Dear faculty,

Over the years, I have been fortunate to have many wonderful mentors and to serve as a mentor myself. Mentorship is both essential for nurturing a thriving institutional culture and incredibly rewarding. In my experience, finding mentors often comes down to asking. I often tell early-career faculty that you don’t have to make all your mistakes yourself. There is help and advice available within and outside your department. This applies to tenure-track faculty and those who are on the teaching or clinical track. 

A great way to grow your network is through career development and leadership opportunities offered by the Office of the Provost, including the "Academic Leadership Pathways" panel for mid-career faculty coming up on Nov. 20. I also recommend exploring the workshops and gatherings offered through the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching and faculty-focused programs at the Center for Leadership.

For those who are interested in mentoring, the Office of the Provost, The Graduate School and the Center for Leadership offer "Advancing Mentoring Excellence at Northwestern."  I am pleased with the robust interest we have seen in this offering, and while the 2024-2025 program is already in full swing, we are looking ahead and developing additional elective sessions for next year. I encourage all faculty to review the Office of the Provost's Foundational Principles of Mentoring Practice and explore the resources on mentoring provided on the mentorship webpage. Additionally, each summer, my office invites incoming new faculty to participate in the Small Group Faculty Mentoring Program, in which they learn from a senior mentor as well as their peers. 

As always, the Office of the Provost is available to help you accomplish your mentoring and other professional goals, so please don't hesitate to reach out to the faculty team at faculty@northwestern.edu.

Finally, as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to thank you for your tremendous work and wish you a pleasant break.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Hagerty
Provost and Professor

News and notes

Fall Faculty Assembly

The Fall Faculty Assembly will take place in-person in Scott Hall’s Guild Lounge from 12:30-2 p.m. Dec. 3 with a livestreamed webinar option. President Michael Schill will give a State of the University address followed by a moderated discussion based on pre-submitted questions. Questions can be submitted in advance by Nov. 26, at noon (requires login with your Northwestern credentials).

Funding opportunities from the Buffett Institute

The Buffett Institute offers a range of funding opportunities for faculty, three of which have upcoming deadlines in early Winter Quarter. 

• Through the Buffett Visiting Scholars program, faculty can bring a colleague from abroad to campus with the support of the Buffett Institute. The next application deadline is Jan. 15.
• The Buffett Faculty Fellowship Program supports international and global research by Northwestern faculty. It allows for non-residential research so that faculty who need to be away from the university to conduct international research can do so. The application deadline is Jan. 17.
• Buffett Global Working Group Grants of up to $200,000 support interdisciplinary collaborative research on global topics. Funding can be spread over two to five years. The application deadline is Feb. 14.
• The Buffett Institute is now offering a small amount of funds (up to $1,000 per academic year) to support faculty reading groups. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; learn more here. 

Updates from Human Resources

• Faculty enrolled in the Northwestern PPO medical plan in 2024 who continue their enrollment in 2025 will receive a new BCBSIL card at their home address. The new cards will start arriving in mid-December. If you do not receive a new card by Jan. 1, 2025, call the number on the back of your current card to request an updated ID card, or request a new card at www.bcbsil.com. 
• With the end of the tax year approaching, it’s time to check your W-2 consent form. To receive an electronic W2 for the 2024 tax year, update your W2 consent form by Dec. 31. Log into myHR, from the menu bar, click on “W-2 Electronic Consent” and update your consent. Questions? Email askHR@northwestern.edu.

In case you missed it

• University leaders and faculty gathered to highlight the value of the arts at the 2024 Domain Dinner with the theme, “Hidden Kinship: The Arts in Conversation.”
• Every year, Northwestern awards honorary degrees to select individuals of exceptional accomplishment. This year’s nominees will be considered for recognition during the Commencement ceremony in 2026 or later. Nominations are open until March 1.
• Applications are open until Dec. 2 for Generative AI 101, a new six-week program co-sponsored by Office of the Provost and Northwestern IT Teaching and Learning Technologies to support instructors’ literacy in generative artificial intelligence.
• The Buffett Institute has moved into its own building on campus at 720 University Place, which will serve as its home until the completion of the Jacobs Center renovation in late 2026.
• View more news from around the University.

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. 

• Mid-Career Faculty are invited to Academic Leadership Pathways – Mid-Career Faculty Conversations on Nov. 20, at which tenured associate professors can learn from a panel of key faculty academic leaders about managing multiple roles as a faculty member and administrator.

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 at Northwestern Session III: Assessing Understanding and Cultivating Ethical Behavior is Dec. 6.

Mark your calendar

Featured events 

• Nov. 19-21, 10:30 a.m.: WebAIM Training on accessibility principles and techniques
• Nov. 20, noon: Academic Leadership Pathways – Mid-Career Faculty Conversations
• Nov. 22, noon:  Buffett Faculty Lunch on Islam and Muslim Societies
• Through Dec. 1: At the Block Museum of Art: Dissident Sisters: Bev Grant and Feminist Activism, 1968-72 
• Dec. 6, noon: Advancing Mentoring Excellence at Northwestern Session III: Assessing Understanding and Cultivating Ethical Behavior 
• Dec. 12-13, 9 a.m.: Course Design Institute: Generative AI Edition

Key dates

• Nov. 28-29: Thanksgiving holiday
• Dec. 3: Faculty Assembly Meeting
• Dec. 9: Fall Quarter examinations begin
• Dec. 16: Fall Quarter grades due
• Dec. 24-Jan 1: Winter recess

More resources

• Faculty Resources
  • Academic Calendars
  • Career Development and Support Programs
  • Faculty Handbook
  • Past Newsletters
• Faculty in the Media
  • Nov. 11 edition
  • Nov. 5 edition

Help us build future newsletters! If your school or department is working on a project that is relevant to the entire faculty, please send an email at least one month prior to the desired month of publication to faculty@northwestern.edu.