Monday Memo January 9, 2017
Message from the Dean
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to the new calendar year and the start of spring semester. I hope everyone enjoyed the winter break and is ready to get back to work.
With the departures of Dr. Pinto and Mr. Sands this month and the rapid passage of SB12 last week, we can expect some more changes to the upper administration of our university. We need to pay attention and assist where we are able, but we also need to keep our focus on doing what we do well—teaching the majority of UofL students and conducting important research and creative activity. As campus-wide conversations continue regarding enrollment and revenue growth, I will continue to champion all the work we do related both to students in our degree programs and in the general education curriculum. This dual responsibility will be an important consideration as the university moves toward a new budget model based on performance measures.
On a different note, those faculty and staff who will receive an adjustment as part of phase 1 of the salary equity adjustment initiative should see the first installment in their January paychecks. A&S faculty will receive $454,620 of the $1 million faculty allocation. These adjustments will help about one-third of our faculty – those who are currently paid the least in comparison to their benchmark peers. UofL staff will also receive $1 million in adjustments, and HR is directly determining the allocation of those funds. Although these increases won’t solve our salary problems, they are a promising start.
My best to you as you finish preparing for the Spring 2017 semester,
Kimberly Kempf-Leonard
Dean
Announcements
Nominate a colleague for Faculty & Staff Awards by Jan. 11
There are two days left to nominate a colleague for the 2016-17 A&S awards for faculty and staff. The awards will be given at the annual Celebration of A&S Excellence in April 2017. In addition, the winners in 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 A&S Outstanding Performance Awards for staff, the A&S Supervisor Awards, the Diversity Champion Awards, and induction into the A&S Hall of Honor. Learn more, including awards’ criteria and how to submit a nomination.
Transdisciplinary social justice research grants deadline Jan. 31
The Cooperative Consortium for Transdisciplinary Social Justice Research is offering new competitive faculty research opportunities to begin in early 2017. The Consortium was created to fund social justice research teams, projects, creative activities, and community-engaged scholarship addressing intransigent social problems and systemic inequalities. Funding is available for transdisciplinary research teams as defined in the Call for Proposals (CFP). The CFP has a late January 2017 deadline and is available on the Muhammad Ali Institute website and the Anne Braden Institute website. The Consortium is funded as a 21st Century University Initiative through an iRFP grant and matching funds from seven colleges and units, as well as several University offices. For more info, contact Cate Fosl and Enid Trucios-Haynes.
Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP)
Faculty with students interested in continuing their education should encourage them to apply for the SROP, which provides undergraduates who would like to know more about graduate-level education at the university with a 10-week 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, 2017. For more information, visit SROP.
Committee on Committees social and natural science vacancies
The Committee on Committees is soliciting nominations for candidates to fill a social science vacancy on the Planning and Budget Committee to serve through the Spring 2018 semester, and a natural science vacancy on the Personnel Committee to serve through the Spring 2019 semester. Membership on the Planning and Budget Committee is open to any member of the A&S faculty with the exception of chairpersons. Membership on the College’s Personnel Committee is open to faculty members with tenure and who are not serving on a departmental personnel committee. The College’s standing rules preclude persons from the same department from serving simultaneously, so only candidates from Biology, Chemistry, or Math may be elected to the Personnel Committee at this time. If you are interested in standing for election to one of these committees, please contact Dwain Pruitt in the dean’s office or one of the other committee members: John Greene, Joy Hart, Shira Rabin, or Elaine Wise.
Faculty: Review process for reporting academic misconduct
Faculty, as we begin a new semester, please take a moment to review the process for reporting academic misconduct. Specifically, please remember to copy the student on the letter and remind the student they do have the right to appeal the penalty. Any questions should be sent to Bret Hirsch.
