Skip to main content

Faculty Pandemic Impact Response Workgroup Report and Recommendations

December 6, 2021

Dear faculty,

Culminating months of work on focus groups, benchmarking and a full faculty survey, the Faculty Pandemic Impact Response Workgroup has published its final report on the extent and nature of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Northwestern faculty, including their research, teaching, career trajectories and well-being. The report concludes with recommendations for addressing and mitigating the long-term challenges attributable to the pandemic that are specific to faculty.

Many of you provided input to this important workgroup, and I encourage you to read the results and recommendations. Northwestern has already begun addressing some of these issues through research and caregiving grants. Additionally, individual schools have already implemented various programs to support faculty research and teaching. We will provide more information about how we will address the long-term issues raised by this report in the coming weeks and months.

I’d like to recognize the members of the workgroup and its support staff for their commitment to the important work of ensuring that Northwestern equitably empowers its faculty for long-term success. Please join me in thanking the participants:

  • Sumit Dhar, Co-Chair; Associate Provost for Faculty, Office of the Provost; Professor, Communication Sciences and Disorders, School of Communication
  • Karen Smilowitz, Co-Chair; Professor, Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences, McCormick and Operations, Kellogg
  • Stephen Alltop, Senior Lecturer, Conducting and Ensembles, Bienen
  • Lori Beaman, Associate Professor, Economics, Weinberg
  • Mercedes Carnethon, Professor, Preventive Medicine and Medicine, Feinberg
  • Heather Colburn, Professor of Instruction, Spanish, Weinberg
  • Michelle Falkoff, Clinical Professor, Law
  • Mitra Hartmann, Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, McCormick
  • Matthew Johnson, Professor, Anthropology, Weinberg
  • Marty Lariviere, Professor, Operations, Kellogg
  • Elizabeth Norton, Assistant Professor, Communication Sciences and Disorders, School of Communication
  • Amit Prachand, Associate Vice President, Information & Analytics, Institutional Research; Instructor, Higher Education Administration and Policy, SESP
  • Vijay Viswanathan, Associate Professor, Integrated Marketing Communications, Medill
  • Associate Provost for Faculty team members:
    • Celina Flowers, Assistant Provost for Faculty, Office of the Provost
    • Alex Rot, Assistant Provost for Faculty Operations, Office of the Provost
    • Joan Marie Johnson, Director, Faculty, Office of the Provost
    • Lorraine Cassis, Executive Assistant, Office of the Provost

I look forward to working with all members of Northwestern’s faculty to ensure you have the personal and professional supports needed to pursue your scholarly passions at the highest levels.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Hagerty
Provost and Professor