Other Opportunities for Faculty

2025-26 Faculty and Staff “Becoming a Student-Ready College” Reading and Book Group Opportunity

Faculty and academic staff are invited to join a yearlong book discussion group focused on Becoming a Student-Ready College. We’ll explore how to adapt to better meet students where they are, with four conversations spread across the academic year. Free copies provided to the first 75 faculty and staff to register!

Discussion groups will be facilitated by Mike Thomas, Senior Associate Director Career and Professional Success, on the following dates and times:

  • Wednesday, October 15, lunch (vouchers provided) 12:00-12:30, discussion 12:30-1:30
  • Wednesday, December 10, lunch (vouchers provided) 12:00-12:30, discussion 12:30-1:30
  • Wednesday, February 18, lunch (vouchers provided) 12:00-12:30, discussion 12:30-1:30
  • Wednesday, April 8, lunch (vouchers provided) 12:00-12:30, discussion 12:30-1:30

Click here to enroll by September 17.

NCFDD:

  1. Go to http://www.facultydiversity.org/join
  2. Choose Butler University from the drop-down menu
  3. Select “Activate my Membership”
  4. Complete the registration form using your Butler email address (i.e., username@butler.edu)
  5. Go to your Butler email inbox to find a confirmation/welcome message. Click “Activate Account” in the email.
  6. Start perusing resources and opportunities!
    If you have any technical questions, feel free to email NCFDD at Membership@FacultyDiversity.org.

LINKEDIN LEARNING

LinkedIn Learning is particularly advantageous for college faculty as it offers a convenient and effective way to stay updated with the latest trends, tools, and methodologies in education and their respective fields of expertise. With a broad range of courses, faculty members can continuously enhance their teaching strategies, learn new technologies, and develop skills that can improve student engagement and learning outcomes. The platform’s flexibility allows faculty to fit professional development into their busy schedules, accessing content at their convenience.

LinkedIn Learning is also beneficial for faculty well-being, as it supports a balanced approach to professional development. By offering courses that can be accessed anytime and anywhere, it reduces the pressure of traditional, time-bound professional development programs, allowing faculty to learn at their own pace without added stress. The platform includes courses on mindfulness, stress management, and work-life balance, which can directly contribute to improving personal well-being.

RESEARCH WRITING GROUPS

Faculty Research Working Groups are weekly gatherings where faculty members can work on their research. The goal of these groups is to protect time for research and create accountability. Groups will meet on campus each week of the semester (except breaks). At each meeting, participants will share their goals for the session and work quietly on something related to their research (i.e., finding sources, reading, writing, analyzing data, etc.).

Please fill out the form linked here if you would like to participate in a Faculty Research Working Group during the fall 2025 semester. Contact David Orvek (dorvek@butler.edu) with any questions. 

PALSave COURSE REDESIGN GRANT OPPORTUNITY

Are you considering switching to a zero cost textbook in one of your 2025-26 courses? If so, PALNI invites you to participate in the PALSave Course Redesign Grant program! As the recipient of a five-year Lilly Endowment, Inc. grant to support our affordable learning initiative, PALSave will be offering $700 stipends to faculty as an incentive to adopt zero cost textbooks.  Zero cost textbooks may include open educational resources (OER), library ebooks, or other materials available to students at no additional cost.

Professors are eligible for one redesign stipend per academic year.

If selected, PALNI will provide you:

  • A module-based learning guide for adopting a zero cost textbook
  • Support for the textbook adoption process through email consultation and/or web office hours
  • A $700 stipend

In order to receive the stipend, participants will be expected to provide:

  • Verification of the change from commercial to zero cost textbook, via syllabus submission
  •  Agreement to follow up with mid- and/or post-semester information. Includes the following:- Student Perception Survey- PALSave Course Tracker (number of students, previous textbook)- Student Success Tracker (final average GPA, DFW rate)

If you are interested in this opportunity, please fill out the application at this link, including a short personal statement addressing these questions: Why are you interested in adopting a zero cost textbook? What are your barriers, and what do you hope to learn?

Due to the variance in semester timelines and bookstore deadlines, we are leaving the application form for 2025-26 redesign grants open throughout the academic year, or as long as funds are available. Applications will be reviewed regularly, with applicants notified of a decision no later than 3 weeks after submission.

Any questions may be directed to locally to Jamie Flood (jflood1@butler.edu), or to PALSave Lead amanda@palni.edu.  For more information about PALSave: PALNI Affordable Learning, visit https://palsave.palni.org/.