Important faculty information for the 2024-2025 academic year

Dear faculty,  

Welcome to the new academic year! Whether you have already begun teaching or are about to start, we want to remind you that the Office of the Provost is here to support your teaching, research, career development and well-being. We have quite a few important updates and resources to share this fall, so we ask that you please take the time to review the entirety of this message.  

Instruction updates 

Last week, Evanston instructors received new guidance on syllabus statements, undergraduate start-of-term attendance, generative AI resources and information regarding undergraduate requests for academic accommodations for religious holidays. We encourage you to revisit that message. Additionally, the Office of the Provost has updated the University’s academic integrity policy. 

Test proctoring 

Whenever possible, instructors are asked to proctor the exams of their students who have been approved for disability-related test accommodations by AccessibleNU (ANU). ANU Testing Services provides proctoring to Evanston campus course sections in which there are 20 or fewer students with test accommodations. See the Testing Services website for exemptions to this threshold. Students are expected to communicate with their instructors at the beginning of the quarter about using their test accommodations and at least two weeks prior to any upcoming exams about their proctoring plan.  

Election Day and teaching during challenging times 

In an increasingly complex world, instructors are faced with the challenges of continuing to teach and support students, even under difficult circumstances. This year will be no different as the war in Gaza continues, and Americans prepare for another contentious election. It is important to be mindful that people, including our students and colleagues, have varying and often strongly held opinions, and we cannot assume they will agree on divisive issues. 

To help support faculty, the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching has created an online guide called Teaching During Turbulent Times. With respect to the election, as you develop your course schedules, you may want to consider avoiding assignment deadlines and assessments on Election Day, Nov. 5.

Graduate student union 

We greatly value the contributions of our graduate students, and as we embark on our first full academic year with a ratified collective bargaining agreement, we must adapt to new ways of working together. With the bulk of contractually required changes successfully implemented, you can expect additional and updated guidance, including training sessions and a revised website, in the Fall Quarter. We appreciate your contributions and those of department and school leadership and staff as we make this transition together. 

Research computing and data services 

Northwestern IT has greatly expanded Research Computing and Data Services with more support staff and enhanced infrastructure. Experts are available to provide guidance and project support to scholars of all disciplines, enabling research requiring machine-learning methods, AI, automated workflows, computing and more.

Thank you for all that you are doing to contribute to a successful academic year. If you ever have questions or cannot find the resource you need, please email our Faculty Resources inbox at faculty@northwestern.edu.

We wish you a wonderful and rewarding academic year. 

Sincerely,  

Kathleen Hagerty 
Provost and Professor  

Sumit Dhar 
Associate Provost for Faculty and Professor 

Miriam Gamoran Sherin 
Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and Professor