Session Descriptions

Click on any session title to view session learning outcomes and more details about the session.

Morning Plenary - Thursday, Jan. 11 Lunch Plenary - Friday, Jan. 12 Thursday, January 11th Friday, January 12th Virtual Zoom Breakout Discussions-Thursday, January 11th

MORNING PLENARY

Thursday, January 11

9:00 A.M. – 10:45 A.M.

(Virtual Only)

The Future of Student Success is Now

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Presenters: Ashlie Prioleau (Assistant Vice President for Retention, Thriving, and Student Success), Bridget Trogden (Dean of Undergraduate Education & Professor) & student panelists

In today’s ever-changing world, higher education must adapt to meet the needs of its students. What does that mean for those doing the day-to-day work with and for students at American University? In this plenary, we will explore trends in student success and interventions, with a strong focus on what the data tell us (retention/graduation rates, evolving analytics, and generative AI) and the powerful role of building meaningful interpersonal connections within our AU community. In addition to presentations, this session will also feature a diverse panel of students who will share their experiences and growth as American University students.

LUNCH PLENARY

Friday, January 12

12:30 P.M. – 2:30 P.M.

(In-Person and Livestream)

The Impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence on Our Teaching, Research, Learning, and Community

Panelists: Naomi S. Baron (Professor Emerita), Jerome Clarke (Assistant Professor, Philosophy & Religion), Gihan Fernando (Assistant Vice Provost of Career Center),Gwanhoo Lee (Professor and Chair, Information Technology & Analytics) & Alison Thomas (Assistant Dean for Academic Integrity)

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) has rapidly entered our work and life at AU in a variety of ways in the past year, creating an environment that for many of us is unchartered territory. In this plenary conversation, five faculty, staff, and student panelists will discuss their take on the values and risks of this new technology.

Day 1 Sessions

Thursday, January 11th
(Virtual)

Session One – 10:55 AM – 11:45 AM

Session 101: Seeking Ways for Generative AI to be a Tool for Learning: Perspectives of Students and a Faculty Skeptic
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Presenter: Elizbeth (Betsy) Cohn (Assistant Professor, School of International Service), Josh Eliot & Caroline Xin

Generative AI is here and we have options about how we want students to use it. We will analyze assignments that use AI, evaluating how they help or interfere with student learning. Student perspectives, based on surveys and student panelists, will be shared on why students do or don’t use AI.
Session 102: Addressing Eco-Anxiety in the Classroom through Communal and Action-Oriented Teaching
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Presenters: Megan Litke (Director, Office of Sustainability), Angela Geosits (Professorial Lecturer, Literature) & Danielle Vogel (Professorial Lecturer, Management / Assistant Director, AU Center for Innovation)

Eco-anxiety is experienced by the majority of young people. Creating a space to discuss climate concerns can help students recognize they are not alone. Sharing discipline specific sustainability issues and solutions can help students connect their passion for a subject with their desire to address climate issues. Participants will learn to utilize two frameworks for addressing eco-anxiety in all classrooms and will be invited to participate in future conversations.
Session 103: Leveraging Metadata to Improve Author Profiles and Institutional Research Data
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Presenters: Rachel Borchardt (Librarian, University Library) & Alayne Mundt (Associate Librarian, University Library)

Publications are widely used in a number of contexts, including institution-level data for rankings, but how does a publication get associated with AU? The unique qualities of AU have led to frequent publication misattribution. In this session, two library faculty will review the data in Elsevier’s Scopus, and address how they are working to standardize and improve this data.

