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| Faculty Newsletter | September 2022 |
Dear faculty,
Welcome back for what promises to be another exciting academic year at Northwestern! For those of you who teach this fall, please be sure to review Provost Kathleen Hagerty's communication from Sept. 6 that includes important information for instructors.
Last year, we took some important steps to enhance the communications from the Office of the Provost, including a redesigned website, monthly newsletters, live webinars, in-person visits to school faculty meetings and the creation of the faculty@northwestern.edu inbox as your one-stop shop for questions about support and resources. We look forward to building on those efforts this year, and welcome your input on what we can do even better.
We start this year's newsletters today with news about summer awards that you may have missed and a list of new and enhanced programs that are designed to support your personal and professional well-being and advancement. These programs include the Provost's Small Group Faculty Mentoring that begins today and the new Essential Skills for Leading Departments lunch series.
I wish you the very best as we get this academic year underway.
Thank you,
Sumit Dhar |
News and notes |
Awards and fellowships
Over the summer, the Office of the Provost announced the following awards and fellowships:
Summer writing progress
Each day during a week in late July, 28 members of Northwestern’s faculty gathered in Hardin Hall on the Evanston campus to write and revise articles, book proposals, book chapters, grant proposals and manuscript revisions during the Summer Writing Retreat, a new program offered by the Office of the Provost to help faculty members beset by pandemic setbacks and in need of dedicated time, space and support to advance their writing projects free of distractions. The Office of the Provost is collecting feedback from participants in the retreat to make determinations about how this program will be facilitated in future years.
Undergraduate student support resources
The new Faculty and Adviser Action Guide provides direction for whom to contact based on various categories of concern regarding undergraduate student behavior. You can find more information, including a video presentation and other useful resources, on the Undergraduate Advising website.
Universal Design for Learning Practicum
AccessibleNU, ASLA, CAPS, NUIT Teaching and Learning Technologies, SPS Distance Learning, the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching, and University Libraries invite faculty to participate in Addressing Evolving Needs with Universal Design for Learning Practicum, a three-week virtual program designed for instructors of all levels, backgrounds and teaching contexts. The third year of the practicum is based on the three principles of Universal Design for Learning. It weaves together interactive synchronous sessions, asynchronous learning activities, individual consultations, and opportunities to learn with and from peers. The Fall iteration will take place from Oct. 17 to Nov. 4 (register by Sep. 30), and the Winter iteration is scheduled for Feb. 6-24. For questions, email practicum@northwestern.edu.
A new exhibit at The Block
On Sept. 22, The Block Museum of Art will open "Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s – 1980s," an exhibition exploring mid-20th-century abstract art from North Africa, West Asia and the Arab diaspora. Comprising nearly 90 works, the exhibition is drawn from the collection of the Barjeel Art Foundation based in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and reflects the wide range of nonfigurative art practices that flourished in the Arab world over the course of four decades. Meanwhile, The Block's previous exhibit, "A Site of Struggle: American Art against Anti-Black Violence," opened on Aug. 13 at the Montgomery (Ala.) Museum of Fine Arts, where it will be on view through Nov. 6. The exhibition was supported by the Office of the Mayor of Montgomery and will connect with the work of the city's landmark institutions such as the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum, and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice.
Vice President for Student Affairs search
Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education Miriam Gamoran Sherin and Associate Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of The Graduate School Kelly Mayo are co-chairs of the search committee for the next Vice President for Student Affairs. The committee seeks to obtain input on the desired attributes and experience of the vice president, understand the community’s needs and collect nominations. Community members are encouraged to share feedback and recommend candidates.
One Book One Northwestern teaching package
The Block Museum of Art has released its annual One Book One Northwestern teaching package, pairing artworks from the museum's collection with themes of the campus-wide shared text. This year's selection, "How the Word is Passed," has inspired close readings of artworks that reckon with the history of slavery, nationhood and social inequity. The downloadable package is intended to broaden discussions that take place in the classroom and across campus.
In case you missed it
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Faculty support and resources |
Faculty Wellness Month
Based on the success of Faculty Wellness Week in February, Northwestern will expand the program to a full Faculty Wellness Month in October. Programming will address several dimensions of well-being and provide information on resources for you and your family members. Later this month, Faculty Wellness Program Director Gaurava Agarwal will share more details about all of the well-being resources that are available to Northwestern's faculty.
A new Employee Assistance Program
Based on feedback from faculty and staff about desired services, Northwestern will transition from Humana to SupportLinc for its Employee Assistance Program services beginning Oct. 1. SupportLinc offers several enhancements from the current provider, including:
Access to Humana services will end on Sept. 30. Individuals using their short-term counseling sessions will be able to continue sessions through Dec. 31, 2022. An information session for faculty is scheduled for noon on Oct. 18.
New and updated programs
The Office of the Provost is beginning to roll out its career development and support programs for the 2022-23 academic year. Among this new and enhanced programs are:
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Learn more about the Office of the Provost |
