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| Staff Newsletter | November 2021 |
Dear colleagues,
I was delighted to see so many of you during the hybrid all-staff meeting, my first with an in-person component since becoming provost. I want to thank Lisa Corrin and Janet Dees for delivering such an inspiring presentation about The Block Museum of Art's current and future exhibitions. The museum supports and reflects our shared work and values in unique and compelling ways, and I hope you take the time to visit and absorb the museum's exhibitions. We unfortunately ran out of time for our standard Q&A at the end of the meeting, so we have included answers to pre-submitted questions in the News and Notes section of this newsletter.
It's hard to believe Thanksgiving Break is almost here already. When we return from the long weekend, students will prepare for finals and then Winter Recess. Please heed the recommendations in last week's community message about Northwestern's approach to testing and wellness over the holidays. The at-home tests, available for free at our testing centers, serve as another valuable tool for us to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Once again, I thank you for your continued excellence as we have navigated our first term back on campus since the start of the pandemic. As the central academic units, we set an example for the rest of the University, and I am proud of our ability to rise to every occasion. We are high achievers, but I also want to acknowledge the stress and strain that come with our accomplishments. Please take time during the holiday weekend to rest and recharge physically and mentally, and be mindful of your work-life balance when you return.
Last week's community message from Luke Figora and Priya Harjani also touched on Northwestern's efforts to assess our operations since returning to campus. Some of you have already been engaged in supplying feedback about your experiences. While this work takes place, we continue to encourage work flexibility consistent with the Alternative Work Strategies Policy. If you have any questions about your professional expectations, please work directly with your supervisor to ensure you have a shared understanding.
Thanksgiving Break will be here very soon. I wish you a healthy and restful time with your friends and family.
Thank you,
Kathleen Hagerty |
Awards and recognition |
Distinguished alumna ... and more
Vice President and Associate Provost for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion Robin R. Means Coleman had an eventful October. She was honored with a 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award from Chatham University, where she earned her bachelor's degree, and also was featured prominently in a number of media outlets for her research on Black horror in pop culture. Means Coleman is the author of “Horror Noire,” which has been turned into a TV show and a documentary. Additionally, she co-authored a recent article about mentoring in the journal Communication, Culture and Critique. |
All about the staff |
Meet LaTanya Williams
This month's featured colleague is LaTanya Williams, Associate Director for STEM in the Office of Fellowships. She has worked at Northwestern for five years, all of them in her current role. LaTanya also is an alumna, having earned a PhD in Life Sciences from the Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences.
What do you like about working at Northwestern? I love the sense of community among the faculty, staff and students. I feel like I am part of a family. I enjoy that, in my position, I have the opportunity to work with both undergraduate and graduate students in helping them to realize their goals in science. I especially enjoy teaching students how to effectively articulate their research in writing to a broad scientific audience. Working with both student populations enables me to see the academic and intellectual development that occurs as students progress towards their ultimate career goals.
What is your proudest accomplishment here? I have two: 1. Creating from scratch a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program writing workshop that I teach each summer. The students who attend find it really helpful in their application to this and other STEM fellowships. 2. Securing three Goldwater winners in 2021 while fully remote. Each university can put forth only four nominees, and all of our nominees were tremendously accomplished undergraduate students! The Goldwater is the most prestigious national fellowship for undergraduates in STEM, and I was so proud that I was able to work with and provide mentorship to those students.
Can you share a personal fun fact about yourself? I have always loved game shows! I grew up watching shows like “Wheel of Fortune,” “Press Your Luck” and “Hollywood Squares.” It is a dream of mine to be a contestant of “The Price is Right.”
Brag about your teammates! We feature one staff member in each newsletter. Nominate someone by emailing the Office of the Provost and telling us, in a sentence or two, how your colleague contributes to Northwestern’s mission and why everyone in the Office of the Provost should get to know them.
New staff arrivals
Buffett Institute for Global Affairs
Financial Aid
International Office
Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching
Undergraduate Admission
2021-2022 Performance Excellence Timeline
To aid staff and supervisors in preparing for the various milestones in our performance review cycle, please note the following key deadlines:
* A friendly reminder for any staff who have not already done so: Please submit at least two goals soon.
Please visit the Performance Excellence website for more information on this process and resources for staff and supervisors. |
News and notes |
All-staff meeting questions
The Office of the Provost All-Staff meeting on Nov. 9 ran out of time to answer pre-submitted questions, so they are answered below by Kathleen. Staff are always welcome to email officeoftheprovost@northwestern.edu with questions or concerns.
How is Provost Hagerty (and the Provost's Office more generally) preparing for the presidential transition? Rebecca Blank visited in October, and I had the pleasure of meeting with her. The president-elect also met with members of senior staff and the deans. We had several nice discussions, and I look forward to working to make her transition as smooth and successful as possible. One major focus of transition activities is information-sharing. The Office of the Provost and other units across the University have shared overview documents with President-elect Blank detailing unit descriptions and strategic priorities, as well as some potential opportunities and challenges.
What guidance is the University giving regarding managing work along with COVID issues such as family members who are positive or quarantining? We recognize that even as we have been fortunate to have extremely low positivity rates on campus so far this fall, some community members may be navigating complications such as school-aged children who might unexpectedly be home due to exposure at school or other COVID issues. We encourage managers to be flexible, where possible, and Human Resources has issued some guidance on options available to staff who encounter issues including, effective Oct. 1, the use of Incidental Sick Time for this purpose, as well as remote work with a manager’s approval.
Can the office please address budget constraints? Some have been told there was a freeze on spending in the fall. There is not a total freeze. FY22 budgets were allocated to Provost Office areas over the summer. Units can spend against these budgets, with the exception of a small non-personnel contingency budget (6%) that we have been asked to hold off on spending at this time. We hope to be able to spend the contingency dollars later in the year.
New directors
Northwestern has appointed directors to Native American and Indigenous Affairs, Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching and Women’s Center. Reporting to the Office of the Provost, all three units play important support roles for students, faculty and staff, and facilitate collaborations within the Northwestern and surrounding communities. The new directors are:
Colleagues in costume
If you saw Napoleon or Cruella in the office just before Halloween, Assistant Provost and University Registrar Jaci Casazza provides this explanation: “Over the 20 years I’ve been at Northwestern, the Office of the Registrar has been great at celebration. Dressing up on Halloween is a longstanding tradition, and as a service office, has brought joy not only to us but to many of our clients over the years. It was a delight to celebrate together again this year!”
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Help us build future newsletters! If your unit is working on a project that is relevant to the entire Office of the Provost, or if you have awards, honors or accomplishments to share, send an email to officeoftheprovost@northwestern.edu. |
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