December 6, 2024
Dear A&S Colleagues,
I hope you all enjoyed a restorative break and quality time with family and friends over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Today is a milestone: the last day of classes for undergraduate students. I’m grateful to all who made it possible for our students to reach this day, and very mindful of our two students who are not here to celebrate with us: Lana Fellows and Rose Way. We feel their loss keenly and my thoughts remain with the families of Lana and Rose.
Lana’s family has shared information about memorial services planned for December 19 at her high school in Saint Cloud, Florida. Here is a link to more details, as well her obituary. Messages of sympathy for the Fellows family may be sent to her parents, Robert and Megan Fellows, 1350 Emerald Drive, Kissimmee, FL 34744. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be directed to Lana's High School Dance Team.
As you support your students during this time, please know there are resources available for anyone who needs them. Staff in Care Support Services Office, the Counseling Center and campus ministers are available. Counselors may be reached anytime by phone at 757-221-3620, or you may access a variety of services through TimelyCare, including 24/7 on-demand emotional support, counseling and guided self-care.
Below I share several updates and draw your attention to a few important reminders in case you missed them this week. As always, I appreciate you taking the time to review.
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Special meeting on edits to Teaching Faculty Framework and Policies Template: In case you missed my earlier message, we will hold a special meeting on Zoom to discuss and vote on some necessary edits to the framework and template: Monday December 16th, 12:30-1:30, https://cwm.zoom.us/j/85848961955. Please make sure you attend if you possibly can. We need everyone's participation to bring this issue to a close.
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Final grades: Please be aware of final grading deadlines for the semester: final grades are due January 2, 2025 by 9 a.m. Banner 9 information and resources are available online.
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Leadership development for mid-level academic leaders: The Office of Faculty Affairs & Development will be offering leadership development programming for mid-level academic leaders again in spring 2025, with recruitment for the 2025 cohort currently underway. In response to feedback from the fall faculty leadership development survey, participants now have the option to attend individual sessions or apply for the full cohort program, which includes six leaderships sessions. Faculty interested in the cohort format can apply here.
The first session, The Power of Mid-Level Academic Leaders: Identifying Individual Leadership Strengths, will take place on January 16, 1–3 p.m. This kickoff session provides ways to identify your personal approach to leading. Past cohort participants serve as department chairs, lead their professional organizations, chair key committees on campus, and contribute to transformative improvements at W&M and within their disciplines. -
Transition to SPARCS research protocol management system: W&M is finalizing its transition to SPARCS research protocol management system. Starting the week of Dec. 9, the university will discontinue the use of compliance.wm.edu, fully shifting to SPARCS. If you will be using the platform to submit IRB protocol proposals, you can enroll in one of the training sessions hosted by the Research Compliance office to prepare for the launch. The first training will be held on Dec. 10.
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WORKSHOP Frame and Fine-tune Your COLL 100/150 Course: January 14, 15 & 16, 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Swem Library, Dulin Learning Center. Offered by the Center for the Liberal Arts, along with colleagues from the Writing Resources Center, Swem Library, and the Studio for Teaching and Learning Innovation, this workshop is designed for faculty teaching COLL 100 and COLL 150 courses. In the context of students' first-year experience, participants consider underlying principles of communication, the specific goals of 100 or 150, example assignments and syllabi, and ways to integrate the communications/writing component to support their course content. Participants will walk away with a draft syllabus and resources to support assignments. Plan for three full days with homework. Space is limited to 15, therefore priority is given to participants who can commit to the full three days. Exceptions to this will be made on a case-by-case basis as space allows. Each participant will receive a stipend of $300 for participating in the full workshop. Lunch is provided each day. Please register for the workshop.
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Communications support for media engagement: As many of you may know, we have a small communications team dedicated solely to A&S. Abbie Schaefer, our senior director for strategic communications, serves as the primary liaison between A&S and University Communications, including the media relations team. Abbie and her colleagues at University Communications are valuable resources to help you prepare for and engage with media opportunities. They can also assist in amplifying media coverage and highlighting news features. If you receive a media inquiry, please don’t hesitate to notify Abbie at aschaefer@wm.edu. For additional guidance and resources, visit the A&S Communications Hub.
Have a happy weekend, everyone.
And now, if you dare...
Some of my compatriots pointed out in response to my message the week before last that I did our home country a disservice by implying that it was raining there. And in truth, it was snowing, thus a more accurate picture of what was going on there would have been this:
Or perhaps this, because Brits are made of stern stuff and we never wear only one hat at a time:
Suzanne
Suzanne Raitt
Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences
Chancellor Professor of English
Pronouns: she/her/hers
