By Stokes Schwartz (CISAH)
On Friday, August 22, the Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities hosted its Fall 2025 kickoff. The session began with a warm-up discussion of what brought joy to participants’ personal lives during the summer break. Responses were many and varied, including time spent with family, long bike rides, international birdwatching, weddings, time up north, visits to Lake Michigan, and the special joy brought to our lives by pets and our adventures with them.
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CISAH Director Garth Sabo and Associate Director Michael Lockett joined the session with brief welcome messages, information updates on MSU’s Land-Grant identity, the latest IAH course enrollments, and various last-minute points for the faculty teaching IAH courses this fall to keep in mind, including syllabus policies specific to artificial intelligence use and classroom recording by students.
The kickoff continued with a discussion by participants of joy in the classroom as outlined by Sarah Rose Cavanaugh in her May 2023 article, which appeared in the Chronicle of Higher Education, “They Need Us to Be Well.’ The atmosphere on Zoom was lively as instructors shared what brings them joy in their professional capacity. Uplifting moments of the recent past have included the smiles of recognition lighting up student faces as they grasp challenging concepts, thoughtful student questions and classroom discussions, and high-quality student assignments or projects that go above and beyond basic prompt guidelines.
Beth Sabo and Kimberly Groves from the MSU Writing Center next joined the kickoff and outlined the various services students can access to help themselves become stronger writers during their undergraduate careers. Also covered was the easy appointment scheduling process, and the various locations around campus of center tutors. Notably, students do not have to visit the Writing Center in Bessey Hall during normal daytime hours. They can also arrange to work with tutors in one or more of several satellite locations around campus, depending on day, time, and availability.
The agenda resumed with an opportunity for faculty teaching IAH courses this fall to share new teaching approaches and assignments along with those they might retire for AY2025-2026. Related discussion examined how we might articulate the value of these new activities and assignments to students, how we can further cultivate student voices through them, and steps we might take to implement new assignments and activities smoothly.
As we neared the end of the Fall 2025 kickoff, helpful resources for instructors were quickly highlighted — including the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation, Office of the University Ombudsperson, Employee Assistance Program, and University Health and Wellbeing — along with three related upcoming IAH workshops for Fall 2025, part of the Valuing Voices, Voicing Value series. Also outlined were numerous learning community opportunities for the upcoming year. Guidance for nominating excellent student work for the IAH Student Awards Committee was also presented before participants shared a few final questions and observations. Our meeting concluded with one minute to spare. For upcoming opportunities and events during the Fall 2025 semester, watch this space! And as we begin the teaching and learning cycle once again after a restorative summer break, let’s resolve to find those moments of joy in our teaching regardless of any challenges that may come our way.