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June 23, 2020

A note from the Dean

Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues: So many of you continue to work tirelessly--and, for most, remotely--to prepare for a return to in-person residential community and classes for our students. The twin evils of Covid-19 and recent violent acts stemming from racism have made the summer more challenging. Oxford remains committed to building an inclusive community--remotely and in person--and I hope you will engage in the facilitated conversations concerning race, equity, and inclusion later this week coordinated by Oxford HR and convened by Oxford faculty members Dr. Pearl Dowe and Dr. Alix Olson. Faculty and staff continue to plan for online and in-person teaching this fall. Last week President-elect Greg Fenves was able to join the morning OCOT session to greet our faculty. It is tremendous to have his enthusiastic support of our fall teaching preparations.  Thank you for your hard work and support of each other and our students. Oxford takes care of each other--a message we will emphasize in the coming months Best, Doug

President-elect Greg Fenves joined the June 16 session of OCOT, Oxford College Online Training for faculty and associated staff. He thanked everyone for their work and expressed his eagerness to come to the Oxford campus soon after he assumes the presidency on August 1. President-elect Fenves appears on the second row, third from right.

Notes from Chap-Lyn

I hope you’re hanging in there. The last few months have been overwhelming as we’ve faced a virus that brings so many challenges. On top of that, the ongoing problem of racism in this country has been at the forefront of our national and local environments. There have been many ways to respond to the racial injustices — protests, booklists, webinars, vigils, lobbying for reform, voting, etc. I hope you’ve had a chance to engage in ways that feel appropriate for you and that you will join in the appropriate listening sessions and conversations we will kick off at Oxford this week and next (see the announcement in this update). Finally, I’m sharing with you the link to a recent  Covington News Opinion article  I wrote with some of my reflections and confessions about the recent weeks and months. I pray that you’re finding ways to take care of yourself throughout the summer.

Oxford HR hosts conversations around race, ally-ship, and the future

From Director of Human Resources Susan Newborn: In this moment, as we're still in the difficult landscape of an ongoing pandemic and episodes of trauma resulting from the ongoing problem of racism in this country, we must continue to somehow do our work. We occasionally move into conversations about how we are experiencing this difficult time in our meetings or online gatherings. While these can be helpful, we also consider that a more intentional time and space allocated for us to talk through our experiences with our colleagues may deepen the support we offer each other and provide a greater sense of sustainability as we move forward.   With the support of Academic Affairs, Campus Life, and the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, Human Resources will hold coordinated dialogues for faculty and staff to share their experiences around race, ally-ship, and the future during the next several weeks. On Wednesday, June 24, at noon Oxford faculty and staff of color are invited to join an informal conversation moderated by Pearl Dowe, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Political Science and African American Studies. Join the Zoom meeting with this link . On Tuesday, June 30, at noon, Oxford faculty and staff who wish to be allies of people of color will be invited to join a conversation facilitated by Alix Olson, assistant professor of women's, gender, and sexuality studies. Join the Zoom meeting with this link . Shortly after these two meetings, we will hold a meeting bringing the groups  —  people of color and allies  —  together to discuss issues and discern a path forward.    Participation in these meetings is strictly voluntary. I hope you will take this opportunity to engage in these conversations as a form of self-expression and self-care.

Emory University announces plan for in-person fall semester

On June 11, Emory University announced the plan to offer both in-person and online classes in the fall. Bookmark and visit the Emory Forward website to follow ongoing developments, access information about campus resources, and find answers to emerging questions.

Congratulations

Julie Elion , director of auxiliary operations. received 3rd place recognition for her submission Boom!Bang! (shown at left) in the Zoom background competition hosted by Emory University Human Resources.

Oxford in the news Zach Binney , assistant professor of Quantitative Theory and Methods, participated in a Q&A feature called " Health matters: What medical experts think about NHL's return-to-play plan " on thescore.com. Binney also appeared on the Sportsnet podcast episode titled " How To Best Set Up An NHL Bubble ." Pearl Dowe, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Political Science and African American Studies, appeared June 5 on CBC/Radio-Canada programs in various markets throughout the country. You can listen to Dowe on the Ontario Morning podcast here; she compares the recent demonstrations following the killing of George Floyd to the civil rights movement of the '60s. ABC Newsradio's Tracey Holmes spoke to Dowe on June 10 for their recorded story Anger as dozens of polling places shut across Georgia . Sarah Fankhauser , assistant professor of biology, was quoted on Vice in the June 17 article " Is It a Good Idea to Exercise Outdoors With a Face Mask?" Dean Douglas Hicks' quote on courage was published in Business Ghana and Black Enterprise after initially appearing in the May 28 Fast Company article " 3 must-have traits for courageous leadership in a post-pandemic workplace ." Recorded videos offer the chance to learn about a new skill or your Oxford colleague MasterClass MasterClass sessions allow faculty and staff to share a hobby or skill with you. We know everyone is busy and pre-recording the videos means you can watch them when convenient! Jessie Rivers, interim artistic director in theater, recorded a Masterclass on Wooden Quilt Block Art MasterClass . Krystal Gathright, intramural coordinator, recorded a Bike Riding and Bike Repair MasterClas s. Watch for more sessions available soon! Get to know your neighbor Get to know your colleagues a little bit better with this series of videos submitted by Oxford colleagues for the Oxford Together Committee's "Get to Know Your Neighbor" initiative. The committee created the project as a way to learn more about your friends and colleagues at Oxford while we are physically distanced during remote work this summer. If you are interested in participating by filming a one to two minute video answering some provided questions, please contact Tammy Camfield. Please visit the Oxford Together webpage to watch videos from the following faculty and staff: Alejandro Abarca,  instructor in dance Billy Fan, w eb applications developer and senior analyst with OCIT Vanessa Garofalo , teaching and digital projects librarian Joe Moon , dean of Campus Life

Alumni news

Oxford alumnus wins employer's video competition

Charlie Burnett 01Ox 03C , an art director and designer with Oracle, won the global corporation's internal competition with the video he produced sharing what good will result from the current COVID-19 pandemic. View his winning submission video .

Assistant Professor Alix Olson to speak at Alumni Association event on being an effective ally

Emory Alumni Association hosts " Emory Explores: Become an Effective Ally " live on June 24 at 5:00 p.m on the EAA Facebook page. Do you want to do something and say something to show that you support people of color and marginalized communities, but are unsure what to do next? LaNita Gregory Campbell, director of The Office for Racial and Cultural Engagement (RACE) at Emory, and  Alix Olson, assistant professor of women's, gender, and sexuality studies (WGSS), will offer actionable ways that we can come together as allies to defend, protect, and lift up marginalized communities. Let’s talk about the tools we need to have in our toolbox and how we can use those tools to be effective allies. We want to empower ally action and deepen community to hold each other accountable for the long-term to effect lasting systemic change. Register online to receive a reminder to join via Facebook Live, or to receive a copy of the recorded presentation.

To submit a news item for the next Campus Update, please email  Ansley Holder . The newsletter will be distributed on occasion in June and July and resume regular weekly distribution in mid-August.