Monday Memo January 18, 2016
Message from the Dean
Dear Colleagues,
I am excited to report that we supported eight proposals for the internal RFP “School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies and Office of Research and Innovation: Academic and Research Excellence for the 21st Century University.” Many of these proposals reflect topics that the College identified as prominent last year, and all of them have potential to bring together scholars across academic disciplines and units in ways that will advance existing strengths and/or highlight emerging areas of importance. I’m impressed by these proposals, and very hopeful that we will have success in getting three of these funded!
Meanwhile, I hope your department chair has shared with you the priorities we advanced in our meeting on academic strategy and planning with the Provost’s committee. We made a concerted effort using data to disavow the notion that A&S is flush with funds, and outlined our funding priority needs as the following:
- Faculty and staff equity raises
- Faculty lines to deliver the general education curriculum
- Support for student assistantships
- Start-up funding for new faculty
When we couple these priorities with the fundraising priorities that include support for operations, endowments, scholarships, and professional development, our goals are pretty clear and I believe our messages of need are persuasive.
I also want to let you know that I’m attending a workshop hosted by the ACC on culture and climate in higher education. Hopefully, I will return with some good ideas on how to improve morale here. If you have constructive ideas, I’m always interested.
As always, thanks for your commitment to A&S.
Kimberly Kempf-Leonard
Dean
Announcements
Approved changes to College Personnel Policies
During the 2014-2015 academic year, the College Personnel Committee recommended a revision to the College Personnel Policies. This revision was approved at the last UofL Board of Trustees meeting on January 14, 2016. Specifically, Section 2.1.B.7 and Section 2.2.I.10 are now consistent and refer to the composition of department personnel committees as “a minimum of three tenured faculty members.” See revision as approved by the Board of Trustees.
Olorunsola Research Award for Full-time, Tenure-track Assistant Professors within their First Four Years in A&S
A&S is soliciting applications for the Victor Olorunsola Endowed Research Award. One award of $2,000 will be made this year. The deadline for applications is March 11, 2016.
Guidelines and additional information
A&S Research and Creative Activities Grant for Tenured or Tenure-track Faculty
A&S announces funding opportunities to promote research and creative activities of faculty members with the purpose of increasing the extramural research funding, and the number of scholarly publications, refereed exhibits, and artistic performances of the college. Any tenured or tenure-track faculty member in the College of Arts and Sciences is eligible, excluding the A&S Associate Dean of Research. Deadline for submissions is March 11, 2016.
Guidelines and proposal template
A&S Research and Creative Activities Grant for Graduate Students
A&S announces funding opportunities to promote research and creative activities of Graduate Students with the purpose of increasing the extramural research funding, the number of scholarly publications, refereed exhibits, and artistic performances of the college. Any doctoral or Master’s student in good standing in the College of Arts and Sciences is eligible. Deadline for submissions is 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 25, 2016.
Guidelines and proposal template
Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP)
The SROP provides UofL undergraduate students who would like to know more about graduate-level education at the university with a 10-week (May 31-August 5) research-intensive experience in a department that offers graduate degrees. Mentors will provide students with individualized research projects. All UofL departments with graduate programs will be supported. Students should be, preferably, in their sophomore or junior year of study. The deadline is March 1. More info
Teaching, Research, Creative Activity & Service
Prof. Bruce Horner, Endowed Chair in Rhetoric and Composition, and Min-Zhan Lu, Emerita Professor (English) and University Scholar, are co-editors of the recent special issue of College English (volume 78 no. 3) on the topic "Translingual Work in Composition."
Kudos & Congratulations
Prof. Lee Dugation, Biology, just returned from Zagreb, Croatia, where he presented six different talks on his research in behavioral evolution and the history of science. His well-attended presentations were at The University of Zagreb, The Ivo Pilar Institute, and Matrix Croatia. In addition, the largest newspaper in Croatia – Jutarnji List – published a full page story about his visit, and he was interviewed on national radio twice while there.
Prof. Dewey Clayton, Political Science, was nominated by the Vice Provost for Diversity and International Relations at UofL for “Who’s Who Louisville: 2016 African American Profiles.”
In the News
U of L hosts three events to honor Martin Luther King Jr. starting Wednesday (Insider Louisville, 1/11/2016) – On the three free and open to the public events leading up to the day to further celebrate King’s legacy.
Feminist quilt to be displayed at UofL (The Courier-Journal, 1/15/2016) - On the Hite Art Institute’s exhibition “Capturing Women’s History: Quilts, Activism and Storytelling” from Feb. 1 to March 19. Exhibit will include the “International Honor Quilt” and the “Hot Flash Fan,” a work that incorporates a mixed-media approach to quilting by 50 Kentucky artists.
