Academic Affairs Newsletter - Message #22

Dear IUPUI Faculty Colleagues,

Welcome back to the spring semester, and Happy New Year! I hope that you were able to enjoy at least a bit of down time over the holiday break, as well as a quiet day or two on campus to read and think before our students returned. This is finally the month that we officially celebrate the creation of our campus, and I hope that everyone can take at least some time on January 24 to visit the Campus Center, eat some cake, and enjoy the exhibits and the festivities!

For the past several months, many of our campus leaders have been considering ways to ensure that a liberal education remains at the core of all undergraduate degrees at IUPUI, as well as a strong foundation for professional and graduate training. In December 2018, our deans and other academic and faculty leaders endorsed a Campus Statement on the Role of the Liberal Arts at IUPUI that I hope will be widely read and acted upon by members of curriculum committees. There is ample evidence that students benefit from breadth of exposure to ideas and skills outside of the major, and it is critical that we explicitly tout the value of the arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences, and mathematics in cultivating habits of mind that are important for our democracy, as well as our students’ career journeys. I am very grateful to the many faculty leaders who contributed to this statement and sincerely hope that we can use it to remove barriers to students pursuing double majors, accelerated baccalaureate-masters programs, and other combinations of credentials.

Finally, I wanted to explicitly mention how proud I am of the academic success of our student athletes at IUPUI. Statistics related to our Jaguars’ academic performance were just released last week, and they are quite impressive. I also wanted to take this opportunity to remind faculty that student athletes, while “students first,” frequently have challenging travel schedules during the season in which their sport competes. As many students at IUPUI juggle multiple responsibilities associated with work, family, and co-curricular activities, I would ask faculty to be as flexible as possible with all of our students, providing opportunities to demonstrate learning in multiple ways or perhaps offering exams early (or in the Testing Center) if a student has a conflict with a scheduled examination or class activity.

Best wishes for a productive spring semester!

Sincerely,

Kathy E. Johnson, Ph.D.
Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer 
Professor of Psychology
evc@iupui.edu
academicaffairs.iupui.edu

At the Indianapolis Faculty Council (IFC) meeting on January 8, Michele Hansen, assistant vice chancellor for institutional research and decision support, and Marvin Smith, executive director of student financial services, shared a study that gathered information about the student experience and the financial barriers students face. At the end of the presentation, ten recommendations from the Student Experience Council Financial Strategies Task Force were given. For the in-depth report of the conducted study (including: methodology, participation, and findings) as well as the PowerPoint presentation given at the IFC meeting, visit the Institutional Research and Decision Support website.

Sara Kurtz Allaei was recently named interim associate vice chancellor for international affairs. Sara began her career at IUPUI in 1987 in the Department of English and in 1991, transitioned to the Office of International Affairs. Sara has been working hard behind the scenes at IUPUI and now it’s time to bring her out into the spotlight!

Christy Tidwell, Senior Academy President

The IUPUI Senior Academy is made up of dedicated faculty and staff retired from the IUPUI campus. Retirees provide a unique perspective on our university’s past and have watched and aided in its growth throughout the years. The Senior Academy is excited to play a role in our 50th Anniversary. Our members have participated in an Oral History Gathering to share their stories, volunteered to help with the 50th Anniversary celebration, and a couple of members, Helen Davis and Sandy Barnett, documented their experiences at IUPUI on the 50th Anniversary website. With so many people having meaningful and lasting memories here at IUPUI, the Senior Academy is proud to say “Happy Birthday” and congratulate IUPUI on 50 years. We look forward to 50 more!

The Missing Title (Part 2)
In my last update, I described our efforts to create a third tier within the lecturer rank. I am glad to report that there has been progress since then. In December, the IUPUI Faculty Council (IFC) voted unanimously in favor of the concept, as did the University Faculty Council (UFC) task force dealing with this topic. At its January 8th meeting, the IFC engaged in an open discussion of the matter. The many excellent questions, comments, and suggestions offered will be extremely useful to the UFC task force as we move forward. In addition, the task force will be conducting a survey of all full-time IU faculty soon. Locally, we have organized a town hall for the non-tenure-track faculty on February 11, between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m., in the Lilly Auditorium of University Library. If you have questions or comments, feel free to contact me (ude[dot]iupui[at]ostawcj).

Have your voice heard!
Next IFC meeting: Tuesday, February 5, 3–5 p.m. // Campus Center 450A

The deadline to submit nominations to Campus Awards is coming up quickly. Most nominations are due on Friday, January 18 while other deadlines are not too far behind in early February and March. Details on all awards, including deadlines, eligibility, and any monetary award amounts can be found on the Office of Academic Affairs website.

