Academic Affairs Department Chair Notes - Message #10

Recruiting and retaining graduate students is becoming increasingly competitive. Graduate students fuel our research engine and play a vital role in educating and mentoring our undergrads. We must support our students academically, emotionally, and financially.

There are resources to ensure your student funding package is competitive. Most programs provide a stipend, fee remission, and health insurance. Depending on various factors, students are funded via fellowships or a Student Academic Appointee (SAA). Sources of funding include: schools; grants; IUPUI Graduate Office; IU Foundation; and state and federal financial aid.

According to this 2020 report, Trends in Student Aid, the average 2019-2020 graduate student aid (100% FTE) was $27,310. Factoring in your student investment prior to budget construction is crucial. The stipend matters, and is tied to mandatory insurance. If the insurance minimum stipend is met for a fellow or SAA the premium is charged to the account used to post that stipend. The Waiver Request Form should be used if the student has existing coverage. IU rates / minimums are published each spring for the following fiscal year.

Resources:

• Best Practices
  • Council of Graduate Schools
    
  • IUPUI Graduate Office
  • Graduate Mentoring Center
• Paying Students: Guidelines
  
• Financial Aid: ude[dot]iupui[at]diadarg
• Tuition Remission: Office of the Bursar
• Funding DACA Students: DACA @ IU
  
• University, Diversity, and Travel Fellowships / Block Grants
  • Katina Reedy – ude[dot]ui[at]kydeer   
    
  • IUPUI Graduate Office
• Student Academic Appointments (AC3)
  • Hiring Resources
    
  • Bloomington – Application and Agreement for Student Academic Appointee
    
  • Bloomington – Student Academic Appointee Handbook
    
    • *Note IUPUI version forthcoming
• Insurance
  • Student Academic Appointee, Postdoctoral, and Fellowship Health Insurance
    
  • IU Rates Page
    
  • Fellowship Eligibility
  • Graduate Appointees / Postdoctoral Eligibility

Academic Analytics provides information on tenure-track faculty and departments that can: show how your department compares to others across the country; identify awards for which your faculty’s activities match those of existing awardees; locate topic collaborators, and more.

Can you give us a few examples either of how you have already used it, or, what you would like to do (and Academic Analytics might help with)?

Please email feedback to etagelppA lehcaR.

Insight and Advice for Department Chairs
Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education

Department chairs are the beating heart of the academic enterprise, but their preparation, training, and professional development needs are often overlooked. Download your free copy (using your IU email address) of Leading From the Middle and learn how to overcome challenges, make the case for hiring, and establish work/life balance.

This free Chronicle resource covers:

• What pandemic-related changes are worth keeping (and which aren't).
• How to make the case for hiring, and why cluster hiring can be a tool to diversify your faculty.
  
• Ways to establish work/life balance, and prioritize mental health and wellness.
• How to overcome the most pressing issues facing department chairs.

• Next month, we will discuss hiring and managing staff appointments.

Reminders

• Fall Promotion and Tenure Workshops
  
• Nominations Open for IUPUI Campus Awards
• November 1: IUPUI Last Lecture
• November 5: Advancing Teaching and Learning with Technology Symposium
• November 5: IUPUI Celebration for President Whitten's Inauguration
• November 22–November 28: Thanksgiving Break Week – No Classes
• November 24–November 28: Campus Holiday for Staff and 12-month Academic Appointees

• Faculty Affairs Guidance materials shared via IU Office 365: A repository of helpful information including how-to’s, when-to’s, and where-to’s.
  
• New Faculty Notes: Just-in-time monthly guidance to new faculty who cycle through New Faculty Orientation each year.
  
• Hiring Best Practices.
  
• The Forum Network: An integrated coordinating structure that supports faculty collaboration and creativity.
  
• Faculty Crossing: A technology-rich collaboration space for faculty and teaching staff of all appointments. Part workroom, part café, the space provides a welcoming environment that promotes creativity and innovation. This space will reopen in the fall.
  
• Review the official long-term calendar for refresher on holidays and breaks for AY 2021-2022.