Session Two – 11:55 AM – 12:45 PM

Session 201: AI in Education: From Panic to Purpose
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Presenters: Jessica Breen (Program Director,Geospatial Research Support, University Library), Clarissa Ihssen (Assistant Librarian, University Library), Olivia Ivey (Associate Librarian, University Library) & Ashley Roccamo (Head of Digital Research and Inquiry Lab, University Library)

In this session, library professionals explore AI’s role in academia, drawing from past digital shifts like Google and Wikipedia. Focusing on digital literacy and equitable AI access, we offer strategies for integrating AI in teaching. Attendees are encouraged to share their experiences and questions for a collaborative learning experience.
Session 202: Bridging Perspectives: Fostering Global Dialogue in the University Classroom
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Presenters: Krisztina Domjan (Professorial Lecturer, Global and Immersive Studies), Susan George (Professorial Lecturer, Global and Immersive Studies) & Gorky Cruz (Director, Center for Language Learning, World Languages and Cultures)

In this session we will showcase a successful initiative uniting domestic and international first-year students to discuss global issues, fostering inclusive dialogues through co-curricular activities. This approach transcends cultural boundaries, encouraging idea exchange, challenging assumptions, and facilitating global context comprehension. Join to learn and share practical examples of seamless international curriculum integration, enhancing engagement and cross-cultural competence.
Session 203: The Internet Can’t Be Your Mentor: Re-Prioritizing Faculty Mentoring at AU
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Presenters: Monica Jackson (Deputy Provost and Dean of Faculty), Meg Bentley (Director, STEM Partnerships and Innovation CAS) Priya Doshi (Associate Dean of Faculty and Inclusive Excellence), Shirin Sabetghadam (Professorial Lecturer, SPA) & Darrion Sprueill (Sr. Project Manager, ADVANCE AU)

In this session, leaders, advisors, and participants of National Science Foundation funded ADVANCE AU’s inaugural STEM faculty peer-mentorship program will discuss enhancing faculty mentoring at AU. This panel will engage participants in conversation on the importance of human connection and nurturing in an increasingly internet-reliant academic environment. We will place emphasis on distinguishing between online coaching resources and other online presentations, institution-specific peer-to-peer mentoring, and mentor-to-mentee coaching.

Session Three – 1:45 PM – 3:00 PM

Session 301: "Personalized AI, Everywhere You Write:" Thinking Critically about Grammarly
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Presenter: Alison Thomas (Assistant Dean for Academic Integrity)

Grammarly is one of many tools using generative-AI, and it’s one of the most popular among our students. This session offers a demonstration of Grammarly to inform our decisions about where, how, and if this tool can fit into academic work at AU. We’ll explore critical questions about equity (in relation to the paid version of Grammarly and other generative AI tools) and the ethics of academic integrity.
Session 302: Collaborating for Inclusive Excellence: Getting Involved with Cross-School Collaborations for Equity
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Presenters: Amanda Taylor (Assistant Vice President of Equity & Inclusion), Gemma Puglisi (Assistant Professor, School of Communication), Rebecca Coughlin (Associate Director, Graduate Enrollment Management, School of International Service), Kareem Jordan (Associate Professor, Justice, Law & Criminology), Stacy Merida (Associate Dean for Diversity & Inclusion, Kogod School of Business), Lisa Taylor (Assistant Dean for Diversity, Inclusion & Affinity Relations, Washington College of Law), William Thomas (Professorial Lecturer, School of Education) & Núria Vilanova (Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Associate Professor, College of Arts and Sciences)

In this session, reps from each of AU’s schools and colleges will draw on a framework about shared leadership collaborations for equity in higher education and share how they are working together through the President’s Council on Diversity and Inclusion (PCDI). The second half of the session will engage participants in a series of small-group exercises aimed at incubating inclusive excellence collaborations within and across AU’s schools, colleges, and units.
Session 303: Tools & Restorative Practices to Support the Whole Student
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Presenters: Justin Bernstine (Interim Dean of Students), Kernysha Rowe (Assistant Dean of Students, Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution Services) & Ash Boltrushek (Assistant Dean of Students)