Campus Awards recognize outstanding achievements of IUPUI faculty, staff, and students across all areas of IUPUI’s mission: excellence in teaching and learning; excellence in research, scholarship, and creative activity; excellence in civic engagement; and excellence in diversity, collaboration, and best practices.

Each semester, the Forum offers writing groups that provide encouragement, accountability, and a sense of community for faculty and staff. This spring, there are two ways to participate: 

Online Accountability Groups 
Participants are placed in five-person groups and given access to a shared, online spreadsheet. Each day, they will record their time spent writing into the spreadsheet and "check in" on each other’s progress. This feedback loop will help participants develop a writing habit and will remind them that they are not alone.

In-Person Writing Circles
Participants are organized into groups that meet in person for two hours each week. In the first 30 minutes of their meeting, group members will discuss a writing-related topic. In the remaining 90 minutes, they will sit quietly and write. This option is a great way to schedule writing time into a busy schedule.
  
To sign up, visit the website and click the “Sign Up Now” button.
  
Sign-up will close on January 18; the session will start on January 21. Membership is open to IUPUI, IUPUC, and IU Fort Wayne faculty and staff of all ranks, appointments, and disciplines. The accountability groups and writing circles do not offer feedback on drafts. Instead, they provide a structure that supports regular writing.

Please contact ude[dot]iupui[at]murofeht with questions.

IUPUI’s student body has become increasingly diverse. However, students of color continue to face barriers in the classroom related to their sense of belonging, representation, and retention. The Teaching Towards Racial Equity Workshop Series, which is part of The White Racial Literacy Project, is designed for instructors who are currently teaching and are aspiring to promote racial equity in their courses.

The 2019 Racial Equity Workshop Series will be held on the following dates from 9 a.m. to 12 noon:

• Thursday, February 14
• Thursday, February 21
• Thursday, February 28
• Thursday, March 7

  
Instructors who are interested can find information regarding this workshop, including how to apply, on the web page. Applications are due online by January 27.

The IUPUI Next Generation 2.0 program is a nine-month (September–May) leadership development program dedicated to the preparation of women and underrepresented faculty and staff for positions of leadership and opportunities for advancement in higher education.

Program participants are identified as both emerging and established leaders interested in seeking leadership opportunities at IUPUI or professional development to enhance their current roles. The curriculum is designed to broaden their knowledge, skills, and experiences as members of the higher education community.

For more information about the program, eligibility, and cost, please visit the Next Generation 2.0 website. The application for the 2019-2020 program will open for submissions on January 28, 2019.

Date: Tuesday, January 29, 2019, 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
Location: University Library (UL) 1126 

Peer review is one of the biggest challenges that faculty encounter in demonstrating the excellence of their community-engaged teaching, research, scholarship, and creative activity. Peer review is the backbone of distinguishing quality in scholarly work. Community-engaged work invites an expansive view of peers and peer review that many traditional scholars are unfamiliar with. This lack of familiarity can create challenges for candidates and review committees alike. Join Cathy Jordan, associate professor of pediatrics and extension from the University of Minnesota, to learn more about the national conversation on peer review of community-engaged scholarly work. Lunch will be provided; however, seating is limited. Don’t forget to register!

Join us on February 8, 2019, 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m., for the 2019 William M. Plater Institute on the Future of Learning to learn about digital courseware and adaptive learning technologies to enhance student learning and reduce achievement gaps. For more information and to register, read the event flyer or visit the Plater Institute website.

Recognize your colleagues who go “above and beyond the call of duty.” All of us are here to do a specific job at IUPUI. The focus of the 2019 Glenn W. Irwin, Jr., M.D. Experience Excellence Recognition Award is to recognize those individuals whose service activities go above and beyond the responsibilities of their basic job. You are invited to nominate any full-time IUPUI faculty member who has worked for the university a minimum of twelve months.

Check out their informational handout to learn more!

• Tuesday, January 15: Excellence in Service Workshop
• Monday, February 11: Town Hall on a Third Tier Lecturer Rank
  1:30–2:30 p.m. // University Library Lilly Auditorium
• Sunday, January 20: Proposals Due for the 2019 E.C. Moore Symposium
• Tuesday, February 12: Promotion to Full Rank Program

  
Bookmark our Academic Affairs Events Listing to view and register for all upcoming workshops, trainings, and important events that pertain to YOU!

Please mark your calendars for IUPUI's official Birthday Bash at the Campus Center on January 24, 2019. This highlight event will feature deep dives into IUPUI history, research, and academic programs as well as free food (including cake!), music, Stuff-a-Jag, 360º photo booth, 3-D virtual reality experience and MORE throughout the day. Explore the past, present and future of IUPUI at this signature event of our 50th Anniversary year!