March 3, 2023

Summary

Today’s Friday message starts with a quiz, brought to you by the Acting (Out) Dean. The answer can be found at the end of the message. Warning: do not immediately scroll down, though I know the suspense is unbearable. There is a clue embedded in the body of the message itself.

Full Description

Dear all,

Quiz: Please study these three images and then match them to the captions below, which describe what they are.

Hurricane 1

Which of these captions matches which image?

Trajectory of Hurricane Dorian with a little extra flourish
Spaghetti map of Hurricane Nicole
Relationship between the majors W&M deposited students say they want to do, and the majors they actually do, students entering fall 2020 and major declaration status as of fall 2022

Now, down to business.

Computing, Data and Applied Sciences Initiative The steering committee continues to meet with groups of faculty, staff and students to gather their input. The Acting (Out) Dean has been hearing from some people that the decision has already been made and there’s not much point in interacting with the steering committee. Not so!!! It is correct that we are exploring various options for an autonomous entity in a disciplinary area related to computing, data and applied sciences, but beyond that, no decisions have been made. PLEASE interact with the committee if you have any thoughts or opinions on this initiative. We want to craft a report that is reflective of multiple perspectives and voices. You can request to meet with us via the form on our webpage (www.wm.edu/provost/cds), or you could also come to this week’s town hall, Tuesday March 7, 10-11:30 am. We are really grateful to those of you who made the time to attend our previous town halls and to meet with us or communicate with us via the online form (also on our webpage). Keep the comments coming! As Leisa Meyer so beautifully said at last week’s town hall, “Let’s do this together.”

May seminars Just when you thought they were lost forever, they’re back – by popular demand and also because we think they are a really effective and valuable opportunity to foster collaboration. If you would like to apply for funding for a May seminar for curriculum development or other effort, we will accept those proposals no later than April 3rd. These may be submitted using the Faculty Grants Fund (FGF) online portal. Proposals for May Seminars will be considered separately from FGF requests by the Dean’s Office and Charles Center. Please notify your Vice-Dean if your unit plans to apply this year. The standard compensation for May Seminars is $100 per participant per day. The State Business Meal policy will only reimburse one meal for participants for the duration of the seminar, so plan your meal wisely. Please request funds for that in addition to daily compensation for participants, being mindful of the State-mandated per diem allowance in Williamsburg: $14 per person for breakfast, $16 per person for lunch, $29 per person for dinner. Yup, I know. There will be a prize for the group who manages to eat lunch for $16 and without needing more food (preferably ice cream or chocolate) half way through the afternoon. Or perhaps in the middle of the night, which is preferred by some.

Beautiful data We have a star in our midst, and his name is Keanen McKinley, A&S Assistant Director of Assessment & Reporting. Keanen has made a beautiful app that tracks whether students actually declare the major they say they want to do when they are deposited. (Please note this week’s preferred phrase: “deposited student.” That means an admitted student who has paid a deposit, not a student that has unexpectedly been dropped into the sunken garden.) This item is your clue to the answer to the quiz! We look forward to Keanen and his henchman Ben Boone, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Education, continuing to work on the app so that it reaches a point at which we can share with all of you. If you run a “found major” – ie in a disciplinary area not usually offered in high school – you’ll be intrigued by how students make it into your discipline or interdiscipline.

Student accommodations They are here to stay. Students need to film you in class, they need to get up and move around, they need extensions and to be absent and for us to be super-understanding and super-flexible. I know it creates extra work for us sometimes, and I know it can make us feel vulnerable. But students with documented needs might not succeed at W&M without them, and what’s more, they are legally entitled to get what they need. Furthermore, they are often embarrassed and ashamed that they have these needs, so please be very sensitive to “outing” them in class or elsewhere. No-one else needs to know that they have accommodations unless it’s absolutely impossible to keep them confidential (ie they stay on at the end of an exam). And remember that you cannot reveal one student’s email to another, so when you email more than one student at once, either use BCC or do it via Blackboard. Thank you for bearing with them (and us), and don’t hesitate to reach out to your Chair or Vice-Dean if you have any questions.

Student prizes for writing and publications University Communications tells us that each year the university awards two prizes to students for accomplishments in writing and publication activities (including design and photography). Details about the awards are online. If you know students who may be interested, please share the application details with them. The Rex Smith Award, particularly, carries a significant cash award. Applications will be due shortly after Spring Break.

And now you have made it to the end of a very long (some say unnecessarily long) message. Happy weekend, with lashings of Cornerstone. And here is your answer key: Image 1=c; Image 2=a; Image 3=b

Take care, Suzanne

Suzanne Raitt

Acting Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences

Chancellor Professor of English