Welcome Back!

In today’s issue, you’ll find information on upcoming events, resources, and other relevant information as we prepare for the start of the fall semester and first day of class on Wednesday, Aug. 24. The Faculty Focus will publish biweekly throughout the semester starting Aug. 24.

Emory College Staff Celebration and Employee of the Year

Congratulations to Lora McDonald, Senior Academic Department Administrator for the Department of Anthropology, on her selection as the Emory College Employee of the Year! Interim Dean Carla Freeman announced the honor during the annual Emory College Service Award ceremony this morning on the Quad. The event honored 58 College staff members who have hit milestone years of service during the 2021-2022 academic year, including Paula Mitchell, Senior Graduate Academic Degree Program Coordinator in the Department of Psychology, who marked 40 years of service to Emory University and the College.

Emory Gate Crossing + Coke Toast: Come Out and Welcome the Class of 2026

Come celebrate a new Emory tradition Monday, August 22 at 10 a.m. as we all welcome the entire Class of 2026 as they walk through the iconic Haygood-Hopkins Gate to mark the beginning of their journey at Emory. The Emory community is invited to cheer on its newest members as they proceed to the quad where President Fenves will lead the annual Coke Toast. Only 30 minutes of your day will make memories that last a lifetime for new students. Add to your calendar now!

Details for Emory Community Members:

• Arrive at 10 a.m. to find a spot on the brick sidewalk between the Emory Gate and the quad. Volunteers will be available to assist.
• The student procession will begin at 10:15 a.m.
• As students walk to the quad, clap and cheer to create a welcome to remember!
• After the final students walk by, feel free to leave or head to the quad to hear President Fenves speak and participate in the Coke Toast. 

Information Session for New Instructors Aug. 22

OUE Associate Deans Jason Ciejka and Cora MacBeth will host an information session for visiting and temporary instructors and graduate TAs who are new to Emory College at 11 a.m., Monday, Aug. 22. They will talk about the Office for Undergraduate Education (OUE), review academic policies, and provide information about the Honor Code. The content of this session is similar to previously offered sessions, so experienced instructors need not attend. The meeting will take place via Zoom. Please RSVP here. Those who are interested but unable to attend may indicate on the RSVP form that they would like to have the materials from the session emailed to them.

Classroom Support Resources

All faculty and instructors should have received an email earlier this week from OUE Associate Deans Jason Ciejka and Cora MacBeth outlining various support resources for you in your role in the classroom and broader interactions with students. You can review that note here. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the OUE Faculty Support team via email at oue.facultysupport@emory.edu.

New Emory College Video Capture Tool Available

The Emory College Classroom Technologies and Emory College Online teams are excited to announce a new video capture tool, Panopto. Panopto is a comprehensive video management tool that will be integrated with Canvas and may be used by both instructors and students to create and manage videos. It will also function as a lecture-capture tool, similar to the way that instructors have utilized Echo 360 in the past.

Our Panopto Faculty Resource Hub is now available. This hub has been designed to provide you with access to critical getting started info, on-demand videos, archived training recordings, tutorials, and other important support information as you begin using Panopto in your courses. If you have any questions, please reach out to echelp@emory.edu (for technical assistance) or emorycollegeonline@emory.edu (for instructional design assistance).

Add/Drop/Swap Extended Deadline

Emory University has extended the course add/drop/swap period, among a variety of additional changes, for all undergraduate students. The primary changes that will affect faculty include:

• Add/Drop/Swap will end on Wednesday, September 7 for Fall 2022.
• An extended ‘drop only’ period will be in effect until Tuesday, September 27 for Fall 2022. Students will be required to petition through OUE for an extended drop to ensure that such actions won’t drop them below full-time enrollment or detrimentally affect progress to graduation.
• Wednesday, October 12 will be the partial withdrawal deadline and S/U Change Deadline for Fall 2022.

The full academic calendar for fall 2022 can be found on the OUE Website. Additional important dates for faculty can be found on “Important Dates for Faculty” document.

Pedagogy Mini-grants Available

Emory College offers mini-grants to support Emory College faculty teaching. A mini-grant should be used for an activity directly related to a class you are teaching during the semester. Anyone currently reaching in ECAS is eligible, including tenure-track faculty, lecture-track, adjunct faculty, visiting faculty and graduate students. The request can be up to $350. The link to request funds is Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management.

Faculty Searches in 2022-2023

Reminder to anyone involved in a 2022-2023 faculty search that detailed information on the process and required forms can be found on the Office of Faculty website. The FY23 Workshop on Faculty Recruitment for Excellence and Diversity will be held 9-11 a.m., Wednesday, August 31 in the Jones Room of Woodruff Library. All department chairs, lead staff, and search committee chairs involved in FY23 searches should attend. Search committee members are also welcome to attend. Please RSVP to Dean_of_Faculty@emory.edu.