April 22, 2024

Dear all,

Thwarted in her plans to go fly-fishing on Friday evening (actually, to stand in the water and occasionally hold a rod handed to her by an expert), the Dean was off her game on Friday and forgot to send her Friday message. I imagine this must have been a source of great wailing and gnashing of teeth for you all, but here I am on a Monday morning to launch the work week. This message is lightly edited to accommodate the Dean’s delinquency. And by the way, I have no idea what happened to the line in last week’s message. One minute it was bold and black, and the next it had vanished. Hoping for a better line this week.

On Friday, we wrapped up another week of a full and fulfilling semester. As always, I’m humbled by the commitment and hard work of our faculty and staff, and all of the teams across the university moving things forward. New systems, initiatives, goals, projects, learning objectives, research and field work, paper submissions... the list goes on, and so do you. Sometimes it’s important for us to step back, “zoom out” and refresh on the big picture: our collective goals, mission and values.

Also, I encourage you to prioritize self-care when and where you can, as I tried in vain to do on Friday.

Please do take time to read these updates.

PATH – Thank you all for your continued patience and attentiveness to the new PATH course registration system and its accompanying learning curve for all of us. As of Monday, 60% of students were full-time after the priority registration process. Since the beginning of the first add/drop period this week, 82% of continuing students are full-time for fall 2024 (enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits). The wonderful team in the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs is available to assist students in finalizing a full-time schedule.
Final grades – Please note a (hopefully welcome) change in your regularly scheduled programming of final grade submission: rather than an earlier grade submission deadline for graduating students, grades for ALL undergraduate students are due by 9 a.m. on May 21. You can view all undergraduate academic calendar dates here.
Blackboard Ultra – You may be deep in the throes of learning and building courses in Blackboard Ultra, OR, you may be blissfully unaware of the changes, waiting until “later” to learn the new system. Please don’t wait! IT is offering training sessions through May 9 (including one on Thursday, April 25), and open lab visits April 22 and 23. They have also provided an extensive library of resources. Please take advantage of their support, training and resources.
Writers Retreat – our colleagues in Swem are holding a faculty Writers Retreat from Monday, May 20 through Friday, May 24. This retreat provides uninterrupted time to work on a specific writing project, complete research, edit a manuscript, or prepare a grant proposal. Quiet space and daily breakfast and lunch are provided. Submit your application by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 3.
Commencement – Please plan to attend both the W&M-wide Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 17 at 7 pm in Zable Stadium and your departmental/program ceremonies. You can register to process by Monday, May 6. It is so important to both our students and their families to see their faculty, who have been so dedicated to them throughout their time at W&M, there to celebrate with them. Faculty are also welcome to attend the cultural/affinity group commencement ceremonies organized by the Center for Student Diversity.
Workshop: Developing Conflict Competencies – Having difficult conversations with students, colleagues, and supervisors can be a challenge. Come to a workshop on How to Have Difficult Conversations: Developing Conflict Competencies on May 8, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm (Grimsley Board Room, Blow 201) to learn strategies to help manage hard conversations and topics. This session is sponsored by University Ombuds and the Office of Faculty Affairs. A virtual option is available. RSVP here.
Achievements – I want to take a moment to recognize and celebrate the many achievements of Arts & Sciences faculty, staff and students. I attended the Evening of Excellence student awards ceremony this week, which always fills me with immense pride in our students, though the room was very cold and by the end all were shivering. But our hearts were warm! And you need only visit Arts & Sciences News or Arts & Sciences Announcements to be awed, as I am, by the remarkable, world-class faculty and professional leaders in our midst. (We want to hear and publicize your announcements and news – more on that in the Communications Hub, or you can reach out directly to Abbie Schaefer, aschaefer@wm.edu, to share updates.)

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The fish I would have fished were shad, and the best thing about a shad is its face. If you look at the shad head-on, its face melts your heart – so vulnerable, so innocent, so confused by being momentarily out of the water. Now here’s a strange thing. If you search for images of shad online, there are hundreds of them, but none of them show the fish head-on. Apparently, people only look at shad from the side, thus:

The colors are beautiful, but you can’t really see its face. I’m sure there’s a metaphor here somewhere about how we relate to creatures from another element, so foreign and yet so familiar. But if there is, one of you will have to find it.

Have a good week,

Best wishes,

Suzanne Raitt

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