This session will introduce participants to tools for helping faculty and staff support the “whole student,” attending to individualized academic, emotional, mental, physical, social, spiritual, and other well-being dimensions of each student. Resources to be discussed include the Care Report system, Dean of Students outreach and support mechanisms, as well as restorative practices. The session will engage participants in case studies and discussion to illustrate the usefulness of various tools.
Session 304: Belonging, Connection, and Technology from the Perspective of Student Leaders
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Presenters: Rebecca Comfort (Assistant Director, AU Core), Izzi Stern (Director, Aux Program) & Alexis Glasgow (Academic Integrity CoordinatorOffice of Academic Integrity)

In this session, student leaders will share strategies for promoting belonging and connection in a moment where technology has the potential to impact critical thinking, academic community, and human interaction in AU classes. The student leader panel will be composed of CP Program Leaders, AUx Peer Facilitators, and student participants in the Academic Integrity Code revision process.

Session Four – 3:10 PM – 4:00 PM

Session 401: Emotional Intelligence as an Evergreen Classroom Competency
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Presenters: Caron Martinez (Senior Director, Center for Professionalism and Communications, Kogod School of Business), Jason Fabrikant (Senior Professorial Lecturer, Justice, Law & Criminology) & Isabel Maceiko (Coordinator, Center for Professionalism and Communications, Kogod School of Business)

With the temptation to turn to generative AI as a shortcut or substitution for their own ideas, students need to engage in activities that develop trust in expressing their ideas and practice responding to others’ ideas. In this session, we’ll share activities transferable to any discipline or program that promote sharing of background and identity to find common bonds, teach active listening and questioning skills, and lead to increased self-awareness.
Session 402: Five Years of Anti-Racist Change and Interdepartmental Collaboration in SOE’s Dual Enrollment Program
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Presenters: Toks Fashola (Senior Professorial Lecturer, School of Education), Shirleyne McDonald (Director of Financial Aid Communication and Service, Financial Aid), Gene Logan (Director, AU Central), Amaarah DeCuir (Senior Professorial Lecturer, School of Education), Andrea Felder (Vice Provost for Undergraduate Enrollment), Riley Campbell (Former Dual Enrollment Student, Class of 2025), Aaron Jackson (Former Dual Enrollment Student, Class of 2024), Jayla Nickens (Former Dual Enrollment Student, Class of 2026) & Khai Campbell (Former Dual Enrollment Student, Class of 2027)

In this session, we present lessons learned, relationships built, collaborations, and successes of SOE’s dual enrollment program. The program recruits 11th grade students from DC Wards 7 and 8 who aim to become future teachers. As part of the session, student panelists will share about their experiences as Dual Enrollment students, and how it prepared them for transition to college, college success, and their future professions.
Session 403: Getting Feedback on Your Feedback
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Presenters: Scott Talan (Assistant Professor, School of Communication), Krisztina Domjan (Professorial Lecturer, Global and Immersive Studies) & Avery Gilliam (Class of 2025)

What grade would you give the feedback you provide to students? We assume ‘feedback is feedback,’ but research shows the way feedback is offered can affect students’ learning, both negatively and positively. In this session we will discuss different feedback methods so that attendees can adjust their feedback to increase value and impact. We will also hear from students’ perspectives on how they apply feedback and what makes feedback constructive.
Session 404: Safeguarding Research and Innovation: The Impact of Generative AI on Research
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Presenter: Diana Burley (Vice Provost for Research & Innovation), Rhea Siers (Senior Advisor, Teneo) & Fay Payton (Expert, NSF and Professor Emerita, NC State University)

Join Dr. Diana Burley, Vice Provost for Research and Innovation, for an insightful exploration into the unique challenges and opportunities of AI at the intersection of research. This session will emphasize strategies to enhance digital resilience, protect intellectual property, and foster a secure environment for innovation. Gain valuable insights into safeguarding your research endeavors in an era where boundaries between technology and academic continue to synergize!

