One of the most notable annual faculty gatherings, Professional Development Day (PDD), was held on June 11, 2026. Bringing faculty members together, the day offered an opportunity to reflect on the past academic year, celebrate collective accomplishments, and jointly chart future directions.
Dr. Felice Vazquez, Chancellor for International Campuses, and Dr. David Birdsell, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Kean University, were in attendance, strengthening the friendly ties and collaborative partnership between the two universities.
The program featured two core components: a plenary session and a series of training and sharing workshops. Distinguished external experts were also invited to share professional perspectives and exchange cutting-edge innovative practices. Attracting around 230 faculty and staff members, the event achieved its highest participation to date.
Faculty from across the university engaged in vibrant discussions on pedagogical practices and reflected on their academic development journeys over the past year. These peer-to-peer exchanges foster cross-institutional collaboration, driving sustained enhancements to teaching quality and research excellence at Wenzhou-Kean University (WKU) .
At the opening ceremony, Dr. Felice Vazquez, Chancellor for International Campuses, delivered a keynote address. She underscored the significance of faculty professional development in advancing teaching excellence, while acknowledging the robust partnership between Kean University and WKU. Her opening remarks established an encouraging tone for the day‑long program and encouraged faculty to participate actively in substantive peer exchanges.
Dr. David Birdsell, Provost and Senior Vice President at Kean University, delivered a keynote address titled " Faculty Reappointment Standards and Process." He outlined key evaluation criteria, offered practical guidance for faculty success, and reflected on the evolving expectations for faculty roles.
Ning Wu delivered a training session entitled "Campus Gatekeeper" Training. She explained the educator roles of university faculty and staff, elaborated on their duties in offering timely student support and basic guidance, and highlighted essential competencies for handling routine and emergent student-related situations.
Jing Huang led an informative session titled " Introduction to WKUBIT Functions and Reporting Procedures." She provided an overview of WKU BIT's core operational responsibilities, shared typical reportable campus incidents, and walked participants through standardized, step-by-step reporting protocols.
Ian Desmond Mauer and Dr. Caroline Joanne Handley from the College of Liberal Arts presented survey findings on first-year students' use of AI in academic English courses. Their study investigated undergraduates' varied AI-application behaviors, particularly excessive reliance on AI translation, and discussed the potential impacts on students' core language-skill development and the overall learning outcomes of the university's LEAP program.
Mark Richard Alexander-Warne from the College of Liberal Arts shared practical digital assessment workflows to strengthen the integrity of online exams. He demonstrated the combined use of Respondus LockDown Browser and Canvas randomized question banks to mitigate AI-enabled cheating and collusion, while outlining sustainable digital assessment practices that balance academic fairness, operational efficiency, and environmental benefits.
Dr. Marcella Caprario from the College of Education showcased metaverse-powered tools to advance Collaborative Online International Learning. Combining theoretical introduction with hands-on experience, she shared a practical cross-border COIL project that connects WKU students with overseas peers and guides faculty in designing and implementing immersive, low-cost intercultural exchange activities in their own courses.
We are pleased to announce the upcoming Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW) — a signature faculty development program designed to strengthen teaching practices through experiential learning.
Participants will explore core teaching and learning concepts, reflect on current practices, experiment with new instructional strategies, and engage in supportive environments. We look forward to discussing this excellent opportunity to increase student engagement with interested faculty and staff of WKU. Please note that participation is limited to five individuals, and all four days of the workshop are required. Scan the OR code to register >>
We are pleased to share details about the upcoming 3rd Annual Kean Conference on Teaching, a cross-campus virtual gathering for educators across Kean’s global network to exchange teaching insights and practices.
This year’s conference will be hosted fully via Zoom on Friday, October 2, 2026. To better fit WKU faculty schedules, the event will run from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM Beijing Time. Notably, the first round of sessions is reserved exclusively for WKU faculty, with later time blocks open to other Kean campuses worldwide.
The conference is themed Teaching as Connection. Kean university invites faculty to explore how teaching forges meaningful links — with students, with research, with local communities, and across our global campus family.
Only session proposals from paired facilitators will be accepted; solo submissions will not be considered. Proposals may interpret the theme broadly. Preference will be given to submissions that:
We are going to have the Faculty Activity Day 2026, on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 on the WKU campus.
Centered on advancing teaching excellence and fostering cross-college collaboration, this event will bring together faculty across all disciplines for professional development, peer exchange and shared insights on teaching practice.
Further details, including the full agenda and registration information, will be released in due course. We kindly ask all faculty members to save the date on their calendars.We look forward to seeing you at Faculty Activity Day.
We welcome any thoughts, suggestions or topic ideas you would like to share as we plan the event. Please feel free to leave your feedback via the comment section on the newsletter page.