Faculty, librarians and administrators gathered Friday to celebrate the publication of their new volumes that may be downloaded and reproduced for free, as part of an ongoing project designed to create open educational resources for students and the general public.

This morning, faculty got the chance to reconnect before the semester. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Patricia Marshall, and other Academic Affairs staff, welcomed all and provided updates, celebrated achievements, and listened to faculty concerns. Keynote speaker Dr. Meira Levinson, Juliana W. and William Foss Thompson Professor of Education and Society, Harvard Graduate School of Education discussed the topic of Educational Ethics.

This afternoon, Provost Patricia Marshall welcomed those gathered in the President's Hall for  English Studies Professor Kisha Tracy's presentation of  the Harrod Lecture: “Decolonizing the Study of Disability in the Middle Ages” After an introduction by Chair of the English Studies Department Aruna Krishnamurthy Professor Tracy discussed the expanding scope of medieval disability studies into the global world.

Earlier this week,  Biology and Chemistry Department Chair Dr. Erin Rehrig hosted a gathering to celebrate the "retirement" of  Biology and Chemistry Professor Dr. Michael Nosek at the Liscotti Pavilion in the Antonucci Science Complex. After being presented with a certificate from Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Patricia Marshall on behalf of President Hodge and the Board of Trustees, Dr. Rehrig gave a basket of gardening tools from her and the rest of the Biology and Chemistry Department - of which he made good use of to serve cake. While Dr. Nosek has officially retired, he will remain with the university as an Adjunct Professor.

Yesterday, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Franca Barricell welcomed our newest faculty to the Center for Teaching and Learning for the second day of their orientation. Following, that session with current faculty and staff, University Archivist Asher Jackson brought the faculty on a tour of campus, pointing out the rich history of Fitchburg State University.

Today was the first day of our School of Graduate, Online and Continuing Education (SGOCE) Faculty Development program. Topics included AI and its impact on teaching, Student Accommodation, and more.

This afternoon, soon to be retired President Lapidus, and incoming President Donna Hodge hosted an Ice Cream Social at the Lisciotti Pavilion in the Antonucci Science Center. The event was an opportunity for colleagues to gather, meet our new President, and catch up after the academic year and before the summer. Both Presidents doled out the ice cream to an eager and grateful crowd.

At the culmination of today's Faculty and Librarian Development Day, the Celebration for Faculty and Librarian Excellence was held in the Holmes Dining Complex. As the faculty wrapped up their sessions, Emeriti Faculty were welcomed to reconnect prior to the event. 

This morning our faculty and librarians held their annual end of semester/academic year Development Day in the Main Lounge of Hammond Hall. Topics included Maintaining a Scholarly Identity at a Teaching-Intensive  Institution, a panel discussion: Maintaining an Active Research Practice, and more.

Yesterday, the university celebrated the publication of Fitchburg State's first five ROTEL (Remixing Open Textbooks through an Equity Lens) textbooks, authored by faculty members Michael Hove (Psychological Science), Peter Staab (Mathematics), J.J. Sylvia IV (Communications Media) and Kisha Tracy (English Studies).