The Center for Faculty Excellence is the University’s lead resource for teaching and learning support for faculty, staff, and graduate students. The CFE provides professional development workshops and training sessions, instructional design consultations, web resources, communities of practice, certificate programs, and more—all designed to support the BGSU teaching community.

Registration is now open for Spring 2026 Communities of Practice! Each academic year, the Center for Faculty Excellence partners with Faculty Associates and campus collaborators to offer a new slate of Communities of Practice—small, focused groups where participants explore a topic in depth over the course of a semester or the full academic year. These communities bring together instructors and staff who share a common interest and want to grow through sustained conversation, shared resources, and applied learning.

To learn more about upcoming communities, visit the Community of Practice page. Advance registration is required for all CFE communities of practice. Registration closes one week before the first community meeting. Registration is subject to participant eligibility.

Communities of Practice

Registration for the Spring 2026 Active Learning Certificate Program Course is now open. This hybrid professional development experience supports instructors who want to create more engaging, student-centered learning environments through practical, evidence-based teaching strategies. 

Through a combination of online modules and a required in-person session held in an active learning classroom, participants will explore core principles of active learning, practice strategy implementation, and plan meaningful instructional changes for their own courses. Successful completion of program requirements allows eligible instructors to have their certificate recorded with the CFE and Registration and Records, enabling pre-assignment to active learning classrooms in future semesters. Click on the link below to learn more.

Active Learning Certificate Program

Registration for Spring 2026 CFE-Facilitated sessions is now open! The CFE is offering a diverse lineup of workshops and sessions covering everything from the basics of Canvas to practical strategies for using AI in the classroom. To learn more about upcoming sessions, visit the Session Catalog. To register for sessions, use the Spring 2026 CFE-Facilitated Session Registration Form.

Advance registration is required for all CFE events. Registration closes one business day before the event. CFE workshops and events are open to all BGSU faculty members, adjunct instructors, graduate students, and administrative and classified staff members, unless noted otherwise.

If you need special services, assistance or appropriate modifications to fully participate in the event, please contact the CFE office or Accessibility Services at access@bgsu.edu or 419-372-8495. Please notify Accessibility Services and/or the CFE office prior to the event.

Session Catalog

BGSU Syllabus Template & Required Policy Language

The CFE has developed an accessible Syllabus Template that includes a combination of required policy language, CBA expectations, and example statements that are not required. If you would like assistance developing your syllabus, please schedule a consultation with a CFE instructional designer.

The University and the BGSU Faculty Association (FA) share a common goal of supporting student success. Article 9, Section 2.7 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) states the following minimum expectations for inclusion in your course syllabus:

• A clear statement on course expectations
• The schedule and methods of assessment
• Indicators of support for student success
• Pedagogical efforts that engage students in the learning process

In addition to the CBA’s expectations above, the University requires that all syllabi include the statements in the Required University Policy Statements section. These statements are based on obligations imposed by state and federal law. Please note, the Remotely Proctored Testing statement is only required if the instructor is utilizing remotely proctored testing.

Other sections of this template may be removed or modified based on your course.

BGSU Syllabus Template

Schedule an Instructional Design Consultation

Are you looking for support in designing and building your courses in Canvas or using Canvas tools? A CFE Instructional Designer (ID) can help! CFE IDs offer one-on-one consultations on a variety of topics, including academic tools and technology, Canvas tools, course content adaptation and development, course review, video recording, Quality Matters Rubric application, and syllabus development and review.

To request a consultation with a CFE ID, complete the CFE Instructional Design Consultation Request Form.

To find out more about instructional design services, visit the Instructional Designer Consultations page.

CFE Instructional Design Consultation Request Form