Dear Colleagues,
Thank you for your support throughout the spring semester during my time as acting provost and now in my role as provost. I deeply value this role and the opportunity to continue our mission of transforming the lives of our students and serving our region. As the last week of classes is well underway, I hope you know how appreciative I am of your dedication and focus on our students.
Faculty Workshop – AI in the Classroom to AI in the Workplace
Faculty interested in equipping students with practical AI skills relevant to their future careers and data analysis powered by AI are encouraged to apply for a faculty development workshop this August. Participants will learn how AI is reshaping fields across all colleges—from political science and business to human services and biology—enabling pattern discovery, informed decision-making, and deeper understanding of complex systems. AI-based advances in data analysis help us discover and visualize patterns in data and make policy, marketing, and intervention decisions, or understand fundamental processes like gene expression in cancer.
Over 2.5 days (August 11–12 and August 18), participants will explore AI-based data analysis through a mix of presentations and hands-on sessions. No coding experience is required. By the end, you will create a discipline-specific lecture or activity to enhance your classroom teaching.
Participants will present their work at the Teaching for Student Success Symposium on August 18. All materials and refreshments will be provided.
Space is limited to three faculty members per college, so early application is encouraged. Apply by May 7.
New Student Evaluation Administration Process
Student evaluations of instruction for spring 2025 are open to students through Saturday, April 26. The University has updated the evaluation process to align with recent state legislation. Evaluations are completed through Pilot and are anonymous. Instructors are not provided results until all grades, from all instructors, have been submitted for the semester.
If a student was unable to complete the evaluation during the time allotted in class, their individual response remains open through April 26.
Read more about the updated evaluation process, including the newly required state content.
Participate in the Campus Scholarship and Innovation Campaign
We’re in the final week of the Campus Scholarship and Innovation Campaign! We have reached 42% participation so far, with staff participation accounting for a 71% contribution rate and faculty contributions making up 29% of the total. The goal of this campaign is 50% participation of faculty and staff, so make your contribution today!
The academic-related area contributions as of Monday, April 21, are:
- College of Graduate Programs and Honors Studies – 100% participation
- University Libraries – 75% participation
- College of Computer Engineering and Computer Science – 55% participation
- Lake Campus – 51% participation
- Raj Soin College of Business – 50% participation
- College of Health, Education, and Human Services – 42% participation
- College of Liberal Arts – 40% participation
- College of Science and Mathematics – 16% participation
- Boonshoft School of Medicine – 15% participation
Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Comprehensive Evaluation
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) conducts comprehensive evaluations of member institutions in the 10th year of the Standard Pathway accreditation process. For Wright State University, this evaluation will occur in spring 2026 with the site visit scheduled for April 21-22, 2026. The purpose of this evaluation is to confirm our university meets the Criteria for Accreditation, conducts Assumed Practices, and complies with requirements set by the U.S. Department of Education.
An internal team has begun drafting Wright State University’s Comprehensive Evaluation Argument. If you are asked to provide information, please respond in a timely manner. Throughout the fall semester, students, faculty, staff, and the Board of Trustees will have the opportunity to review drafts and provide feedback on the argument document. The final evaluation will be submitted to HLC in March 2026.
Submit Session Proposals for the Teaching for Student Success Symposium by Friday
The Teaching for Student Success Symposium will be held on Monday, August 18. The symposium is a great way to begin the semester and provides valuable information. Our keynote speaker will be Catherine Denial, Ph.D., author of A Pedagogy of Kindness.
This year’s symposium will focus on building community in the classroom. Faculty are encouraged to submit a session proposal to present at the symposium by Friday, April 25. Proposals can be from individuals or groups in the Wright State community.
The Center for Faculty Excellence encourages everyone to propose a session on any topic related to excellence in teaching and student success. However, we are especially looking for strategies and methods that have worked for you around the topics of:
- Community building in the classroom
- Effectively working with a variety of learners
- Student mental health issues
Presentations will be accepted for the following:
- Workshops (approximately 45 minutes): Interactive sessions that actively engage participants.
- Roundtables (about 20 minutes): A brief 5–10-minute presentation followed by discussion and Q&A.
Applicants will be notified by the middle of May if their proposal was accepted.
Contact Peggy Kelly, faculty fellow for pedagogy in the Center for Faculty Excellence, at peggy.kelly@wright.edu with any questions.
Faculty Resources and Workshops
- User Training for Faculty Activity Reports continues to be available through the spring semester. Submissions will be collected through information entered by faculty in Watermark’s Faculty Success software.
Register for a one-hour user training session.
- The Center for Faculty Excellence is pleased to bring weekly tips to your inbox through Monday Morning Mentors. These are quick video presentations with additional materials provided. The presentation and supplemental material for “How Can I Teach AI Prompt Engineering to My Students?” are available through April 27. To access the presentation, use “engineering211” as the password.
- The Center for Faculty Excellence will offer a workshop on Avoiding Predatory Publishers and Harnessing the Power of OhioLINK Open Access Agreements on April 24 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Register for the workshop.
When a Student Needs Support
- The Student Success Navigator showcases the wide range of resources designed to support our students. Whether students are interested in joining a student organization, looking for access to mental health services, playing a sport, or finding a job, all information is available in one central location.
- Wright.edu/help is a great resource for helping students or making referrals. This site contains contact information for emergency or essential departments that can assist your students all in one location.
I am grateful for your dedication to promoting student success. I hope you have a wonderful and productive week!
Jim Denniston, Ph.D.
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
