Asking Better Questions: Elevating Thinking Through Classroom Dialogue. Questioning is one of the most powerful, and most underused, tools in a faculty member's teaching repertoire. Research shows that a majority of instructor questions are procedural or recall-based, leaving little room for the higher-order thinking that drives deep learning. This interactive, one-hour online workshop introduces faculty across disciplines to the research on effective questioning and equips them with practical, field-agnostic strategies to make questioning a more intentional pedagogical framework rather than an improvised classroom habit.

Boundless Bound Online Forum. Three free online conversations on cultural heritage, archives, contemporary Chinese and diasporic experience, and independent publishing, with artists, educators, and archivists. Free and open to all. Registration required. Supported by the JMU Madison Art Collection (MAC).

Explore Open Education at the Open and Affordable Community Forum. The Open and Affordable Community Forum covers issues in open education, open pedagogy, and open educational resources (OER). This free event is hosted by VIVA, Virginia’s Academic Library Consortium, and anyone in higher ed in Virginia is welcome to attend.

Get Creative with Workshops in The Makery. Create, tinker, craft, invent, and discover new skills in our makerspace. Check out these free and fun workshops offered by The Makery in Rose and Carrier Libraries. Our knowledgeable and helpful staff are here to help you with academic and personal projects to foster your creativity!

 Madison Trust Info Sessions. Got an idea worth seed funding? Attend a Madison Trust info session to learn eligibility, proposal requirements, and guidelines. One session is required to apply.

Reflective Learning with GoReact: Media-supported Journaling with Rubrics. Get hands-on experience with GoReact, JMU’s digital assignment feedback tool integrated into Canvas. In this workshop, you'll experience the tool from both the student and instructor perspectives.

Technology-Supported Assessment for Learning. This hands-on workshop for JMU instructors connects pedagogical strategies with JMU-supported technologies and resources for learning assessment. Join this session to build digital assessment literacy, explore effective assessment design, and engage in hands-on practice with tools such as Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor alongside Bubble Sheet.

The Cost of Knowledge: Open Access Week 2026 at JMU. This year’s International Open Access Week (October 19-25) challenges us to consider the financial, human, and environmental costs of creating, sharing, and sustaining knowledge—particularly when these costs are driven by private rather than public interests.

Workshops on AI Literacy and Data Literacy. JMU Libraries is offering three workshops this fall on data literacy and AI literacy. Developing skills in data management and ethical use of artificial intelligence is increasingly vital for academic and professional success. Consider signing up for one or more of their standalone sessions.

Enroll in the JMU Design for Learning Institute. JMU faculty are invited to join a learning community of JMU experts, peers, and mentors as you develop or redesign a course.

Learn the Basics of Digital Accessibility. This online, self-paced course is for anyone at JMU who works on digital content, such as JMU websites, documents, and online learning materials. It will introduce you to the basics of digital accessibility.

Leaning About Work-Based Learning and Community Engaged Learning Experience at JMU. Whether you are a faculty member supervising undergraduate or graduate research or teaching assistants, administrative staff supervising work-study students, or an external organization supervising students in a job or volunteer activity, these resources are designed to help you design thoughtful student experiences.

Madison Cares. Madison Cares is a centralized program for departments, students, parents, and community members to refer or consult about students of concern. We will operate as an extended arm to students experiencing varying levels of social, emotional, academic, or mental-health stressors.

Meet Your Digital Accessibility Ambassador. Recent updates to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act mean that everyone has a role in supporting web accessibility, with new responsibilities for faculty in ensuring that digital course materials are accessible to students. The new Digital Accessibility Ambassador Program (DAAP) connects you with a faculty colleague in your college who serves as a peer advocate for instructors working on digital accessibility.

6 Reasons to Add Your Work to the JMU Scholarly Commons. Find out how you can increase the visibility and accessibility of your scholarly work by adding it to JMU’s institutional repository, JMU Scholarly Commons. Sponsored by Libraries.

