Professional Engagement Certificate
Program Overview
The Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE) Professional Engagement Certificate Program recognizes members of the BGSU teaching community for their commitment to effective and engaging teaching practices and continuous professional growth. Open to all BGSU faculty members, adjunct instructors, graduate students, and staff, the program fosters community and professional growth by providing opportunities to connect with colleagues, engage in meaningful exploration of current, innovative teaching and learning strategies that support student success, and reflect on personal learning.
Program Outcomes
By participating in this certificate program, you will:
- Set an action plan for your professional development.
- Explore innovative teaching strategies that maximize student learning.
- Interact with colleagues from across the BGSU teaching community.
- Reflect on how your participation in CFE workshops and sessions has impacted your work, instruction, beliefs, and attitudes.
- Share the pratices and strategies from the CFE workshops and sessions you attended with colleagues.
Program Requirements
To successfully complete the program you must:
- Register for the program using the 2025-2026 CFE Professional Engagement Certificate Registration Form.
- Attend at least 5 live (synchronous) CFE workshops or sessions that cover all 4 session categories within the academic year.
- Complete the CFE Professional Engagement Certificate Application Form Template reflecting on your participation in CFE workshops and sessions.
- Submit the completed application using the 2025-2026 CFE Professional Engagement Certificate Completion Form.
- The deadline to submit your completed application and completion form for the 2025-2026 academic year is Friday, May 1, 2026.
All application and completion forms that are submitted during the academic year will be reviewed AFTER the deadline for the academic year. Certificates will be awarded to eligible participants by Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
Program Recognition
If you successfully complete the Professional Engagement Certificate Program, you will receive the following forms of recognition:
- A digital certificate for the academic year that you completed the program; this certificate can be uploaded to Faculty 180 (if applicable).
- A digital email signature stamp for the academic year that you completed the program; this stamp can be added to your email signature and shared on social media.
- Acknowledgement at the annual BGSU Teaching & Learning Summit.
Frequently Asked Questions
All members of the BGSU teaching community, including full-time faculty, adjunct instructors, graduate students, and staff (administrative and classified), are eligible and encouraged to participate in this program.
Yes, you do not need to work on the Main Campus to participate in this program. Members of the BGSU community who are located at Firelands campus and/or work remotely or on hybrid schedule may participate in the program by attending virtual CFE workshops and sessions. Sessions must be attended synchronously to count towards the attendance requirements.
No. Each session may only count toward one category requirement, even if it could apply to more than one. You will need to attend sessions that cover all four categories, plus one additional session from any category.
CFE workshops and sessions are eligible for this program. For a list of upcoming workshops and sessions, visit the Session Catalog page of the CFE website.
Participation in the Graduate Student Instructor Orientation, New Faculty Orientation, Communities of Practice, instructional design consultations, the Teaching & Learning Summit, and the Active Learning Certificate program do not count towards the Professional Engagement Certificate Program.
If you have questions about whether or not a specific event is eligible, please contact the CFE office at cfe@bgsu.edu
No, you must attend a session synchronously in order to fulfill the attendance requirement. While we understand that schedules can be unpredictable, and we encourage you to watch Zoom recordings if you miss a session, viewing a recording does not count toward the certificate requirement. Our sessions are designed to be interactive, providing opportunities for discussion, collaboration, and networking with colleagues. Live participation ensures that you can engage fully, ask questions, and share insights with others.
No. Only sessions attended during the current academic year count toward the certificate requirements.
Yes, if you are a full-time faculty member, you may upload the PDF of your CFE Professional Engagement Certificate to Faculty180, BGSU’s faculty activity reporting system.
Yes, you can earn a certificate for each year you complete the requirements. Your digital certificate and cmail signature stamp will be time-stamped with the academic year that you completed the program.
Yes, participating in a CFE-led workshop for your department or area counts towards your requirements for the Professional Engagement Certificate.
Updated: 08/11/2025 08:29AM