Seasonal transitions

Officially, the seasons changed a few weeks ago, and we're running out the clock on the last few days of warmth before Autumn weather sets in. Hopefully, we'll all have settled into the new semester groove well before the cold weather settles in over Midtown.

Whether you're wistfully clinging to short sleeves or can't wait to break out the cardigans, get comfortable for a moment and check out what's coming up this month from our office and around the university.  

Make your voice heard

Relax, we won't call you. As part of our ongoing commitment to fostering an environment of learning and growth on campus, we're conducting a brief survey to assess the effectiveness of mentoring at Wayne State University. We know you're busy, but please check your email for an invitation to fill out the survey to help us learn what is going well and identify areas of improvement.

Coming up this month

Academic Grading and Policies

Join us at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10, for this session with the Office of the Registrar to learn about academic policies and procedures, including grading and course and program proposals. This virtual session was developed for new faculty, but all are welcome. Presented by Kurt Kruschinska, University Registrar. 

International Opportunities
for New Faculty

Interested to learn how you could teach with partners abroad as a WSU faculty member? Maybe you would like to connect your students virtually with students at a partner institution for a cross-cultural experience? For this and all things international, the coordinator for faculty engagement and global learning in our Office of International Programs (OIP) is here to help.

In this session at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 13, new faculty will learn what opportunities are available within OIP, specifically COIL projects, faculty-led study abroad programs and fellowships, and ways to globalize courses and programs. 

Title IX: What You Need to Know

Join us at 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, for a webinar with WSU’s Title IX Director Brandy Banks to understand your Title IX reporting responsibilities at WSU and your critical role in cultivating an equitable and respectful learning environment. In this session, we will also cover the University’s sexual misconduct and harassment policies and support resources available to our campus community.

Remember, faculty have a vital role to play in ensuring Title IX compliance and the safety of our students, so it is important to complete Meridians Title IX Training by Wednesday, Oct. 11. 

Panel: Successful Sabbaticals

Is this the moment to take some time away from instruction and service to learn something new, focus on research, or finish that manuscript? Do you even have time for a sabbatical? How do you plan for it and write a successful application? At 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 31, these questions and more will be answered by a virtual panel featuring faculty who have recently taken sabbaticals. 

Upcoming deadlines

The following programs have deadlines at the end of the month – be sure to get your application in! Check out one of our previous messages if you need a reminder of what you can use these funds for.

Academic Staff with ESS Professional Development Program (pdf) (Fall Deadline: October 31)
Tenured Faculty Professional Development Program (pdf) (Fall Deadline: October 31)

Coming up at the OTL

Looking for resources to enrich your instructional methods and engage with students more effectively? The Office for Teaching & Learning (OTL) is offering a new Virtual Brown Bag (VBB) series this academic year focused on High-impact Practices (HIPs). Teaching and learning practices are designated as HIPs based on evidence of significant educational benefits to students who participate in them. Join the OTL and a featured WSU faculty member for a once-a-month virtual lunch-and-learn webinar and Q&A highlighting a new HIP.

Learning Communities | 12:15-12:45 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6   ⬅️  This week!
First-year Seminars and Experiences | 12:15-12:45 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10 
Service Learning, Community | 12:15-12:45 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1

Coming up at the NCFDD

2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12 | Register for SKILL #9: How to Engage in Healthy Conflict

In this webinar, participants will gain an understanding of conflict management as a key component necessary for success in academia. The goal is to empower academics early in their careers to handle departmental disagreements and politics without emotional or relational drain.

2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18 | Register for Faculty Success Program Preview Webinar: 5 Secrets to a Super-Productive Semester

This webinar will offer strategies for avoiding common academic writing errors, maximizing research output, and creating a supportive community to combat professional isolation. Participants will also be encouraged to consider registering for the Faculty Success Program (FSP) - a multi-week boot camp designed to boost academic productivity, particularly in areas of research and writing, that consistently improves productivity for over 90% of participants. If you are interested in the FSP, our office would recommend you explore attending with the financial support of the Tenured Faculty Professional Development Program.

2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24 | Register for Dynamic Presentations: How to Engage Audiences at Conferences, in the Classroom, and Beyond!

This webinar discusses the importance of audience engagement for public presentations and provides strategies for capturing and keeping the attention of an audience in various contexts.

2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2 | Register for Live on Zoom: Knowing Your Worth: How to Approach Negotiations in Academia

In this webinar, presenters will discuss how to negotiate salaries, leave, and other elements of employment at an academic institution. They will consider how to assess academics' leverage, what elements might constrain possibilities for obtaining a better offer, and how to know when you've exhausted the negotiating process.