Day 2 Sessions

Friday, January 12th
(In-person or Virtual via Zoom)

Session One – 9:15 AM – 10:30 AM

Session 501: Getting Real about AI in Higher Ed: How Faculty Can Leverage AI Pedagogical Strategies to Advance Equality
Location: MGC 128 or Join this session virtually

Presenters: Jennifer Steele (Professor, School of Education) & Phelton Moss (Senior Professorial Lecturer, School of Education)

AI threatens to increase labor market inequality with its rapid-fire mimic of human patterns, unless we help students understand its precocity and limitations. Through small-group strategizing around AI-informed pedagogy, this interactive session considers how to help students leverage AI toward social equality.
Session 502: AI-n’t Cheating: Effective Pedagogy, Academic Integrity and the Unpredictable in Predictive Technology
Location: McKinley 201 (Forman Theater) or Join this session virtually

Presenters: Cynthia Potter (Senior Professorial Lecturer, Health Studies), Alison Thomas (Assistant Dean for Academic Integrity), Krisztina Domjan (Professorial Lecturer, Global and Immersive Studies) & Michele Lansigan (Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer, Chemistry)

In this session we will lead a discussion on pedagogical strategies for using generative AI tools and how we manage academic integrity in this new world of predictive technologies. We will use examples from our classes, spanning a variety of fields and disciplines. We will also conduct live demonstrations of AI to equip audience members with tools to use in their classes.
Session 503: Using AI to Find Belonging in Career Exploration
Location: SIS T7 (Abramson Family Founders Room) or Join this session virtually

Presenters: Liz Romig (Director, Career Education and Outreach, Career Center), Gihan Fernando (Assistant Vice Provost, Career Center) & Caroline Hausmann (Assistant Director, Career and Professional Development, Kogod)

AI presents opportunities in the search for “belonging and connection,” helping students identify career paths. It can also help in uncovering some of the hidden elements of the job search, revealing details like salary ranges, company history, etc., that would give important information to applicants regarding the match. Join us as we present interactive exercises to demonstrate the tools available and discuss questions, opportunities, and limitations related to AI.
Session 504: Cultivating Connections: Strategies for Inclusive Teaching and Beyond
Location: B30 (Bender Library Café) or Join this session virtually

Presenter: Marla Hunter (Professorial Lecturer, School of Education)

This session will explore practical strategies to make teaching more inclusive and enjoyable, incorporating technology for maximum impact. This session promises actionable insights applicable to diverse educational settings, and is designed to be lively and engaging for both K-12 educators and higher education faculty.

Session Two – 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM

Session 601: Instructional Efficiency with Generative AI: Traditional Meets GAI-Assisted Teaching
Location: McKinley 201 (Forman Theater) or Join this session virtually

Presenters: Krisztina Domjan (Professorial Lecturer, Global and Immersive Studies) & Susan George (Professorial Lecturer, Global and Immersive Studies)

In this session, we will examine ways to integrate generative artificial intelligence (GAI) like ChatGPT into instructional design, combining conventional methods with such tools. Strategies for incorporating GAI into learning are analyzed through discussions and hands-on practical activities. Bring your own device and explore how GAI can provide personalized and adaptive support to enhance learning and teaching.
Session 602: Workshopping Inclusive Assignment Design to Elicit Improved Student Learning & Metacognition
Location: B30 (Bender Library Café) or Join this session virtually

Presenters: Bridget Trogden (Dean of Undergraduate Education and Academic Student Services) & Kate Wilson (Hurst Sr. Professorial Lecturer, Department of Literature)

Are your assignments eliciting the types of learning you intended? Do they incorporate elements that allow all students to demonstrate their learning? How can you help students to better incorporate your feedback? This session will include answers, discussion, and a chance to workshop real examples of assignments across disciplines. Please consider bringing an assignment or test from your class!
Session 603: "Yes We Can": Experiential Learning from 1st-year Students through Grad School
Location: SIS T7 (Abramson Family Founders Room) or Join this session virtually