Peer Advisor Call for Nominations
Faculty: do you know an undergraduate student who would make a fantastic Arts & Sciences Peer Advisor? Please consider nominating them for this role for the upcoming summer and academic year. Peer Advisors help advise incoming students during summer orientation and serve as teaching assistants in Gen 101: Arts & Sciences Orientation. Students must be enrolled full-time, have completed 30 college credit hours prior to Spring 2017, and have a 2.75 GPA. Nominate students here.
Teaching, Research, Creative Activities, & Service
Prof. Burden appointed to board of Uspiritus
Prof. Terry Burden (Comparative Humanities) has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Uspiritus, Inc. Uspiritus is a child care agency whose purpose is to provide support and care for children, youth, and other needy persons in cooperation with the Commonwealth of Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Division of Child Care, and the courts of the Commonwealth.
Kudos
Prof. Bunck named Trustees Award winner
Prof. Julie Bunck (Political Science) is the recipient of the 2016 UofL Trustees Award – the highest teaching honor granted by the University – for her extraordinary impact on students.
Ph.D. student Megan Hartline awarded highly selective scholarship
Department of English Ph.D. student Megan Hartline has been named one of the recipients of the Chair's Memorial Scholarship of the Conference on College Composition and Communication - the premier professional body for rhetoric and composition. This award goes to only four graduate students nationwide, so it is a significant achievement for Megan and her faculty mentor Prof. Mary P. Sheridan (English).
LALS Club collects record amount of donations for KRM
The Latin American & Latino Studies Club collected three carloads of donations for Kentucky Refugee Ministries in November and December. It was the largest amount of donations the club has received and was a big help to families being assisted by KRM.
In the News
Going Viral: College Professor Babysits Student's 2 Kids While Single Mom Finishes Final Exams (Parent Herald, 12/6/16) – On Prof. Daniel Krebs (History) watches a student’s children so she can take her final exam.
JCPS fires teacher for using sick leave while on cruise (WDRB) – Prof. Michael Cunningham (Communication) on the repercussions of social media.
Blurring line between reality, illusion in painting (The Courier-Journal, 12/7/16) – On Louisville native Benjamin Duke’s exhibition at the Cressman Center for Visual Arts (Fine Arts) that runs through Jan. 27.
Kentucky scientists join letter to Donald Trump (The Courier-Journal, 12/2/16) – Biology professors Margaret Carreiro and Perry Eason are among the 15 Kentucky scientists, joining 2,300 across the country, who signed a letter to Donald Trump and the incoming Congress urging them to make sure science continues to play a key role in public policy decisions.
Political science professor finds ‘great joy’ in student success (UofL News, 12/13/16) – Prof. Julie Bunck (Political Science) was awarded the 2016 Trustees Award, which honors extraordinary impact on students.
Black Student Unions rise on JCPS campuses (The Courier-Journal, 12/29/16) – Prof. Joy Carew (Pan-African Studies) on the formation of Black Student Unions in JCPS schools.
UofL is using technology to help immigrants get around their new home (WHAS-11, 12/27/16) – Faculty, staff and students in the Department of Geography and Geosciences are creating databases and systems to help refugees and immigrants resettle in Louisville.
Middlebury: Poet Playright to Give Reading (Voices News, 1/4/17) – Prof. Emeritus Jeffrey Skinner (English) will be reading in Vermont on Jan. 20.
UofL College of Arts and Sciences professors share expertise in luncheon talks (The Lane Report, 1/3/17) – On the “Meet the Professor” luncheon series featuring A&S faculty research.
15+ must-see art shows and exhibits Jan. 8-14 (The Courier-Journal, 1/4/17) – On College of Arts & Sciences Fine Arts Department exhibitions.
Kentucky editorial roundup (The Lexington Herald-Leader, 1/4/17) – Prof. Keith Mountain (Geography & Geosciences) on the effects of climate change in Kentucky.
Could You Benefit From Boredom? (U.S. News and World Report, 1/3/17) – Prof. Andreas Elpidorou (Philosophy) on his research into the benefits of boredom.
Congratulations
The December graduates of the Panama Undergraduate Program at QLU. These happy students received BAs in Communication from UofL!
