**ONLINE** NAVIGATE: Office Hours for Faculty & Staff
Tuesday, October 21, 2025 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Navigate360 Staff Office Hours are informal, drop-in sessions designed to provide ideas and support in your use of Navigate's features. Hosted by NIU's Navigate team members, these sessions offer space to ask questions, troubleshoot issues, and explore functions such as messaging, alerts, calendar availability, Study Buddies, and student searches. You are welcome to join as needed during the scheduled time.
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**ONLINE** VoiceThread Advanced: Skills and Ideas
Tuesday, October 21, 2025 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
This training is designed for faculty members who have mastered all of the basic technical aspects of using VoiceThread, but would like to see some alternate pedagogical approaches. We will take a deep dive into some uses cases that demonstrate how to incorporate elements of storytelling and game-based learning into your VoiceThread activities. We will discuss playback settings like “one conversation” and timed comments, and we will have an open Q&A throughout the training. The workshop is led by VoiceThread staff. Register Now!
**ONLINE** Best Practices for Synchronous Online Sessions
Tuesday, October 21, 2025 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Discover strategies to create engaging and effective synchronous online course sessions. Learn new ways to facilitate active learning, foster student interactions, and manage the unique dynamics of real-time online instruction. By the end of this session, you’ll feel prepared to design and deliver synchronous sessions that promote deeper student engagement and collaboration. Advance registration required.
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**ONLINE** Teaching Multilingual Learners: Lowering Barriers to Success
Wednesday, October 22, 2025 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
In a globalized higher education system, institutions must support multilingual learners by addressing language barriers and unfamiliar academic norms. This workshop aims to help educators support multilingual learners by addressing cultural nuances and language barriers. It will cover strategies for success, including instructional techniques and the use of digital literacy and AI for inclusion. Additionally, the workshop will discuss ethical considerations and challenges of using AI and technology to democratize English for multilingual learners. Advance registration required.
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**ONLINE** Innovations in Online Proctoring: New Features for Respondus Monitor
Wednesday, October 22, 2025 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Respondus is at the forefront of online proctoring innovation, with new features being released each quarter. Don't miss this webinar where you'll see the latest enhancements for Respondus Monitor and LockDown Browser, including how to adjust sensitivity levels for proctoring flags, using Excel during a secure exam, how handheld devices are flagged, and much more. You will also learn how LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor support the many ways online testing occurs across campus, including exams delivered in classrooms, testing centers, remote environments, and hyflex courses. Workshop is led by staff from Respondus. Register Now!
**ONLINE** Blackboard Communication Tools
Thursday, October 23, 2025 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Communication is a critical element of a successful course, and Blackboard Ultra Course View has a wealth of tools to facilitate building community, encouraging academic discussion, and fostering interaction with and between your students. In this session, you will be introduced to the asynchronous and synchronous tools available in the Blackboard Ultra Course View, including discussions, announcements, conversations, messages and web conferencing. Advance registration required.
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**NEW - ONLINE** Community Engagement Brownbag: Creating Partnerships Overseas
Thursday, October 23, 2025 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Effective community engagement can happen locally or across the world. Professor James Cohen will describe several partnerships created over the past few years in Uruguay, Indonesia, Malaysia and Costa Rica. Learn about how the partnerships were initiated, developed and expanded. Register Now!
**ONLINE** LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor: Protect the Integrity of Online Tests
Thursday, October 23, 2025 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
This comprehensive training webinar is intended for faculty who are interested in using LockDown Browser and/or Respondus Monitor to promote academic integrity for their online exams. The session provides a detailed demonstration of both applications, including enhancements that make Respondus Monitor even more effective and easy to use. Workshop is led by staff from Respondus. Register Now!
**ONLINE** Supporting Neurodiverse Students in the Classroom
Friday, October 24, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
The number of students diagnosed with neurodivergent conditions has increased significantly in the last decade, which means that traditional methods of teaching and grading may not be the most effective ways for students to learn. This workshop is designed for educators to enhance their understanding of neurodiversity and learn practical skills that will help create an inclusive learning environment for neurodiverse students. Together, we will think critically about the varying needs of neurodiverse students and how we can create environments that support their learning instead of overlooking or punishing them. Advance registration required.
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**NEW - ONLINE** Creating Podcasts with Adobe’s AI Powered Tools
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Adobe Podcast is an online platform which simplifies podcast creation and editing using AI-powered tools. Allowing users to record, transcribe, edit, and enhance audio directly in their browser. This makes podcasting easier by offering features like speech enhancement, text-based editing, and collaboration tools. This workshop will cover how to engage faculty and students with their educational content by leveraging audio podcasts. As part of NIU’s Adobe License, NIU faculty, staff, and students now have access to the Adobe Podcast online tools. Advance registration required.
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**NEW - ONLINE** Improving PDF Accessibility
Wednesday, October 29, 2025 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
PDFs are everywhere in our courses, but too often they create hidden barriers for students who use screen readers or other assistive technologies. The good news is that a few simple fixes can make a big difference. In this workshop, we’ll explore easy, practical steps you can take with the tools you already have to improve PDF accessibility. You’ll learn how to check if your PDFs are readable, add tags, adjust reading order, and include headings and alt text. Join us to discover how small changes now can help ensure all students can fully engage with your course materials. Advance registration required.
Register Now!
**ONLINE** LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor: Protect the Integrity of Online Tests
Wednesday, October 29, 2025 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
This comprehensive training webinar is intended for faculty who are interested in using LockDown Browser and/or Respondus Monitor to promote academic integrity for their online exams. The session provides a detailed demonstration of both applications, including enhancements that make Respondus Monitor even more effective and easy to use. Workshop is led by staff from Respondus. Register Now!
