September 23, 2020 Volume 5 Issue 4

New Faculty Virtual Reception Oct. 8

Emory College will host a virtual celebration to recognize our new faculty, newly promoted colleagues, and named chair appointments on Thursday, Oct. 8, 3-4 p.m. In addition, Jericho Brown, director of the College’s Creative Writing Program and winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, will read selected poems and faculty will have time to mingle in breakout rooms on Zoom.

Please RSVP by emailing Susan Lee (slee05@emory.edu) by October 5 to receive the Zoom link. Read more about the new faculty who joined the College this fall on the Emory College website.

Campus Gathering Policy, Daily Operating Conditions Now Online

The University recently approved a policy to guide planning for in-person activities and gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic that is based on real-time data and current conditions in Georgia. Emory is now using a color-coded meter system to easily show its current operating conditions. The university’s operating status will be updated daily based on the COVID-19 dashboard data. The status will in turn determine what types of events can be held and hosted on campus. The up-to-date gathering policy and guidance and full guidelines can be found on the Emory Forward webpage.

College Faculty Senate Issues Election Day Resolution

The Emory College Faculty Senate passed a resolution Aug. 26 that urges all College faculty to allow and encourage students to participate in Election Day activities without negative repercussion to their academic performance. Per the resolution, all faculty are encouraged “to either: (1) suspend mandatory synchronous class meetings or activities on November 3, 2020, or (2) provide a mechanism for students to make up for missed synchronous class meetings or activities that occurred on November 3, 2020.”

The College administration fully supports this resolution and also encourages and supports all faculty and staff to take the time to vote. All faculty and staff will be granted the time to do so per University Policy.

Teaching Pulse Check Survey Results

Thank you to everyone who completed the September 2020 ECAS Teaching Pulse Check. The College is using those results to provide ongoing support for students and faculty.

Dean Elliott has also encouraged faculty to give students an opportunity to share feedback about their learning experiences so far this semester. To that end, ECOTS has designed a student survey, which you are free to adapt and deploy in your courses. See the relevant links below, which are all within the Canvas ECOTS module.

If you are not able to access the module or the documents, please email emorycollegeonline@emory.edu.

Online Teaching Support

The Emory College Online team is available to answer questions and provide consultations via email, virtual office hours (Thursdays, 1-2 p.m., Zoom Link), or one-on-one appointments. Please visit our website for more information or email emorycollegeonline@emory.edu.

Faculty Senate Meeting with President Fenves Oct. 7

The College Faculty Senate’s next meeting will be 4-5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 7 at this link. President Greg Fenves will be joining the Senate to present brief remarks and hold a Q&A session with faculty.

Undergraduate Education: Upcoming Deadlines, Opportunities

Degree Tracker Training Available

The Office of the Registrar is holding Degree Tracker training sessions for faculty and staff this fall. Register here. For more information, see the September issue of the Degree Tracker Digest.

Partial Withdrawal Deadline Oct. 9

The partial withdrawal deadline for the Fall 2020 semester is Friday, October 9.

The Office for Undergraduate Education has moved the partial withdrawal process to an online process. Faculty are no longer required to sign a paper form acknowledging that they have been notified of the withdrawal; instead, they will receive an automatic email notification from OUE when a student has withdrawn from their course.

Health & Wellness Opportunities

Get Your Flu Shot

As an Emory employee, you have several options for getting a free flu shot. Learn how. Getting an annual flu vaccine is the best way to reduce your risk of getting sick with seasonal flu and spreading it to others. It is even more critical to get a flu shot this particular flu season because of the added complexities brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Refresh from Stress in October

Emory’s Faculty Staff Assistance Program is offering Refresh From Stress: 30-Day Inspiration, an opportunity to engage in daily activities to enhance emotional health and well-being. Activities will promote self-care, mindfulness, social connections, gratitude and resilience to help boost your mood and improve stress management. The program will take place Oct. 1-30. For more information and to register, visit the FSAP website.

Faculty Development Opportunities

Reminder: Halle Institute Collaborative Research Grants Available

The submission deadline for the next cycle of Halle Institute Collaborative Research Grants is Wednesday, September 30. Grants are open to all regular, full-time faculty in any school or discipline. They are designed to foster global research collaborations between faculty partners in different universities.

Faculty are encouraged to apply with the expectation that they will conduct research as planned. The Halle Institute will remain flexible in extending grant completion dates if travel is limited during the full grant period. More information and the application are available on the Halle Institute website.

Emory Forward

For the latest Emory University COVID-19 guidelines and information, visit the Emory Forward website.