Presenters: Sarah Menke-Fish (Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean of Experiential Learning, School of Communication), Terry Bryant (Senior Professorial Lecturer, School of Communication) & Pallavi Kumar (Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer, School of Communication)

In this session, we will share examples of how the School of Communication embraces experiential learning. Join us to hear from professors who created the opportunities and how they worked to get them approved, what admissions criteria they used and how they promoted the opportunities to students. Bring your ideas and we will help answer your questions about travel, Airlie, credits versus stipends, and how to successfully address challenges.
Session 604: CTRL Student Partners Panel: “It’s not us versus them”
Location: MGC 128 or Join this session virtually

Presenters: Hannah Jardine (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL), Gavin Frome (Graduate Assistant for Teaching & Learning, CTRL), Marie Dioneda, Kimiya Parker-Hill, Qudsia Saeed (CTRL Student Partners, Class of 2024), Reba Mathews, Alli Sattler & Nathaniel Smith (CTRL Student Partners, Class of 2025)

In this session, the CTRL Student Partners will share their perspectives on how instructors at AU can make their teaching more impactful and equitable. These students are excited to share insights from their focus projects with the larger AU community. They will draw on personal experience, interactions with other students, and ideas from coursework, to discuss topics related to accessibility, power and privilege, and rethinking how we define learning.

Session Three – 2:45 PM – 3:35 PM

Session 701: “You want me to do what?”: Discussing Academic Integrity Concerns with Students
Location: MGC 128 or Join this session virtually

Presenters: Jacqueline Raynolds (Assistant Director, Office of Academic Integrity; Instructor, Office of Global & Immersive Studies), Sarah Burns Gilchrist (Associate Librarian, University Library), Amanda Choutka (Senior Professorial Lecturer, Literature) & Julie Anderson (Professorial Lecturer, Management)

This session will discuss “faculty jurisdiction” in the AIC – the process by which faculty can address academic integrity concerns without escalating the concern to administrative adjudication. After reviewing policy, panelists will introduce approaches for addressing a variety of concerns with students, including AI-generated assignments, inappropriate source usage, exam procedures, and dishonesty in experiential learning records. Participants will role-play realistic scenarios.
Session 702: Connecting Classrooms Across the Globe Using Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Principles
Location: B30 (Bender Library Café) or Join this session virtually

Presenters: Luis Alvarado (Director, Learning Design, Graduate and Professional Studies), Nick DeMayo (Senior Instructional Designer, Graduate and Professional Studies), Shed Siliman (Teaching & Learning Specialist, CTRL) & Victoria Kiechel (Senior Professorial Lecturer, School of International Service)

COIL, or Collaborative Online International Learning, is a form of virtual exchange that pairs instructors and students with their peers usually located in other countries to work together to complete a project. In this panel discussion, our first COILing faculty will share their experiences and insights. We are excited to share the parameters and possibilities of COIL with AU’s faculty and invite them to envision COIL in their teaching.
Session 703: Term Faculty Career Development: Opportunities and Challenges for Achievement and Job Satisfaction
Location: SIS T7 (Abramson Family Founders Room) or Join this session virtually

Presenters: Ralph Sonenshine (Senior Professorial Lecturer, Economics), Dan Schneider (Assistant Professor, School of International Service), Bernhard Gunter (Assistant Professor, Economics) & James Quirk (Senior Professorial Lecturer, Government)

Come learn from experienced Term Faculty about how to advance your career here at American University. This panel will showcase specific paths relating to research, teaching, and service that Term Faculty can use to advance their careers. The audience will join the discussion to explore strengthening currency in the field, developing new courses and/or extending courses, collaborating with faculty and students, service opportunities, etc.