**ONLINE** Meeting the Needs of Students with Disabilities
Friday, October 31, 2025 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
When courses aren’t created with students with disabilities in mind, educators may be unprepared for accommodating them. Designing your course with accessible features built in can help you avoid scrambling to meet students' needs. Accessible course design also ensures all of your students can access content and participate in class without being shamed for their needs. In this workshop, we will discuss how to create accessible course materials, as well as class policies and coursework that take into account students' needs. Advance registration required.
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**ONLINE** Recenter, Recharge, Redesign: AI's Role in Student, Faculty and Staff Wellness
Wednesday, November 5, 2025 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
This interactive session explores the intersection of stress and burnout and the potential impact of AI in higher education, bringing together mental health perspectives and wellness strategies. Participants will examine how AI can both relieve and intensify stress, and how unhealthy reliance on AI may have unintended consequences. In this workshop, participants will also consider how AI can serve as both a coping strategy and a potential stress amplifier; brainstorm classroom and support strategies that promote motivation, resilience, and productive AI use to prevent burnout; add simple tools to their own self-care toolkit; and commit to one actionable step they can implement to reduce burnout in their professional context and/or teaching and learning spaces. Workshop is offered by and facilitated by University of Delaware. Register Now!
**ONLINE** Illinois Online Higher Education Symposium
Friday, November 7, 2025 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Join colleagues from across the state of Illinois for the inaugural Illinois Online Higher Education Symposium! This free, one-day virtual conference brings together thought leaders and practitioners with expertise in online teaching and learning to discuss the latest trends in online learning--from pedagogy to technology. All who learn, teach, develop, support, or administer online education are welcome! Learn More and Register Now!
**IN-PERSON** Enriching the Design of General Education - November 2025
Friday, November 7, 2025 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
The Enriching the Design of General Education (EDGE) initiative supports excellence in general education teaching by fostering a thriving and supportive community of practice among faculty and emphasizing the unique philosophy and practices that define general education courses. This in-person brown-bag event will be informal - feel free to bring your lunch!
AI is already shaping how students learn, work, and interact with the world—so how can we help them build the skills to use it thoughtfully? In this conversation, we’ll explore ways to bring AI literacy into general education courses, helping students think critically, ask good questions, and prepare for a future where AI is part of nearly every career path.
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**ONLINE** Enhancing Career Readiness with Quinncia: A Faculty Workshop for NIU
Thursday, November 20, 2025 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Join us for an interactive session to explore Quinncia, an AI-powered career readiness platform based on Applicant Tracking Systems. Quinncia is designed to help students build stronger resumes, practice interviews, and improve their confidence when entering the job market. This session will provide an overview of Quinncia’s features, including its AI-driven resume feedback, virtual interview tool, and LinkedIn review, as well as best practices for integrating Quinncia into your courses or career development curriculum. Advance registration required.
Register Now!
**IN-PERSON** Enriching the Design of General Education - February 2026
Friday, February 6, 2026 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
The Enriching the Design of General Education (EDGE) initiative supports excellence in general education teaching by fostering a thriving and supportive community of practice among faculty and emphasizing the unique philosophy and practices that define general education courses. This in-person brown-bag event will be informal - feel free to bring your lunch!
In this session, we will focus on teaching in each of the three knowledge domains. Join us to engage in a lively discussion with faculty who are teaching in the same knowledge domain and to compare success, challenges, and strategies for addressing the same general education outcomes from different disciplines.
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**NEW - ONLINE** Community Engagement Brownbag: How to Create a Community Engaged Course
Thursday, February 19, 2026 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
If you're curious about how to get started teaching community engaged courses, join us on February 19, 2026 at noon, when Dr. Alicia Schatteman shares her experiences with community engaged teaching and learning at NIU. Learn about the new NIU community-engaged course designation and find out best practices to build and teach a successful community-engaged course. Register Now!
**IN-PERSON** Enriching the Design of General Education - March 2026
Friday, March 6, 2026 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
The Enriching the Design of General Education (EDGE) initiative supports excellence in general education teaching by fostering a thriving and supportive community of practice among faculty and emphasizing the unique philosophy and practices that define general education courses. This in-person brown-bag event will be informal - feel free to bring your lunch!
General education courses provide opportunities for innovation at every turn including exciting topics, bold approaches to teaching, and unexpected perspectives on learning. This session will feature a panel of faculty who have taken new and fascinating approaches to teaching general education courses.
Register Now!
**IN-PERSON** Enriching the Design of General Education - April 2026
Friday, April 3, 2026 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
The Enriching the Design of General Education (EDGE) initiative supports excellence in general education teaching by fostering a thriving and supportive community of practice among faculty and emphasizing the unique philosophy and practices that define general education courses. This in-person brown-bag event will be informal - feel free to bring your lunch!
Don't miss this exciting session!
Register Now!
**NEW - ONLINE** Community Engagement Brownbag: Engaged Classrooms, Stronger Research: Expanding Faculty Capacity Through Teaching
Tuesday, April 14, 2026 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Discover how Professor Melani Duffrin integrates research and teaching — two pillars often viewed separately in academia. Over the lunch hour, we’ll explore how experiential learning can transform your research capacity while providing invaluable experiences for students. This approach not only enhances student learning but also expands your research capabilities, diversifies funding sources and brings fresh perspectives to your work. Register Now!
