On track for the end of the year
We've almost made it to the end of the semester and 2024. If you're extra stressed out around this time of year, you're not alone. Consider claiming a quiet week or taking a break with an Online SKY Happiness Program, free of charge, thanks to a CLAS Social Justice Grant. Remember, classes end on December 10, and the university will be closed from Wednesday, Dec. 25 - Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. Do you have any specific personal or academic goals that you want to make sure you accomplish between now and the start of classes in 2025? Much as we often encourage you to sit down and make a plan for the semester, consider taking the time to do the same for the upcoming break: designate days on the calendar when you won’t check email to help you be intentional about spending time with family and friends and/or relaxing and recharging alone. Write down any projects that you want to work on, break them into manageable chunks, and take a moment to block off time on the calendar to save space for them. Most of all, take time to rest and reflect, and we'll see you all in January! Coming up this monthEffective graduate mentoring | New faculty seminar series
December faculty chat
Visualizing your next steps
Upcoming deadlinesClick the name of the program for more details and to apply: Murray E. Jackson University Creative Scholar in the Arts Award (Deadline: Dec. 13, 2024) If you're interested in applying for the President's Awards for Excellence in Teaching or any other teaching award, the Academy of Teachers (AoT) has offered its support to prospective applicants for any form of teaching recognition. The AoT will hold a workshop at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12; please reach out to Dr. