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Appointments

New associate deans: After an extensive review of faculty nominations, the AS&E Dean’s Office is pleased to announce the appointment of two new associate deans.

Thomas Devaney, an associate professor of history, has been appointed as the inaugural associate dean of the School of Arts & Sciences. In this capacity, he will work closely with Dean Gloria Culver on faculty affairs issues (third-year review, tenure and promotion, contracts, etc.) and will participate in policy discussions on faculty affairs and the growth and development of the educational and research mission of the School of Arts & Sciences. Devaney has served in a variety of roles since arriving at the University in 2013 that afford him a unique perspective in these areas. In addition to serving as director of graduate studies in history, a role he will continue for the remainder of this academic year, Devaney also has experience working with River Campus Libraries; the Writing, Speaking and Argument program; the Humanities Center; and the University’s Fellowships Committee and Graduate Admissions Committee. In these roles, Devaney has been acknowledged as an effective problem solver and consensus builder.

Elaine Sia, a professor of biology, has been appointed as the inaugural associate dean of academic affairs in the College. Working closely with Deans Gloria Culver and Jeffrey Runner, Sia’s role will focus on guiding special curricular initiatives in Arts & Sciences and advising on undergraduate academic policies in the College. She will also serve ex officio on the College Curriculum Committee and support accreditation efforts in Arts & Sciences. Sia brings extensive experience to this new role, as codirector of the Undergraduate Program in Biology and Medicine, a long-standing member of the Administrative Committee, and current Chair of the Board of Academic Honesty. In her department, Sia has also served as interim department chair, as faculty advisor to the Rochester Early Medical Scholars (REMS) program, and serves as advisor to molecular genetics majors. In all these efforts, Sia has demonstrated a focus on promoting student success and a commitment to honesty, integrity, and transparency.

Devaney and Sia will formally begin their new appointments this January, with terms that will run through June 2025. Please join us in congratulating them in their new roles.

Announcements

Academic honesty graduate assistants available: This spring, academic honesty graduate assistants will be available to visit classes and lead 15-, 30-, or 60-minute presentations that include facilitated discussion of key tips, pitfalls, and tricky academic honesty scenarios. They can also work with you to tailor these presentations—especially the sample scenarios—to fit the context of your specific courses and assignments. Contact the academic honesty liaison at honestyliaison@ur.rochester.edu for further details or to schedule a class visit. And in the meantime, feel free to review and refer students to this overview of academic honesty PDF posted on the academic honesty website. Thank you, everyone, for your continued commitment to helping uphold academic honesty in AS&E.

Have you changed your password? Changing your NetID and Active Directory (AD) passwords at least once a year is a best practice to reduce the risk of identity theft. Over the next month, anyone who has not completed a password change of their Active Directory and NetID credentials as of November 1, 2020, will start receiving email messages to prompt a password change. Avoid losing access to services like Microsoft 365 email, Gmail, HRMS, UR Financials/P2P, UR Student, and Blackboard, by changing your password as soon as possible.

Visit tech.rochester.edu for guidance on changing your password or reach out to your IT Support person in AS&E IT for assistance. Going forward all faculty, staff, and students will be expected to change their passwords on an annual basis. If you have questions about this initiative please contact the University IT Help Desk at UnivITHelp@rochester.edu  or (585) 275-2000.

Large courses discussion group: Instructors of large courses (75+ students) enrolling AS&E students are invited to join a 2022 spring semester teaching discussion group to share ideas and experiences. Participants will determine the focus of the group; past topics ranged from grading and communication logistics to classroom techniques and engagement. The group will be organized and supported by the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. If interested, contact Rachel Remmel.

Teaching workshop series: Join the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for its Spring 2022 teaching workshops series held on Zoom from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays.

Assigning Student Groups (January 14)
Clicker Questions, Part One: Writing Good Multiple Choice Questions (January 27)
Clicker Questions, Part Two: Poll Everywhere (February 3) in conjunction with the Online Learning Workshop Series
Anti-Racist Feedback and Messaging (February 18)
Asking and Answering Classroom Questions (March 4)
Transparent (TILT) Assignment Design (March 18)

Click here to register and learn more about CETL’s Spring 2022 Teaching Workshop Series.

Active learning teaching group: Instructors teaching a 2022 spring semester course enrolling AS&E students are invited to join a teaching group to explore small, easy-to-implement, evidence-based classroom activities that can be dropped into ongoing courses. Participants commit to meeting six times to read James Lang’s Small Teaching (provided), as well as trying out one of the teaching strategies once and reporting back to the group on how it worked out. If interested, contact Rachel Remmel.

New resource for international students: Interstride is an interactive platform that empowers international students to thrive through a variety of features including visa and immigration support, tailored job opportunities, webinars, and more. Students can log in with their Rochester email address and check this tutorial to learn how to best use the platform.