Office of Faculty Development & Faculty Success

November 2021 Monthly Newsletter

Halfway there

Did you realize that last weekend marked the halfway point of the semester? Neither did we. Nationwide, campuses are stretched thin, with health offices reporting a high need for their services and shortages of dining hall workers.

Everyone needs a break and some healthy coping strategies. Take some advice from the Cleveland Clinic, and start with a good night’s sleep. If you can, consider a sabbatical to reduce your academic workload and make time for research or writing. See below for our office’s upcoming Successful Sabbaticals panel.

Faculty Impact: Combining social justice with clinical practice

Firstly, I acknowledge the land on which I work, study, and learn, Detroit or Waawiyaataanong is the original homeland of the Anishinaabe, and commit to learning to be a better steward of this land and the indigenous peoples to whom it belongs.

My name is Dr. Ijeoma Nnodim Opara, assistant professor, Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, Wayne State University (WSU) School of Medicine and attending physician, Wayne Health. I’m a woman of purpose and passion. I describe my purpose in the modified words of President Barack Obama regarding the late congressman John Lewis, “I’m a woman of pure joy and an unbreakable commitment to justice.” Continue reading Faculty Succes here.

Are you enjoying Faculty Impact? Nominate a colleague or volunteer to contribute.

Changes to the Student Evaluation of Teaching (SETs)

Testing, Evaluation, and Research Services would like everyone to be aware of some changes to the introduction wording and order of the SETs. The data points collected will not change, nor will the comment boxes, and feedback put into the comment boxes will still only go to the instructor as they currently do. The hope is that these alterations will reduce biases in the SET items and are based on research on reducing biases in performance ratings.

NCFDD Faculty Success Program

Registration is open for the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity’s (NCFDD) Spring 2022 Faculty Success Program. Better known as ‘boot camp,’ this 12-week online program helps tenure-track and tenured faculty with the skills necessary to increase research and writing productivity while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Remember: eligible faculty & academic staff can use funds from the Tenured Faculty/ESS Academic Staff Professional Development Program to attend.

Upcoming programming

Successful Sabbaticals | Noon - 1:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 1

Do I really have a good enough plan for a sabbatical? I don’t have time for a sabbatical-do I? How do I write a successful sabbatical application? These questions and more will be answered by a panel of faculty who have recently taken sabbaticals. A Fulbright Ambassador will also describe the benefits of completing a Fulbright Program while on a sabbatical.

New Faculty Series: Student Disability Services | Noon - 1:00 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12

Join us for this informational seminar with Student Disability Services (SDS). During this session, faculty will see an overview of disability services, including SDS procedures, faculty and student rights & responsibilities, how faculty can support students with disabilities, and course accessibility. Representatives will also be available for a Q&A.

Writing for The Conversation | Noon - 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1

The Conversation is an independent, non-profit news organization dedicated to explanatory journalism: by sharing faculty members’ specialist news analyses with other news organizations via syndication, they unlock the knowledge of experts for the public good. The Conversation has published several high-quality articles by WSU faculty who have shared their research expertise. Learn from one of the publication’s editors and a panel of WSU faculty who have written for them how to craft and pitch articles for The Conversation.

Check our website and follow us on Twitter to learn about additional upcoming professional development programming.