February 11, 2020 Volume 4 Issue 7

Online Mid-Term Course Evaluations Available

For the first time, instructors are invited to conduct their mid-term evaluations using the new online EvaluationKIT system this term. Participation is entirely optional and only those questions provisioned by instructors or department staff will be administered (no College-wide instrument will be implemented).

Details have been delivered to DUS's and department staff but instructors may send an email expressing their interest directly to ec-courseevals@emory.edu no later than Friday, Feb. 28 if they wish to participate.

Coronavirus Resources

Emory University is closely monitoring the coronavirus that was first detected in China and has since spread to other countries. Information about the virus and available resources for students, faculty, and staff can be found on the Emory News Center.

University and College Award Nominations Needed

Emory Williams Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Awards

Emory College faculty, students, and alumni are encouraged to submit nominations for the prestigious 2019-2020 Emory Williams Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Awards.

Nominators should submit a one-page letter justifying the nomination and include specific information about the nominee’s teaching. Send electronic nomination letters to Dean_of_Faculty@emory.edu with the subject line “Emory Williams Nomination” by Wednesday, Feb.19.

Cuttino Mentoring Award

This $5,000 award is named in honor of the late history professor George Peddy Cuttino, who was known among several generations of Emory students not only as a teacher but also as an outstanding mentor beyond the classroom. The successful recipient of this prestigious award should exhibit a similar record of exceptional mentoring of students. One page nomination letters addressed to Dean Carla Freeman, should be sent to the Dean_of_Faculty@emory.edu email address with “Cuttino Award” in the subject line by Friday, March 6, and include specific information about the nominee’s record as a mentor.

McMullan Award Nominations Due March 6

Emory College is soliciting nominations for the Lucius Lamar McMullan Award. The McMullan Award is meant to honor a graduating senior of uncommon stature in the eyes of the Emory community. Academic achievement is an important criterion, but not the sole measure of excellence. The recipient should also demonstrate outstanding citizenship, exceptional leadership, and singular qualities of mind and character. The winner of the McMullan Award will receive $25,000 at the time of graduation to be used for any purpose of his or her choosing.

Nominations should be submitted via the nomination form by Friday, March 6. Please see the call for nominations or email Jason Ciejka, jciejka@emory.edu, for more information.

Heilbrun Distinguished Emeritus Fellows Program

This marks the 20th year of competition for the Heilbrun Distinguished Emeritus Fellowship. The program will support two fellowships in the amount of $10,000 each for the 2020-2021 academic year. Any faculty who have not previously received this award and have achieved emeritus status on or before September 1, 2019, are eligible to apply.

The criteria for selection will include:

  • The relationship of the proposed project to the candidate's previous research.
  • The feasibility of completing the project within the term of the Fellowship.
  • The pertinence of the research to resources available at Emory.
  • The overall value of the research to the applicant's field or discipline.

Fellowship recipients will be asked to agree to the following conditions:

  • Submission of a written report to the Committee upon completion of the Fellowship.
  • Formal acknowledgment of Fellowship support in any published work that results
  • Attendance at receptions and social gatherings sponsored by the Committee.

Application details:

  • Detailed description of the planned research project to be undertaken during the term of the fellowship
  • Budget detail of the research expenses
  • Curriculum vita that includes activities undertaken since gaining emeritus status

Applications should be sent to the email account Dean_of_Faculty@emory.edu with “Heilbrun Fellowship” in the subject line and be received by Wednesday, April 1.

Undergraduate Education: News and Deadlines

Spring Final Exams & Deadline for Senior Grades

The grading deadlines for the spring semester are as follows:

  • For final exams taking place on or before May 5, senior grades are due by 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 7.
  • For final exams taking place on May 6, senior grades are due by 10 a.m. on Friday, May 8.
  • The deadline for regular grade submission (non-senior grades) is 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13.

