AS&E Community Conversation events: The first Arts, Sciences & Engineering “Community Conversations,” open to University faculty, staff, and students, includes brief talks from Zhen Bai, an assistant professor of computer science, and Matt BaileyShea, a professor of music and chair of the Arthur Satz Department of Music. The event takes place this Wednesday, December 14, at 4 p.m. in the Hawkins-Carlson Room, Rush Rhees Library. A reception will follow. Find abstracts to both talks here.
AS&E Spirit Week is this week: The AS&E Dean’s Office is hosting a spirit week for staff and faculty this week. An email was sent previously with the themes and activities and directions for submitting your daily entry. Prizes will be awarded each day by our judges, the AS&E Deans.
Education Abroad highlights and announcements: Applications are now open for students who want to go abroad for the summer 2023 term. Students can learn more about the process by checking out the Education Abroad website. The Fulbright Scholar-In-Residence Program for 2024–25 is now open. For more details on the program, attend the live webinar on December 15 at 3 p.m. EST.
As the semester comes to a close, we welcome back our students and faculty who participated in the ROC Galapagos faculty-led program this fall 2022 semester. You can check out highlights of the program through the CEA Instagram page or the ROC Galapagos website.
Educational IT Innovation Grants for 2023: The Educational IT Committee is accepting applications for its Innovation Grant program until Friday, December 16. Charged with promoting the use of technologies to support instructional innovation throughout the University, the committee seeks proposals that will enhance learner experiences and outcomes with broad applicability across multiple schools. Any Rochester faculty member, graduate student who teaches, or staff member involved with educational activities at the University is eligible. Learn more and apply.
Coffee hour with the dean: Joan Saab, interim dean of the faculty, will be hosting a coffee hour each month to speak with faculty and staff in AS&E. On Wednesday, January 4, she invites staff to drop by the 317 Lattimore conference room from 10 to 11 a.m. In February, she will host a coffee hour for faculty; the date will be shared in the next newsletter.
New undergrads arrive January 8: Incoming first-year and transfer undergraduate students will arrive on campus on Sunday, January 8, for Spring Welcome Week, managed by the Office of Orientation and First-Year Programs. New students will be engaged in mandatory activities and events on Monday, January 9, and Tuesday, January 10, including spring 2023 course registration. Find the full schedule of events for both first-year and transfer students on the OFYP website. Email orientation@rochester.edu with questions.
Deadline extended for course development grants: The Center for Community Engagement and the Teaching Center have extended the application deadline for their course development grants. The new deadline is January 9, 2023, for the 2023–24 academic year. Decisions will be made by February 1. Interested faculty can apply here.
Academic honesty support available: The academic honesty liaisons’ office would like to thank all AS&E faculty and staff for the work you do to uphold the values of our Academic Honesty Policy. They appreciate your efforts and the vital role you play in our honesty system. As the semester ends, they also want to remind you that their team, which remains structurally separate from the Board of Academic Honesty, is here to offer confidential support to both you and your students. When referring students their way, mention them by name—Greer Murphy (director) and Emma Rarich (assistant director)—since personal handoffs can help make our advising more accessible to students. Murphy and Rarich can be reached at honestyliaison@ur.rochester.edu. More information about the liaisons’ office can be found here, and students can schedule appointments directly at mywco.com/honesty.
Career Center’s Major-to-Career Pathways: In an effort to showcase the valuable skills and career options made possible through students’ majors, the Greene Center is highlighting Major-to-Career Pathways for academic departments. The goal is for students to better understand what they will gain through the study of various disciplines, the competencies they will develop, and the career pathways alumni have gone onto from these majors. They envision these Pathways documents supporting student major decision-making and being used at open houses, in advising meetings, and even as a recruitment tool with prospective students. If you would like to see your department included, contact c.caiazza@rochester.edu.
Spring 2023 Teaching Center workshops: The Teaching Center is offering the following spring 2023 workshops on Fridays from noon to 1 p.m. EST via Zoom. Click on the workshop name to register for that session.
Learn more on the Teaching Center website or contact the Teaching Center with any questions.
Spring 2023 Teaching Center large courses discussion group: Instructors of large courses (75+ students) are invited to join a 2023 spring semester teaching discussion group to share ideas and experiences. The theme will be “Taking the Pulse: Evaluating Learning in Large Class Settings.” It can be challenging to understand what students are learning and where they are struggling in large courses, especially between exams. Instructors will explore quick and easy-to-implement activities that can be incorporated into existing lessons. These activities enable instructors to assess students’ prior knowledge, recall, understanding, critical thinking, problem solving, course-specific learning, and analytical skills. The group will meet in person every other Friday from 8:30 to 10 a.m. from January 20 to March 3. Register here or contact the Teaching Center with any questions.
Travel insurance update: As of December 1, the University is partnering with a new travel insurance provider, making this an appropriate time to remind faculty and staff of the important international travel and security resources available through our Office for Global Engagement. Faculty are strongly encouraged to register in advance of any University-sponsored or supported international travel. Find details on registration, coverage, and assistive resources.
Changes coming to Blackboard: On December 29, a number of changes will be coming to Blackboard, including how the site is accessed via authentication, a significant makeover to the site’s navigation pages, and the use of accessibility features. There will be no changes to courses or course functionality—just the web page navigation surrounding the courses. Some downtime will be required to make these changes, and specifics will be communicated as the date approaches. Faculty can register now for an upcoming workshop explaining the changes and benefits. Information for students is forthcoming.
Instructional needs survey launching: The Teaching Center will be launching a survey of instructors on Monday, January 23. This short survey will take ten minutes to complete, and responses will help the Center shape its programs to meet current teaching needs, including supporting new instructors. Contact the Teaching Center with any questions.
Nominate a colleague for an ACE Award: The University community is invited to nominate AS&E staff members who exemplify the University’s vision and values and go above and beyond their job to make AS&E and the University ever better. Successful nominations will highlight specific examples of tasks, projects, or activities where staff are exceeding their core functions. Staff can be nominated more than once, and winners will be chosen on the first of each month by Joan Saab, interim dean of the faculty.
