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Northwestern Office of the Provost

Faculty Newsletter | October 2024

Dear faculty,

 

Over the past year and a half, the Office of the Provost’s Generative AI Advisory Committee has engaged with instructors and students across campuses on the role of generative AI (GenAI) in Northwestern’s classrooms. The process has revealed just how critical a part instructors play in helping our students understand and build skills in this area.

 

Microsoft’s large language model chatbot, Copilot, is available at no cost to students, faculty and staff. While there are other chatbots across the internet, Northwestern IT strongly recommends prioritizing Copilot in Bing to ensure University data is protected. To use it, click “Sign in” at the top of the page, enter Northwestern credentials and then click the “Ask Copilot” button.

 

Additionally, Northwestern has made a range of resources and opportunities available for instructors to become more familiar with GenAI. One of these is a new six-week program called Generative AI 101, which is open to instructors who will teach in Spring, Summer or Fall 2025. A cohort of 15 to 20 instructors will be selected to join the program’s first iteration, scheduled for Jan. 27-March 7, 2025. The deadline to apply is Dec. 2. 

 

Another upcoming opportunity to experiment with GenAI tools is the online Course Design Institute: Generative AI Edition, which will take place Dec. 12-13, 9 a.m. to noon. In this two-day workshop, participants will be guided as they create Canvas-ready modules using GenAI.

 

For an overview of GenAI-related offerings, Northwestern IT compiled a terrific guide called Generative AI and Teaching for Fall 2024. Recordings of recent presentations about GenAI and instruction offered in partnership with the Office of the Provost also are great resources, including "Preparing Students for Life Beyond College: Embracing AI as Essential Learning" with C. Edward Watson, a national expert on digital innovation in higher education. Another helpful tool is Northwestern Libraries’ new GenAI-based chat search, which delivers works and context from the Libraries’ Digital Collections in multiple languages (a NetID is required).

 

I would also like to remind you that nominations and applications are open until Nov. 8 for several Office of the Provost Awards: the Daniel I. Linzer Award for Faculty Excellence in Diversity and Equity; the Provost Award for Exemplary Faculty Service; the Alumnae of Northwestern University Award for Curriculum Innovation; and the Open Educational Resources Faculty Grant.

 

There are so many terrific opportunities open for faculty, and I hope you will take advantage of them.

 

Sincerely,

 

Kathleen Hagerty
Provost and Professor

News and notes

Voting Information from the Center for Civic Engagement

Voting for the 2024 presidential election is already underway and will end on Election Day (Nov. 5). The NU Votes website has helpful information. Here are some key points for in-person voting:

  • Evanston and suburban Cook County voters can vote early at the Evanston Civic Center through Nov. 4; see early voting hours here. 
  • Chicago voters can vote early at any of 51 locations throughout the city. 
  • On Election Day (November 5), you must vote at your local polling place. In Illinois, polling places are open from 6 a.m.-7 p.m. 
  • Still need to register? In Illinois, you can still register and vote at the same time with two forms of ID (one to establish identity, one proof of IL address). 

NU Votes will be offering Voter Services Stations at the main entrance of Norris through Nov. 1 from noon-4 p.m. Staff will be available to provide mailing resources, notary services, in-person voter information and more. Additional questions? Email nuvotes@northwestern.edu.

 

Northwestern IT Workshops 

From classes on how to leverage SharePoint for your research needs to introductory-level Canvas skills for instructors, Northwestern IT's Research Computing and Data Services and Teaching and Learning Technologies offers a wide-ranging lineup of workshops for researchers and instructors to fuel their academic pursuits. See course offerings and enroll. 

 

 

In case you missed it

Faculty Support and Services

Career Development and Leadership

The Office of the Provost's Career Development and Leadership Calendar of Events is updated regularly with events targeted to specific faculty career levels. Here's a look at what's coming up:

 

Mentorship Offerings 

The National Institutes of Health require that faculty appointed to T32 and other training grants participate in faculty mentoring training. The Office of the Provost, The Graduate School, and the Center for Leadership offer the Advancing Mentoring Excellence at Northwestern series of workshops. Sessions will be offered in 2024-2025 in-person in both Evanston and Chicago as well as virtually. Advancing Mentoring Excellence Session II (Virtual): Fostering Independence and Promoting Professional Development is Nov. 15.

Mark your calendar

Featured events

 

Key dates


More resources

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