Monday Memo August 22, 2016

Message from the Dean

Dear Colleagues,

Happy first day of classes! What a treat it was for me to see so many enthusiastic students on campus this morning. I was pleased that, for the first time, the deans got to welcome first-year students in the Convocation ceremony which took place last Friday. Additionally, many thanks to our advising staff and many faculty who joined in on the welcome festivities – the A&S open house, the picnic hosted by the Alumni Office, and the Provost’s dessert reception.

The A&S Dean’s Office has been busy over the summer coming up with ways to better convey the value of what we do to the in the College of Arts & Sciences. Here are a few examples:

  • Today, we are launching a new and improved College website homepage: louisville.edu/artsandsciences. Please take a minute to give it a look.
  • We also are following Dr. Pinto’s advice from last spring that we use billboards to raise the visibility of A&S. Beginning today for the next four weeks, you can see Ian Mason, an undergraduate math student, on 264E at Poplar Level Road. We have two more coming – one of a faculty member and one of an alumnus – spanning now through Homecoming.
  • Our new advocacy website uofl.me/as-defend, which launched last week, is very popular. Via Facebook and Twitter, it has reached nearly 4,500 people in seven days, so thank you for helping us better communicate the values of Arts & Sciences!

To keep our momentum going, please make sure to send us your interesting news over the course of this academic year, so we can share it as we are able.

We are getting a break from the heat and humidity this week! So, take advantage of that and stop by the north side of Gardiner Hall tomorrow from 10:30 am - 1 pm for an A&S Dean’s Office bake sale. Proceeds will go to the American Heart Association.

I hope to see you on campus over the coming semester.

Kimberly Leonard

Kimberly Kempf-Leonard
Dean

Announcements

Acting Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education
Prof. Linda Fuselier (Biology) is going to shadow Prof. Julia Dietrich (English) this semester and serve as Acting Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education in the spring. Prof. Fuselier is a relative newcomer to UofL, but she has been teaching professionally since 1988. Her commitment to high quality undergraduate education and background in interdisciplinary scholarship make her a good choice out of several outstanding applicants. Thanks to those who expressed interest.

International Travel Trainings
The Office of Study Abroad and International Travel is hosting four “Lunch and Learns” in Fall 2016 semester. Each session will last from 12:00-1:00pm and will be in Brodschi Hall, 2nd floor conference room. Representatives from the Controller’s Office will attend to answer any questions on the T&E module in PeopleSoft.

  • Individual Travel- Friday, September 2 and Friday, October 14
  • Group Travel (Highly recommended for any faculty/staff member leading a group during AY 2016-17)- Friday, September 16 and Friday, October 28

Please RSVP by email () or by phone (502-852-0295) by 3:00pm the Monday preceding each training session. Lunch provided.

We are also available for individual unit/department presentations! If interested, send an email to .

Office of Enrollment Management notice clarification
A new federal law requires that we verify students receiving federal aid are receiving aid only for courses that satisfy a requirement for a UofL credential. It is anticipated that about 200 students will get a letter asking them to explain how a course fits in their degree plan. In most cases, the explanation will simply be noting a second major, minor, or certificate. A&S advising staff will assist students in responding. It is not expected that there will be a large number of adjustments to student financial aid. If you have any questions, please contact in the Office of Enrollment Management.  

UofL Book-in-Common discussion opportunity
All members of the UofL community are invited to read Hidden America by Jeanne Marie Laskas, this year’s first-year student book-in-common. The Alumni Association is hosting an online book discussion, which would be a great way for our faculty, staff and students to interact with the alumni community in a meaningful way. You can participate with the few easy steps below:

  1. Read the book, which is available on Amazon.
  2. Participate in one (or both) of the Alumni Association's online book discussions on September 7 at  noon EDT and 7 p.m. EDT. (Click on the times to join the discussion.)  

Later in the month (9/27), you are invited to watch a live stream of an on-campus talk by author Marie Laskas on Twitter/Periscope.

Teaching, Service and Research & Creative Activity

Important research information in newsletter
The A&S Research Newsletter - Fall 2016 is now posted online. For questions, .
Call for proposals: KBRIN Next-Generation Sequencing pilot projects
The Kentucky Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network is requesting proposals for Next-Generation Sequencing pilot projects. The grant application dead line is 5 p.m. EST on Friday, September 9, 2016. Additional information

Office of Community Engagement Faculty Grant Program
The OCEFG grants program is an initiative established to foster UofL faculty and staff projects within the west Louisville community and Jefferson County. This grant mechanism will focus on infrastructure development, research and non-research projects which hold a community participatory action perspective. Application deadline: 11/11/16. More information

Building bridges between research and action for social justice
Ever wondered how to build a bridge between research and action for racial and social justice? This short video tells the story of the UofL Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research and how we're doing just that. Contact for more information.

Kudos and Congratulations

UofL has been named again this year one of the “Best of the Best” of LGBT-friendly universities in the U.S. by Campus Pride. According to Brian Buford (Assistant Provost of Diversity and Director of the LGBTQ Center), the work within the Department Women’s and Gender Studies is a key reason for UofL’s success.” He goes on to say that “we owe much of the honor to the LGBT Minor and the other great work being done there…. A great academic program is core to being considered and you all have led that effort so wonderfully.” Mr. Buford particularly commends Kaila Story and Prof. Nancy Theriot, whose early work “to establish an employee group and partner benefits is still the foundation for everything that has happened since.”

Kim to serve on Jury of the College Art Association
Prof. Jongwoo Kim (Fine Arts) was elected to serve on the Jury of the College Art Association (CAA)’s Distinguished Lifetime Achievement for Writing on Art for the next three years. This award is one of the most prestigious awards that CAA—the preeminent international leadership organization in the visual arts confers. More on the CAA award

Nuessel recipient of professional Outstanding Service Award
The American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese named Prof. Frank Nuessel (Classical and Modern Languages) the recipient of the Outstanding Service Award at its annual meeting in Miami, Florida July 8, 2016.

Items of Note

Prof. Lucy Freibert leaves a lasting legacy
Emerita professor and member of the A&S Hall of Honor, Prof. Lucy Freibert died August 11 at the age of 93. Sister Lucy, a professed SCN (Sisters of Charity of Nazareth) for 69 years, was a true pioneer of women’s issues and gender equity. She taught the first women’s studies course at UofL, “Women in Literature,” in 1973. She was an early advocate for a university-wide sexual harassment policy, and she worked tirelessly for the establishment of the UofL Women’s Center and the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies. She also taught one of the first African-American literature courses and was an advocate for racial equality throughout her career. Read her entire biography at the A&S Hall of Honor page.

Prof. Ricky Jones to appear on Travel Channel
Prof. Ricky Jones (Pan-African Studies) will appear on Mysteries at the Museum (Travel Channel). The episode will be “Muhammad Ali Saves the Day, Beast of the Gevaudan, and Before Hillary” and will first air on Friday, Aug. 26 at 11pm. Information on all air dates

Prof. Jason Abbott on BREXIT
Prof. Jason Abbott (Political Science) was a guest on the Global Ties webinar on "Foreign Policy Update: The BREXIT Vote."

In the News

Defend the Liberal Arts, Thinker image
The liberal arts and sciences are being devalued, and support for them is in jeopardy.

Stand up and let your voice be heard: uofl.me/as-defend.

"Political and business leaders will not promote, value, or fund these things unless we demand that they do so. But if a society does not value the broad liberal arts and sciences, it is doomed to irrelevance and decay. For what shall it profit a society to make the trains run on time, if there's nowhere worth going?"

-- Avery Kolers, Professor of Philosophy and President of the UofL chapter of the AAUP