Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Diversity | December 2023 | |
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Dear Colleagues,
This month’s newsletter contains several announcements about upcoming opportunities and events in the new year. I am pleased to announce that we have expanded the Distinguished Visiting Scholars Program to now include international scholars. More information may be found on the DVS program page.
Bestselling author Heather McGhee will visit WashU as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar to speak about "The Sum of Us: Moving Beyond the Myth of Equity as a Zero-Sum Game," on February 1. I encourage you and your students to attend McGhee’s presentation. I’m sure it will provide important insights into ways to make WashU, the St. Louis region and our broader society more just and equitable.
In an effort to strengthen our faculty searches and minimize bias as part of the search and recruitment process, we are seeking faculty and staff to join our Recruitment and Search Advisor (RASA) Program. RASAs play a critical role in helping the Danforth campus promote inclusive excellence as we hire talented new faculty. Details about our training for new RASAs in early January are provided below.
WashU will also host the Association of Hispanic and Higher Education Conference in March 2024. This will provide a unique opportunity to network with conference participants and highlight programs and initiatives at the university. You can find more details below.
Best wishes for the final stretch of the semester and the upcoming winter break!
Kia Caldwell
—Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Diversity
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Distinguished Visiting Scholar Program is Expanding
In 2023-–24, the Distinguished Visiting Scholars Program is expanding its support to make it easier for top international scholars to visit WashU for short periods of time, typically up to nine days. International visitors will further enrich the diversity of perspectives on campus and increase opportunities for global-to-local learning, collaboration and cultural exchange.
International Distinguished Visiting Scholars must be leading experts in their field. While on campus, they are expected to give at least one public presentation, engage with both faculty and students, and meet with WashU colleagues to deepen professional relationships and develop ideas for projects or proposals that lay the foundations for future collaborations. Prospective candidates can be from any nationality. Nominations for visitors from low- and middle-income countries are especially encouraged. This opportunity is supported by the university’s Here and Next strategic plan and the Global Research Scholars Network. Submit a global candidate.
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Please Complete the WashU Faculty Work Life Survey
Every four years WashU surveys full-time and voting faculty to better understand faculty work life, climate, workload, sources of stress, mentoring, and life outside the institution. You can see results from prior waves here.
The results help WashU leaders better understand the issues that affect faculty and inform improvements for our community. The 2023 survey launched on Thursday, November 30. To respond, find your personalized link in your email. Widespread participation is crucial for collecting useful data. If you have questions, please contact FacultySurvey@wustl.edu.
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Distinguished Visiting Scholar Heather McGhee: "The Sum of Us: Moving Beyond the Myth of Equity as a Zero-Sum Game"
Graham Chapel, Danforth Campus
February 1, 2024 (6 p.m.)
Heather McGee is dedicated to the development of solutions to inequity in America. Over her career in public policy, Heather has crafted legislation, testified before Congress, and helped shape presidential campaign platforms.
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Gender Equity Month Keynote Speaker: Melanie Ho
Danforth Campus and Virtual
March 26, 2024 (4 – 5:30 p.m.,)
Melanie Ho, PhD, is an award-winning author and professional speaker who combines over 20 years of leadership experience in complex organizations with her perspective as an artist and multi-media storyteller.
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Become a Recruitment and Search Advisor
January 2024 Training Sessions
Virtual/Zoom
January 4, 5, 11, 12, 2024 (12–4 p.m.)
We invite you to join our growing group of Recruitment and Search Advisors (RASAs). The RASAs are faculty and staff who have received 16 hours of training through Oregon State’s Search Advocate Program. They serve as partners and resources to faculty search committees by providing guidance regarding evidence-based practices in recruiting and hiring talented faculty. Please fill out this form, if you would like to participate in a virtual training to become a RASA in January 2024. This training will address various forms of bias and ways to ensure equitable search and selection processes. It is also relevant to a wide range of selection processes, including graduate admissions.
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Consultation Hours Available on Equity Centered Work
Aurora Kamimura, assistant provost for inclusive excellence, offers regular consultation hours on equity-centered work focused on faculty searches and graduate admissions. please sign up for a meeting time
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The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) Conference: The CTL, in partnership with the Office of the Provost, University Libraries, and Arts & Sciences Computing, is reviving the popular iTeach Conference on January 10, 2024. This conference is an opportunity to reconnect with colleagues from other schools, programs, and departments and to rediscover innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Register here
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Faculty Executive Director, St. Louis Confluence Collaborative for Community-engaged Research, Teaching, and Practice: WashU is seeking a senior faculty leader for a newly created St. Louis Confluence Collaborative for Community-engaged Research, Teaching, and Practice. The Faculty Executive Director will spend at least 50% effort in this position and will lead a priority initiative of WashU's strategic plan, Here and Next. more information
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Application Open for the Distinguished Visiting Scholars Program: The Distinguished Visiting Scholars Program brings to WashU individuals from underrepresented backgrounds who have distinguished themselves as leaders and innovators in the academy, business, or in other fields of endeavor. Learn more and apply to the program here.
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Faculty Grants: WashU Leads and the Bauer Leadership Center will provide grants to support faculty to innovate in research and education. As a start, in Spring 2024, they will provide educational grants to support faculty to develop a new course or add a module to an existing course on relevant topics. The focus for this round will be undergraduate courses which involve first year students. Details on the grant program will be released in the early January. For inquiry or more information, contact Mayo Amos, program manager for WashU Leads.
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Request for your Input: For the first time, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), in collaboration with the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and the Society for Experiential Education (SEE), is embarking on a research project to gain valuable insights into the experiences of faculty members in guiding students towards successful careers. By benchmarking the efforts that faculty are already making to prepare students for the workforce, they hope to use the findings to further support faculty and foster institutional innovation. We invite you to take part in this survey before December 31. For questions, please contact: gnorma@wustl.edu or nanliu@wustl.edu. Survey link
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Free NCFDD Membership and Programming: Claim your free membership to the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD). Learn more about this free membership, available to all WashU faculty, graduate students, postdocs, and trainees. Plus, the NCFDD programming calendar is live and visible upon joining NCFDD.
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Resource Spotlight: WashU Global | |
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We invite you to explore global.wustl.edu, a gateway for all essential information related to global research, education, and engagement. The revamped website serves as a front door to a variety of resources:
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