Session Four – 3:50 PM – 4:40 PM

Session 801: Beyond the Robots: Creating Engaging and Personal Projects that Build Human Skills
Location: SIS T7 (Abramson Family Founders Room) or Join this session virtually

Presenters: Erica Hart (Professorial Lecturer, Psychology) & Arielle Bernstein (Senior Professorial Lecturer, Literature)

It is important for students to learn how to navigate new technologies like generative AI. At the same time, many of us aim to support student growth in distinctly human skills: things like creativity, empathy, critical thinking, or the ability to work with others. Participants will reflect on assignment design and activities that build human skills through personal and meaningful learning.
Session 802: Can You (Yellow)Dig It? How Embracing a Community Based Platform Can Alter the Influence of AI
Location: B30 (Bender Library Café) or Join this session virtually

Presenters: Luis Alvarado (Director, Learning Design, Graduate and Professional Studies) & Evan Reister (Professorial Lecturer, Health Studies)

Technology like Yellowdig encourages students to be active participants in their learning by creating a space to share shorter messages, video, images, and audio. Leveraging Yellowdig empowers students to connect to the topics you teach beyond the limitations of traditional discussion boards. In this session we will share a faculty member’s experience with Yellowdig; we hope to inspire others to leverage technology to enhance their classroom learning experience.
Session 803: The Value of Research for Teaching: An Adjunct Faculty Panel Discussion
Location: MGC 128 or Join this session virtually

Presenters: Chuck Sturtevant (Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, Anthropology and School of International Service), Patrick Scallen (Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, Critical Race, Gender & Culture Studies), Daniel Ginsberg (Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, World Languages and Cultures) & Matthew Collinson (Adjunct Instructor, Justice, Law, and Criminology)

Many adjunct (as well as term and tenure-track) faculty at American University maintain an active research agenda. Ongoing research helps faculty stay current on advances in our fields and improve our capacities as teachers and mentors for students. This panel will feature adjunct professors reflecting on how our research adds value to our teaching.

Breakout Rooms

Thursday, January 11

4:15 PM – 5:00 PM

Click on the topic below to learn more and join the virtual room.

Drop-in & Debrief AFC with CTRL Staff
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Connections Are Everything Book Club Breakout
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Intrigued by the topics of the Thursday morning plenary and want to discuss more about your role in helping students build connections at AU? Join us for a book club discussion breakout! You don’t have to have read the book to attend and engage, but discussion will focus on Chapters 5 and 6 (“Connecting with Professors” and “Connecting with Staff”) of Connections Are Everything: A College Student’s Guide to Relationship-Rich Education by P Felton, LM Lambert, I Artze-Vega, and ORM Tapia. Open source book is available here: https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/oa_monograph/book/111986
Faculty Learning Community Info Session: Building Diverse Student Research Teams
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How can a faculty member build an inclusive and diverse research team in their laboratory? The focus of this Faculty Learning Community (FLC) is to develop and implement strategies to build diverse student research teams. We will discuss published recommendations and our own experiences, with the goal of developing individualized approaches to promote diversity within each laboratory. This breakout room is an introduction to this FLC.
AU Faculty and Staff Wellness and Work Life
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Learn about all the health benefits faculty and staff at AU can take advantage of through the AhealthyU and work-life programs like Points to AhealthyU EagleBucks incentive program, no-cost group fitness classes, nutrition, grief, and parent support groups, and so much more.
Intro to Title IX - Duty to Report
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During this session we will discuss the reporting requirements and process for employees who are designated as responsible employees under the University’s Title IX and Sexual Harassment policy and Discrimination and Non-Title IX Sexual Misconduct policy.
Career Center: Resources to Support and Enhance Your Work
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Join the Career Center to learn more about how we can support or enhance your work in and out of the classroom.
Adding Sustainability to Any Class: Successes, Challenges, and Resources
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Meet & Greet with the Disability+ Faculty/Staff Affinity Group
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AU Veterans Services: Resources available at AU for Military-Connected Students
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Get to know the Latino and Hispanic Faculty and Staff Affinity group (LHFSA)
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