August 18, 2023
Dear all,
I feel something big approaching. Or perhaps it is lots of smallish things, very close together, moving en masse. Could it be our students, getting ready to return? Yes, I think it is. The pace is picking up, as I am sure you have noticed.
Please save the date for Convocation on August 30 at 7:15. The speaker this year is Carolyn “Biddy” Martin, whose scholarly work I have admired for years. She is a pioneer in so many ways, and I hope you will come – not just to hear her, but also to welcome all our new students to campus. Now that we have it in the evening, Convocation is an even more evocative and moving event. Plus, it’s fun to try and work out how to cross campus to get to your car while thousands of people are walking between fences high-fiving everyone they see. Not easy to cross that line (though the one at the bottom of this message is a whole different ballgame. You can just slide across it without even meaning to…).
The Arts Buildings are progressing, but not quite ready for prime time yet. I have it on reliable authority that they are absolutely gorgeous inside. Now we just need to get all our departments and programs into buildings designed especially for them. We continue to be excited at the prospect of opening the buildings with a production of Nine by the Leah Glenn Dance Theatre with W&M students, on September 9th.
Please pay close attention to the message sent out by Assistant Dean Ben Boone last week on August 10, attached here. It contains essential information about constructing your syllabus, including important dates, policies, and recommended syllabus language.
Please also remind yourself of the requirement that classes on the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving (Nov. 20 and Nov. 21) MUST be taught remotely, either synchronously or asynchronously. To comply with our accreditation requirements, these remote classes also MUST appear on your syllabus. See the attached email.
You will find additional useful information at the following A&S Resources for Faculty link.
Have a great weekend!
Take care, Suzanne
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By the time you read this, I will be on a plane on my way to Rhode Island for a family reunion.
I promise I’m almost done with the Queen jokes.
Suzanne Raitt
Dean of Faculty for Arts & Sciences
Chancellor Professor of English