Partial Withdrawal Deadline

The partial withdrawal deadline for the fall semester is Friday, March 6. Students must turn their completed withdrawal forms into OUE no later than 4 p.m., March 6. Students are required to ask their instructor to sign their withdrawal form. Please note: Your signature doesn’t indicate your approval of the decision by the student, just that they have had a conversation with you about the decision.

Resources: Student Hardship Fund Available

The Student Hardship Fund is a resource for full-time students, both graduate, and undergraduate, who are facing unexpected financial distress due to catastrophic events out of their control, including uninsured medical expenses and losses due to a natural disaster. To apply, students should describe the situation they are facing, attach supporting documentation, and explain how this is affecting their experience at Emory.

Faculty Development Opportunities

Piedmont Project Applications Now Open

Applications are now open for this year’s Piedmont Project faculty workshop in May. The Piedmont Project brings together faculty from all of Emory’s schools and colleges to support new courses or course modules that strengthen curricular engagement with issues of sustainability, environmental justice, and urgent societal challenges.

The Piedmont Project, built on Emory’s longstanding commitment to sustainability, has become a national model of curriculum development, providing a community for intellectual dialogue around the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainability

Summer stipends of $1,000 are available for the development of new courses or course materials. Workshops will be held in the Luce Center, 825 Houston Mill Road, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday, May 13 – 14. Apply here. Applications are due March 4.

CFDE Teaching Consultations Available In Spring 2020

Interested in working on your teaching this year? Want to talk about course development?

A teaching consultation is a focused session, or sessions, between a faculty member and a Center for Faculty Development and Excellence (CFDE) staff member and/or with a Teaching Mentor (another faculty member). The consultation helps a faculty member strengthen one or more aspects of their teaching and/or helps a faculty member think through and develop or revise a course.

Participation in this program is entirely voluntary and confidential. Consultations are available in a variety of areas. Interested faculty should fill out this form. To view a list of possible topics for teaching consultations, please visit the CFDE website.

Storing Sensitive Data on USB Drives

Many departments within Emory College handle sensitive information as part of their daily activities. To help protect sensitive information that has been entrusted to Emory, the institution has created a disk encryption policy and makes disk encryption tools available to Emory schools and business units free of charge. Emory's disk encryption policy requires that all Emory-owned portable computers be encrypted. Encryption is also required for desktop computers in certain circumstances.

For situations where it is necessary to store sensitive information on a USB Drive, Emory College IT recommends that you use a USB drive with built-in encryption. This removes any doubts of data being lost or stolen if the USB drive is misplaced. If you have any questions or concerns regarding encryption software or need a recommendation for an encrypted USB drive, email echelp@emory.edu.

Upcoming Events

The Nature of Evidence: How Do You Know? Overview of the Final Impact Report of Emory’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

Emory's first Quality Enhancement Plan, "The Nature of Evidence: How Do you Know?" comes to a close this year. QEP Director Tracy Scott, senior lecturer in sociology, will present an overview of the findings from the five-year implementation from 4-5 p.m., Thursday, April 9 in Convocation Hall 210.

Highlights include assessment results from the QEP Evidence-Focused First-Year Seminars in Emory College of Arts and Sciences, which includes183 seminars taught from Fall 2015 – Spring 2020. Research results also will be presented from faculty interviews and surveys about the QEP Faculty Development Workshop, which included140 Emory College faculty who participated over the course of the initiative. Finally, Scott will summarize the main lessons learned from the implementation of this initiative. A reception will immediately follow the presentation.

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Upcoming Meetings

Feb 12, 4:00 - 5:30 PM Faculty Senate Meeting

Location: Jones Room, Woodruff Library

Feb 17, 2:00 - 3:30 PM Department Operations Meeting (Lead Staff)

Location: White Hall 101

Feb 26, 4:00 - 5:30 PM Emory College All-Faculty Meeting

Location: White Hall 208

Mar 18, 4:00 - 5:30 PM Faculty Senate Meeting

Location: Jones Room, Woodruff Library

Apr 1, 4:00 - 5:30 PM Faculty Senate Meeting

Location: Jones Room, Woodruff Library