10 Easy Ways Faculty Can Make Textbooks More Affordable. Textbook costs are a serious issue for many JMU students. According to a 2025 state-wide survey, 37% of JMU students chose not to enroll in a class due to the cost of textbooks and 29% said they take fewer courses due to the cost of textbooks. Here are 10 ways you can help!

A Better Way to Manage Your Research: The Open Science Framework (It’s Not Just for Science!). Effective research includes organizing, managing, sharing, and preserving your research outputs. The Open Science Framework (OSF) is a platform that supports researchers in any discipline throughout the entire research lifecycle—from study design to data sharing. Sponsored by Libraries.

Access to Higher Ed Online. You now have full access to Inside Higher Ed, thanks to an institutional subscription that JMU Libraries acquired in partnership with VIVA, Virginia’s Academic Library Consortium.

Access to Higher Ed Online. You now have full access to Inside Higher Ed, thanks to an institutional subscription that JMU Libraries acquired in partnership with VIVA, Virginia’s Academic Library Consortium.Adobe Creative Suite at JMU. If you need access to the Adobe Creative Suite, check out these locations at JMU that provide free access to it. Sponsored by Libraries.

Bite-Sized Tips for Digital Accessibility at JMU. Have you been enjoying the series of quick tips on digital accessibility topics in the Libraries' weekly emails? Now you can find them all in one convenient place: Bite-Sized Tips for Digital Accessibility at JMU.

Free Media for Creative Use and Teaching. Need images, video clips, or other media for your work or creativity? These sources offer material that is available under Creative Commons, Public Domain, or JMU license. Sponsored by Libraries.

Get Help Converting Files into Accessible Formats in Canvas. It’s now easier to convert PDFs and other files into more accessible formats—directly in Canvas! JMU Libraries has integrated SensusAccess into Canvas to support the digital accessibility of course materials as JMU works toward meeting its Title II goals.

Get Help with Alt Text for Images in Canvas. Adding alt text to images is one of the most impactful steps you can take to improve the digital accessibility of your course content. Learn about a new alt text feature in Ally, our digital accessibility checker integrated into Canvas.

Get library books delivered to your campus mailbox. Faculty members can library books delivered directly to their campus mailbox. This service includes books and other items from JMU Libraries or Interlibrary Loan (ILL)! Sponsored by Libraries.

Learning Access through Universal Design. Learn how to apply the fundamental principles of universal design for learning (UDL) in JMU Libraries' self-paced, award-winning Canvas course.

Manage Citations with Zotero’s Unlimited Storage. Are you still typing out reference lists? Maybe it’s time to try a citation manager! Zotero is a free, easy-to-use, open source tool to help you collect, organize, cite, and collaborate on research.

Media Production Support for Faculty. Do you need to create videos or other media for your classes? JMU Libraries can help faculty record videos or audio in our video production studio on the 5th floor of Rose Library—or in the location of your choice! Sponsored by Libraries.

Office Hours and Workshops on Digital Accessibility. JMU Libraries and other campus experts are partnering to offer personalized office hours and interactive workshops to help JMU faculty improve the digital accessibility of their course materials.

Read the Chronicle of Higher Ed for Free. Did you know that the Libraries provides JMU with unlimited access to The Chronicle of Higher Education online? The Chronicle covers academia in the U.S. and publishes online content every weekday. Sponsored by Libraries.

See Physical & Digital Library Books Side by Side. If you like browsing books on a physical shelf so you can see titles on a similar topic grouped together, try the Libraries' Virtual Browse tool! Sponsored by Libraries.

 Top 3 Tips for Faculty Planning Course Readings for Fall. Putting the finishing touches on your fall reading lists? Consider our top 3 tips for making readings more accessible and affordable for your students.

Video Content for JMU Courses. Are you looking for video clips or documentaries to add to your courses? JMU Libraries gives you access to thousands of streaming videos on a wide variety of topics. Sponsored by Libraries.

The Center for Faculty Innovation (CFI) provides comprehensive professional development opportunities for JMU faculty at all levels and stages of their careers. CFI initiatives support innovations in teaching, scholarship, career planning, and organizational development. The CFI is led by instructional faculty, staff, faculty associates, and students. 

View CFI Programs & Events