Faculty Innovation Success Hub (FISH)

Practical tools to help you plan, teach, reflect, and improve.

• Start of Term Checklist
  Prepare for a strong semester with essential steps, reminders and teaching best practices.
• CAT Café Zoom Drop-In
  Join live virtual support sessions for quick tech help and instructional guidance.
• Map Your Course
  Align learning outcomes, assignments, and assessments for clarity and impact.
• Course Evaluations
  Access course evaluation tools, timelines, and strategies for interpreting feedback.
• Meet with an Instructional Designer
  Schedule one-on-one support to strengthen course design and student engagement.

Explore tools and guidance for Canvas, instructional technology, and responsible AI integration.

• Getting Started With Canvas
  Set up your course site with templates, training, and troubleshooting support.
• Supported Technologies
  Discover approved teaching tools and how to use them effectively.
• AI Guidance for Faculty
  Access campus guidance for ethical, inclusive, and innovative AI use in teaching.
• Grant Opportunities
  Explore internal and external funding opportunities to support teaching innovation.
• Faculty OtterNavigate Instructions
  Learn how to use OtterNavigate to connect students with advising and support services.

Collaborate, experiment and grow your teaching practice.

• Teaching Cooperatives
  Join faculty learning communities focused on shared inquiry and innovation.
• Holistic Wellness and Integrative Learning
  Incorporate wellness and interdisciplinary approaches into your curriculum.
• Professional Development
  Workshops, institutes, and ongoing training to strengthen teaching and leadership.
• Reading and Apprenticeship
  Support student literacy, disciplinary reading, and academic confidence.
• Transparency Framework
  Improve assignment clarity to increase student equity and success.

Use evidence to enhance student learning and program effectiveness.

• Assessment and Program Review
  Guidance for annual assessment, accreditation, and program improvement.
• Undergraduate and Graduate Learning Outcomes
  Access campus learning outcomes and alignment resources.
• Consultation Framework
  Structured support for curriculum review and assessment planning.
• Schedule Classroom Consultation
  Request observation and feedback to strengthen teaching effectiveness.

Support your professional sustainability and personal wellbeing.

• Mindfulness and Meditation
  Campus offerings that promote balance and stress management.
• Wellness RAFT
  Resources for resilience, adaptability, flexibility, and thriving at work.
• Well at Work Hours
  Dedicated time and programming focused on employee wellbeing.
• Benefits and Wellness
  Explore health, retirement, and employee assistance programs.

Career-stage support designed to help you grow and lead.

• Activate (Early Career: 0-3 Years)
  Onboarding, mentoring, and foundational development support.
• Accelerate (Mid-Career: 4-6 Years)
  Leadership growth, scholarship advancement, and professional trajectory planning.
• Amplify (Senior Career: 7+ Years)
  Expanded impact through mentorship, leadership, and institutional influence.
• More Microlearning from OneHE
  Short, flexible professional development modules on teaching and leadership.

Advance equity, belonging, and global engagement in your work.

• Office of Community and Belonging
  Resources and initiatives that foster an inclusive campus climate.
• Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)
  Design globally connected learning experiences with international partners.
• Equity and Justice in Hispanic-Serving Institutions
  Research and insights from Dr. Gina Garcia on equity-centered institutional change.
• Culturally Responsive Education
  Strategies to support diverse learners through inclusive pedagogy.

Move your ideas forward with strategic support and funding guidance.

• Research and Grant Writing
  Workshops and coaching to strengthen proposals and scholarship.
• Proposal Development
  Step-by-step assistance from concept to submission.
• Internal Funding Opportunities
  Apply for campus grants that support research and innovation.
• Search for Funding Opportunities
  Tools and databases to identify external funding sources.
• Research Compliance
  Guidance on IRB, responsible conduct and regulatory requirements.

Connect students to the resources that help them thrive.

• Student Support Services
  Academic advising, tutoring, and wraparound services.
• Student Affinity Centers
  Identity-based spaces that foster belonging and support.
• Cooperative Learning Center
  Peer-led tutoring and collaborative academic support.
• Personal Growth and Counseling
  Mental health and wellbeing resources for students.

Help students translate learning into meaningful careers.

• National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Competencies
  Career-readiness competencies aligned with national standards.
• NACE Faculty Resources
  Tools for embedding career competencies into coursework.
• NACE Faculty Attitudes Research
  Research insights on faculty perspectives and career integration.
• NACE Competency Assessment Tool
  Faculty and student assessment tools to measure career readiness.

