Faculty Updates & Reminders for the Year Ahead
Dear Faculty Colleagues,
As we begin a new academic year at Case Western Reserve University—and continue celebrating our bicentennial—I am energized and humbled by the extraordinary impact taking place across our university, made possible by your dedication and hard work. Please see below for important information on how we are supporting faculty, strengthening our academic community, and advancing Case Western Reserve’s mission.
Deepening Our Impact
Advancing a human-centered approach to AI
Our new AI website is a central hub for exploring how Case Western Reserve is harnessing AI to transform learning, accelerate discovery and drive innovation through responsible use and human-centered approaches. The university is putting that vision into action with a series of Gemini Enterprise training sessions for early adopters, followed by broader training opportunities for faculty, staff and students later in September.
We are also expanding innovative teaching spaces and technologies to strengthen collaboration and experiential learning. New and enhanced spaces in Nord Hall will support active learning and Extended Reality (XR), with training and resources to help faculty make the most of these tools.
Supporting faculty
Through the Faculty 100 Initiative, we are advancing our ambitious effort to add 100 net-new tenure and tenure-track faculty members across disciplines while building philanthropic support for endowed professorships. We have already welcomed 69 new faculty members and raised more than $58 million in philanthropic support to expand our level of endowed professorships.
Over the coming year, we will also make targeted investments to strengthen the well-being and productivity of our faculty through programs designed to enhance leadership development at all stages of your careers.
Enhancing the student experience
We are committed to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to thrive. We are working with you to expand experiential learning opportunities through the REAL (Research, Experiential & Applied Learning) Teaching Initiative, further embedding authentic research, real-world challenges, and applied learning into the curriculum.
Our students’ success depends not only on their academic experiences but also on their overall well-being. We are strengthening our commitment to student health and wellness through dedicated chief health and chief wellness officers, with searches for both positions underway. At the same time, the university’s Advisory Taskforce on AI and Student Mental Health—bringing together leaders from across the university, including faculty experts—is examining how AI affects student mental health and exploring ways to ensure our students have the support they need to thrive.
Building connections
Societal challenges increasingly require collaboration across boundaries. In this year’s Breaking Boundaries programs, we will work to connect faculty through thematic research forums and informal dinners with faculty and the provost designed to spark new partnerships. Breaking Boundaries Seed Grants will return this winter after more than $500,000 was awarded this past spring.
Important Reminders
International travel
Effective July 1, 2026, international visitors from ITAR-designated countries who will be physically present on CWRU premises or in university facilities must register in advance. All employees must also register CWRU-related international travel with the Office of International Affairs. Registration is also required for personal international travel to ITAR-designated countries.
Use the appropriate primary affiliation
As you prepare publications or other public-facing work, please use the appropriate primary CWRU affiliation exactly as it appears on this webpage. Consistent use of the university’s affiliation helps strengthen CWRU’s global profile and rankings and ensures your university receives appropriate credit for the scholarship and published work that you produce.
Save the Date
Finally, please mark your calendars for these important events. We hope to see you there!
- Sept. 3: Critical Conversation: Misinformation & Public Trust
- Sept. 18: Inamori Ethics Prize Ceremony and Reception
- Oct. 8-11: Homecoming
- Nov. 10: Critical Conversation: Global Security
- Nov. 11: Breaking Boundaries Forum: A.I. and Therapeutics
Thank you for all you do for our students, for one another and for CWRU. I look forward to working with you throughout this historic year as we celebrate our past, embrace the opportunities before us and shape the future of Case Western Reserve together.
Joy K. Ward
Provost and Executive Vice President
