Apply for a VIVA Open Grant to Switch to Open Course Materials. Apply for a VIVA Open Grant of up to $50,000 to help eliminate textbook costs and reduce the financial burden of higher education for JMU students. Offered by Virginia’s Academic Library Consortium (VIVA), these grants support faculty in adopting, adapting, or creating open and no-cost course materials, including library resources. Applications are due October 12, 2026 for all 3 grant types. 

Apply to Teach in the Library Futures Classroom in Carrier Library. The new Library Futures Classroom in Carrier Library is a flexible learning laboratory where faculty, students, and Libraries partners can explore how space, pedagogy, and technology shape learning. Faculty from all disciplines are invited to apply by October 1 to teach in the Library Futures Classroom in Spring or Fall Semester 2027.

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!

Get Started Using Open Textbooks ($200 Stipend). This asynchronous online workshop will introduce you to open textbooks and allow you to explore existing open textbooks available for your courses. After you complete the workshop, you will be eligible to write a review of an open textbook and receive a $200 stipend. The stipend is funded by VIVA, Virginia’s Academic Library Consortium. Apply between August 24 and October 12, 2026.

Learning about Work-Based Learning and Community-Engaged Learning at JMU. This presentation from Anna Maria Johnson (Associate Director for Work-Based Learning Experiences) along with Kim Davidson and Jenna Piersol from the Community Engagement and Volunteer Center (CEVC) will introduce faculty to the concepts of Work-Based Learning Experiences (WBLE) and Community-Engaged Learning (CEL). We will present the resources available to faculty who want to partner with community organizations or local businesses for high-impact teaching practices that bridge the classroom and the outside world. There will be time for Q and A as well.

Workshop: Organize Your Sources and Write Faster with Zotero. JMU faculty, staff, and students are invited to a new workshop that will help you streamline the research and writing process with Zotero, a free citation management tool. This one-hour introductory workshop will cover how to collect and organize sources, manage research efficiently, and automatically generate bibliographies.

 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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