Access essential policies and faculty guidelines.

• Data Security
  Protect sensitive information and follow campus data standards.
• FERPA
  Understand student privacy rights and responsibilities.
• Campus Policies
  Review institutional policies affecting faculty work.
• Retention, Tenure and Promotion
  Guidelines, timelines and documentation resources.
• Title IX Information
  Reporting requirements and campus support resources.

Build meaningful professional connections.

• Employee Affinity Groups
  Connect with colleagues who share identities and interests.
• Teaching Cooperatives and Communities of Practice
  Collaborate with peers around shared teaching goals.
• Otters in Dialogue
  Engage in structured conversations that strengthen community and belonging.
• Community Partner Connections
  Build partnerships that support engaged learning and regional impact.

OneHE provides practical, research-informed professional development designed for busy educators. Faculty can engage in short, focused microcourses that offer immediately applicable teaching strategies.

Topics include active learning, course design, inclusive teaching, culturally responsive practice, effective feedback, student engagement and technology integration. OneHE resources are designed to support high-impact, student-centered instruction.

Explore upcoming OneHE webinars.

Apply for a OneHE license.

This membership-based organization supports faculty career advancement across all stages, with particular attention to underrepresented scholars.

Resources include structured faculty success programs, productivity strategies, mentoring support, webinars and professional development communities. These offerings help faculty build sustainable writing practices, strengthen leadership skills and navigate academic career pathways.

Activate Your Institutional Membership

CSUMB provides faculty with an institutionally funded membership to the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity.

To activate your membership:

• Visit the NCFDD website and select the option to join
• Choose Cal State Monterey Bay from the list of institutions
• Select “Activate My Membership”
• Register using your @csumb.edu email address
• Check your CSUMB email for a confirmation message and follow the instructions to complete activation

Once activated, you will have full access to NCFDD’s professional development programs and resources.

The Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework supports equitable instruction by making the purpose, tasks and evaluation criteria of assignments clear to students.

Faculty can engage in professional development to design transparent assignments that strengthen student understanding, motivation and academic confidence.

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is a virtual exchange model that connects students and faculty across institutions through technology-enabled collaboration.

Faculty integrate structured intercultural engagement into their courses, expanding global perspectives and developing students’ cross-cultural competencies.

EDUCAUSE provides research, publications and professional learning related to information technology in higher education.

Faculty and staff can access resources on emerging technologies, digital transformation, data-informed decision-making and best practices in educational technology. These materials support thoughtful, strategic integration of technology in teaching and scholarship.

Faculty can create their CSUMB institutionally funded EDUCAUSE membership by visiting the EDUCAUSE membership page.

Canvas online courses give you the freedom to learn on your schedule while staying connected to instructors and classmates. Whether you’re balancing work, family or other commitments, our online learning environment makes it easy to stay engaged and on track.

• Trauma-Informed Pedagogy
  An inclusive teaching approach that centers empathy, trust, and student well-being to foster academic success.
• Teaching with AI
  Guidance for thoughtfully integrating artificial intelligence into teaching while promoting ethics and critical thinking.
• Reading Apprenticeship
  A collaborative approach that helps students become confident, strategic readers across disciplines.
• The Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults
  Programs and practices that build resilience, focus, and well-being to support the whole student.
• Student Success Champions
  Dedicated faculty and staff who provide personalized support to help students navigate challenges and reach their goals.
• Otters in Dialogue
  Facilitated conversations that bring our community together to engage diverse perspectives with respect and curiosity.

The Sponsored Programs Office (SPO) at Cal State Monterey Bay partners with faculty, staff, and researchers to secure and manage external funding that advances research, creative activity, and student-centered innovation. From proposal development and budget preparation to compliance and award management, SPO provides guidance at every stage of the grant process. Our goal is to streamline the path from idea to impact — supporting work that benefits students, strengthens our region, and contributes to communities in California and beyond.

Visit the Sponsored Programs Office.

Institutional Assessment and Research (IAR) develops and supports data tools that help Cal State Monterey Bay strengthen academic programs and advance student success. Through interactive dashboards, reporting resources and collaborative analysis, IAR equips campus partners with the insights needed to make informed, timely decisions.

In alignment with the 2025 Strategic Plan’s commitment to data-driven approaches, IAR works alongside faculty and staff to monitor progress, assess outcomes and promote equitable opportunities for all students to graduate on time and thrive beyond the university.

Learn more about Academic Outcomes.