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Hello friends,

After a rather grey and humid week, I’m happy to see the sun today. So many exciting and curious things are happening across campus. You need only to take a look at the university events calendar – and the many individual calendars – to see what I mean. 

• Working group on the effective evaluation of teaching - please volunteer:  I would like to set up a working group with faculty and students to explore how we can more effectively evaluate and improve our teaching, both for the purposes of assessment (merit) and to become better teachers. Faculty Assembly produced a report on the subject in 2021 and more recently, our own Sue Peterson built on the Assembly report to produce some specific recommendations for A&S. One concern, of course, is how we use student evaluations, but the report contains many other questions and suggestions. The Faculty Assembly report was released, and Sue's report is almost ready for release. Elizabeth Barnes, Professor of English, has graciously agreed to co-chair the working group. The other co-chair will be confirmed soon, and I am in the process of developing a formal charge - but this is the gist. Rather than have me appoint the working group, I wanted to reach out and invite you to volunteer if you think this is something you might be interested in working on. We have so many exceptional teachers on this campus, and I am grateful to you for considering this request for you to share your ideas and expertise. I anticipate that the working group will deliver a report by the end of the spring semester, 2025. I am hoping to be so overwhelmed with volunteers that not all of you will be called on, but that remains to be seen. If you are interested, please let me know by Friday, September 27th.
• Working group on the allocation and training of TAs - please volunteer: I would also like to set up a working group to examine the use of TAs in Arts & Sciences. No-one can remember when we last examined this question, and I think it is ripe for review. I am especially interested in undergraduate TAs: how they are selected, how they are trained, and how they are compensated. But graduate TAs are also relevant. Please note: this is NOT a sneaky way to cut the number of TAs. I promise. It's just that I'd like to understand what's going on so we can make sure our practices are consistent and fair. We want to make sure you have the TAs you need. I am grateful to Rob Hinkle, Vice-Dean for Natural, Computational and Physical Sciences & Interdisciplinary Studies, for agreeing to chair the working group. Again, I welcome volunteers for this task. If you are interested, please let me know by Friday, September 27th.

• Take 6 at William & Mary Presents! Our presented season kicks off with Grammy-award winning a capella group Take 6, on Saturday September 28^th at 7:30. Tickets at wm.universitytickets.com under William & Mary Presents! Please come and experience the joy of song and the beauty of our new Arts Quarter.
  
  
  

• Insights from Within: The Arts & Sciences Dean's Office invites you to join us for our 3rd annual Insights from Within community conversation on Tuesday September 24, 11:15-1:30pm in Tidewater AB, Sadler Center. This year’s theme is Exploring Inclusive Leadership. Open to staff, faculty, graduate & undergraduate students, this year's event will feature concurrent breakout sessions where participants will explore various aspects of inclusive leadership. Following the breakout sessions, student-athletes will share their experiences with inclusive leadership at the working lunch. RSVP requested by today, Friday, Sept. 20.  
  • All participants are asked to complete the Inclusive Leader Scorecard. 
     
• Undergraduate Research Opportunities Fair: The Charles Center invites each A&S academic program to send a representative to the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Fair on Tuesday, October 15 from 3:30-5:00 pm in Chesapeake Room, Sadler Center. The goal this year is to have a table for every single program. Fun props are encouraged! This event allows undergraduates to learn about what research can look like in their area(s) of interest and breaks down barriers to getting involved. Light refreshments provided. Kindly register your table here by October 1 and contact Lauri Dabbieri at ldabbieri@wm.edu with any questions. 
   
• Faculty Handbook: The Faculty Handbook committee has been working on revisions to the W&M Faculty Handbook. Changes to the handbook are first approved by the Personnel Policy Committee and then forwarded to Faculty Assembly for approval. You can review the proposed changes up for approval at the Faculty Assembly meeting set for September 24 at 3:30. Please take the time to review the proposed changes and, per the process outlined by the Board and the President, bring any points you feel should be part of the discussion to your faculty representative.  
   
• FAS Special Meeting with President Rowe: The Faculty Affairs Committee has extended an invitation to a special meeting of the Faculty of A&S next Tuesday, September 24 at 3:30 in the Ewell 107 Recital Hall with special guest President Katherine Rowe. She looks forward to having a conversation about how we can support and learn from each other at times of vulnerability and stress, especially at this time of heightened tension in our nation and around the world. She views this conversation as a continuation of the explorations we began in the professional development sessions in August.  Everyone is welcome to ask questions at the session, but if you wish, please also feel free to send questions in advance to Vice Dean Silvia Tandeciarz, who will preside over the meeting. I regret that I am unable to join but I will be traveling to meet with A&S donors. We are aware and apologize that this special meeting conflicts with Faculty Assembly; schedule constraints dictated this meeting time.  
   
• Recognition of W&M Student Voter Engagement: W&M was recently recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for the voter engagement of our students. Recent recognition includes, among other key highlights and awards:  
  • 2024 Highly Established Voter Engagement Action Plan Designation 
  • 2023-24 Voter Friendly Campus designation by the Fair Elections Center's Campus Vote Project and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) 
  • 2023-24 Student Honor Role Recipients for students at participating campuses who are advancing nonpartisan student voter registration, education, and turnout efforts and ensuring equitable access to the polls: Marley Fishburn, Class of 2024, and Ji Su (Sophie) Kim, Class of 2024 

• Faculty Book Publications: If you published a book in 2024, University Communications wants to hear about it (and so do we!) You can view your colleagues’ books here but the list will continue to be updated and you can submit yours via this online form. If you encounter any issues, please email erin@wm.edu 
  • Did you know you can also submit yourself to the list of faculty experts? University News uses this to connect faculty experts with their writers and members of the media seeking experts on specific topics.  

Today was the Diversity & Inclusion Symposium, and I feel bad for those of you who did not attend, because it was great. The keynote was by Alexis Alston, who was a whirlwind of joy, humor and energy. She woke up one morning unable to see, and her doctor told her that her sudden visual impairment was a consequence of stress. She recovered her life-balance and her sight through leaning into her curiosity about everything; learning to create and hold boundaries; and embracing and creating opportunities for play. Listening to her got me thinking. Curiosity breeds community, because no-one has all the answers. You have to keep reaching out, opening up, asking questions, learning from others. And similarly, community breeds curiosity. We want to know all about the people with whom we share our lives - professional and personal. What do they care about? What do they know that we do not? It's a life-affirming cycle. And community breeds joy, creativity and play. I hope you experience all three this weekend.

Take care of yourselves and each other,

Suzanne

Suzanne Raitt 
Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences 
Chancellor Professor of English 
Pronouns: she/her/hers