Cultural visionary Arthur Satz leaves largest endowed gift ever to support the humanities at Rochester: Arthur Satz—a music major from the University’s Class of 1951 and the late president emeritus at the New York School of Interior Design—has bequeathed the largest endowed gift ever in support of the humanities at the University’s School of Arts & Sciences. Satz’s visionary generosity will establish the school’s first named department—the Arthur Satz Department of Music—and a minimum of five professorships in humanities-related fields.

Georgetown professor Michael Eric Dyson to give virtual talk on racial profiling: Author, political analyst, and Georgetown University sociology professor Michael Eric Dyson will speak on racial profiling during a virtual event set for October 15 from 6 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. EDT. His talk, “In Caricature: Racial Profiling and Its Impact on Black America,” is the fourth in the “Difficult Conversations as a Catalyst for Change” series, presented by Donald Hall, the University’s Robert L. and Mary Sproull Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Sciences & Engineering. Dyson previously was scheduled to speak on campus last March, but the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event is open to everyone, and there is no limit. Register online to attend.

Instructional technology users meet-ups: If you are using a technology tool in your course and would like an informal Zoom opportunity to trade tips and tricks with other instructors using the same tool, register below. Contact Rachel Remmel at rachel.remmel@rochester.edu with questions. Sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, AS&E Instructional Technology, Online Learning, and University IT.

• Gradescope Users Meet-Up: October 22, 11 a.m. to noon. Register here.
• Padlet Users Meet-Up: October 29, 11 a.m. to noon. Register here.
• Yellowdig Users Meet-Up: November 5, 11 a.m. to noon. Register here:
• Voicethread Users Meet-Up: 11/12, 10 to 11 a.m. Register here:

Deadline and single application portal for course development grants: AS&E offers several grants to help faculty develop or significantly revise courses, including the Teaching Innovation Grant, the Community-Engaged Course Development Grant, and the Humanities for Life Grant. To streamline the proposal, evaluation, selection, and funding process, the University has moved to a common proposal cycle for all course development grant programs in AS&E. Proposals for projects to be implemented during the 2021–22 academic year are due Friday, November 16. Learn more about each grant opportunity and submit a proposal through the funding portal.

Community-Engaged Course Operation Grants request for proposals: The Rochester Center for Community Leadership is accepting proposals for its Course Operation Grants for faculty who plan to offer courses in the spring semester that combine academic learning and community engagement opportunities for undergraduate students in AS&E. Proposals are due December 1. Email andrew.thomas@rocheester.edu with questions.

Encouraging academic honesty. With midterms well underway, AS&E faculty and staff should make note of the following academic honesty supports: (1) Policies and best practices for using Zoom to proctor online tests; (2) an updated guide and important reminders for encouraging honesty in online teaching (see also instructors’ resource page of AS&E’s honesty website); (3) examples of Blackboard instructions and test honor pledges that further define unauthorized collaboration and materials (*note: where listed, check with authors regarding permission to adapt to other contexts and courses). Send questions, comments, concerns about teaching to support academic honesty to Greer Murphy, academic honesty liaison. Send questions, concerns about reporting cases of suspected dishonesty to Greer or Elaine Sia, chair of the Board on Academic Honesty, at college.honesty@ur.rochester.edu.

Programming from the Mindful University Project: The Mindful University Project offers a wide array of programs to support faculty, staff, and students during these difficult times. They offer learn-to-meditate workshops, drop-in meditations and yoga classes, Instagram challenges, and a 4-hour silent meditation retreat. For more information about how to create a mindful classroom or work environment this semester, please contact Amy McDonald.

UR Connected: Students helping students connect: UR Connected is a peer-to-peer network that connects students to the resources they need, when they need it most. If you know of a student who is feeling stressed or overwhelmed, homesick, or not sleeping well, a UR Connected Coach could help. The team of over 50 coaches has received specialized training in the areas of effective communication, helping students in distress, and suicide prevention. They are educated on all of the resources our campus has to offer, from academic support to navigating an off-campus therapy appointment to finding a program to improve sleep habits. To request a meeting with a coach, students simply complete the form on their website.

Events