Monday Memo November 23, 2015
Message from the Associate Dean for Advising
Dear Colleagues,
Effective academic advising is essential to student success and is crucial in their holistic development as they move toward their educational goals and career aspirations. It is much more than telling students what classes to take and when to take them. In the Arts & Sciences Center for Advising and Support Services, we seek to connect students to opportunities that will enhance their experience in and outside of the classroom, while encouraging them to explore and grow in their skills, interests, and values.
In the last 30 days, the Arts & Sciences Center for Advising and Support Services has served over 3,000 students. Being the largest unit on campus, we are in a unique position to assist the highest number of students, giving us a tremendous opportunity and an even greater responsibility to make their experience here at UofL more meaningful.
One of the challenges we face is not having a standard of advising practice at the professional and faculty level. We all have our own unique approach to the advising and mentorship of students, but we lack consistent communication and defined benchmarks. Some of the things we can do in order to have more consistent and measurably effective advising and mentorship include the following:
- Establishing a minimum criterion of service during individual appointments;
- Defining a formal partnership between professional advising and faculty mentorship;
- Cultivating student/faculty relationships once a student has been admitted to their major of study. These relationships can provide students with a better understanding of their chosen discipline, as well as an awareness of discipline-specific opportunities that include research, scholarships, and access to student and professional organizations;
- Utilizing technology to maximize the efficiency and accuracy of information relayed to students, but not to bypass individual interactions;
- Creating a culture where advising is seen as an essential element to student success, rather than a hindrance;
- Fostering open communication between professional advisors and faculty to ensure consistent messages to students.
I encourage anyone who serves in an advising role to share with me your thoughts, ideas, and vision for the future of our practice in Arts & Sciences.
Sincerely,
Danielle Dolan
Assistant Dean for Advising
Announcements
Textbook orders (past) due Nov. 5
Book orders were due in the bookstore before registration began on Nov. 5. The university is obliged to provide textbook information during registration. Please post textbook information before the Thanksgiving break. Visit textbook ordering instructions.
Know an amazing student graduating in December?
The A&S Dean’s Office is looking for compelling stories of students who will be graduating this December. If you know someone or have a story to share, please email Melissa Moody .
Missing Syllabi Fall 2015
Please make sure your fall 2015 syllabi are on Blackboard. If you are not sure if you have posted your syllabi, visit Missing Syllabi for more info.
Latin American and Iberian fellowship deadline Dec. 2
Applications for the 2016 Richard and Constance Lewis Fellowships and Scholarships in Latin American and Iberian Studies are now available. Funded by the Richard and Constance Lewis Fund for Latin American and Iberian Studies, these programs provide funds for faculty development for the purpose of enhancing the knowledge of and interest in Latin American and Iberian subjects at the University of Louisville, as well as funds to support student study abroad in Latin America, Spain, and Portugal.
Internal RFP for innovative proposals deadline Jan. 15
The School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies (SIGS) and the Office of Research and Innovation announce an internal RFP for innovative proposals to drive UofL's Academic and Research Excellence for the 21st Century. The grant is for interdisciplinary groups and will provide up to $250,000 for three years. Visit this website, which includes a downloadable budget template and instructions for submitting the proposal. Deadline is Jan. 15, 2016.
A&S Awards: Nominations due Dec. 1
The deadline is fast approaching! Please nominate your faculty and staff colleagues for a 2015-16 A&S award. Awards will be given at the College’s first-ever Celebration of A&S Excellence at the Red Barn on March 10, 2016. In addition, the winners of each qualifying award category will be forwarded to the President and/or Provost’s Offices as the College’s nominations for the corresponding University-wide awards. The various awards include the A&S Distinguished Faculty Awards, the Outstanding Performance Awards for staff, the Supervisor Awards, the Diversity Champion Awards and the Hall of Honor, and faculty and staff award recipients receive a $500 stipend.
Teaching, Research, Creative Activities & Service
Prof. Dugatkin lectures in Denmark
Prof. Lee Dugatkin (Biology) gave a series of four lectures over three days at The Interacting Minds Centre at The University of Aarhus, Denmark on his work in evolution and behavior.
Profs. Walker and Hart co-author award-winning book
Profs. Kandi Walker and Joy Hart (Communication) are chapter authors in Teaching Communication Activism: Communication Education for Social Justice, which received the 2015 Distinguished Edited Book Award from the Applied Communication Division of the National Communication Association. The award was presented Nov. 19 at the association's annual meeting.
Kudos & Congratulations
English Ph.D. student Alvarez wins award
Second-year Ph.D. student Sara Alvarez (English) received the Early Career Educator of Color award, a major National Council of Teachers of English award, in Minneapolis this past weekend.
Congrats to the UofL Quiz Bowl team
The UofL Quiz Bowl team went 5-0 to finish first in Division I at the KCQRL Tournament at the University of Pikeville. The team defeated University of Pikeville A (60-26), Transylvania (52-34), University of the Cumberlands (54-29), University of Pikeville B (71-5), and Ohio University Southern (76-14). The team’s total points for the tournament were 87 points higher than the second place team. Team members competing Saturday were Megan Seldon (English major), Clayton Truman (Chemical Engineering Major), Jacob Wollam (English major), and Amos Zoeller (Bioengineering major). The team returns to action this weekend with one team competing at the Missouri Open at Michigan State and 3 teams competing at the Delta Burke Invitational at JCTC SW. The team is coached by Matt Church and Eddie Bobbitt, in A&S Advising.
In the News
Supporters gather for Paris attack victims (The Courier-Journal, 11/16/2015) – UofL French students and faculty gathered for a vigil following the terrorist attacks in Paris.
Local art on display during Open Studio Weekend (WDRB, 11/14/2015) – On the University of Louisville Hite Art Institute's third annual Open Studio Weekend.
Burmese refugees in Louisville hopeful after pro-democracy party win (Insider Louisville, 11/16/2015) – Jason Abbott, the director and Aung San Suu Kyi endowed chair of the Center for Asian Democracy at the University of Louisville, on recent elections in Burma.
French, UofL professor reacts to Paris terrorist attacks (WLKY, 11/16/2015) – French professor Matthieu Dalle (Classical & Modern Languages) on the terrorist attacks in Paris.
Millennials: Linked by social media, unattached to religion, eager to grow career (WLKY, 11/17/2015) – Prof. Matthew Ruther (Urban & Public Affairs), director of the Kentucky State Data Center, on the diversity and digital immersion of millennials.
State Workers Brace For Bevin Transition in Frankfort (WFPL, 11/18/2015) – Prof. Dewey Clayton (Political Science) on the realignment of state government offices after a new party is elected.
Louisville Metro Police Less Active In Year Since Ferguson (WFPL, 11/18/2015) and Study: Officers less motivated post-Ferguson (The Courier-Jorunal, 11/18/2015) – On a study co-authored by Prof. Justin Nix (Criminal Justice) on the so-called “Ferguson Effect.”
Can a butterfly save a human life? (The Courier-Journal, 11/18/2015) – Prof. John Gilderbloom (Urban & Public Affairs) on the grief, and how to find hope and renewal.
Did You Know?
The College of Arts & Sciences teaches in 22 buildings across the University of Louisville.
