centrally coordinated approach, the Office of Career Development and Experiential Learning is making significant progress to enhance career development support and programming. Key initiatives include:

• Launching an annual Spring University-wide Career Fair.

• Development of a Quinnipiac career education roadmap.

• Creating a new faculty training that supports career advising.

• Publishing a resource on leveraging AI to improve job search experiences.

• Identifying and recruiting employer partners for a Spring 2025 MBA Co-Op pilot, a collaboration with the School of Business.

• Expanding and strengthening employer relationships.

• Developing and implementing a framework this academic year to expand support for undeclared students.

• Enhancing graduate career development services.

Mental Health & Wellness

Quinnipiac University is dedicated to fostering a supportive environment for mental health and wellness across campus. Key initiatives and training opportunities include:

• Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) - focuses on recognizing the warning signs of a suicide crisis.

• Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) – provides participants with skills to recognize and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges.

  • Cross Unit Training: In May, ten Quinnipiac employees were certified as MHFA instructors.  These instructors will offer MHFA training to students, faculty and staff.

  • Residential Life: MHFA training was provided to all incoming Resident Assistants (RAs).

  • Public Safety:  The entire public safety department has received MHFA training.

  • Training Requests: Faculty, staff, or campus offices interested in scheduling a training session can reach out to Terri Johnson (terri.johnson@qu.edu) or Kerry Patton (kerry.patton2@qu.edu).

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported and participated in these vital and impactful training sessions.

Global Engagement

We’re thrilled to announce that the Office of Global Engagement is now part of Academic Affairs. Key advantages include:

• Co-Location: The Office of Global Engagement is now located with the Career and Experiential Learning Lab in the Arnold Bernard Library.

• Enhanced Collaboration: This new location promotes stronger ties between global programs and students’ personal and professional growth.

• Increased Accessibility: We aim to make international experiences more accessible and beneficial to all students.

• Cultural Awareness: This change supports students in developing the skills and knowledge necessary to participate respectfully and effectively in the global community.

• Strengthened Partnerships: Alongside faculty and staff across campus, the Office of Global Engagement will continue to build on existing partnerships and seek new opportunities for learning and research.

Call for Applications: We’re forming a new Council for Strategic Global Engagement to harness diverse expertise and perspectives from across the University.  We encourage you to apply and contribute to this important initiative.

Upcoming Events & Important Dates

Fall 2024 – Provost’s office hours, register here

Sept. 5 – Casual Conversation hosted by Faculty Affairs Fellow Tracy Van Oss, additional dates available, register here

Sept. 6 – Semester Start Social hosted by Provost Liebowitz, register here

Sept. 10 – Sabbatical Info Session hosted by Sabbatical Leave Committee, register here

Sept. 12 – Faculty candidate RPT trainings, multiple dates available, register here

Sept. 18 – Listening Lunch hosted by Stephanie Jacobson, multiple dates available, register here

Sept. 21 – Sept. 22 – Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival, purchase tickets (code: QUASI)

Oct. 2 – Nation-Wide Series of Teach-Ins, showing “The Third Harmony: Nonviolence and the New Story of Human Nature”

Oct. 15 – Sabbatical Applications due

Thank you for your unwavering dedication and hard work. I am confident that this academic year will be one of growth, innovation, and achievement. Let us embrace the opportunities ahead and continue to build on the momentum we have created. I look forward to seeing you at the upcoming social to mark the start of the Fall semester, register here.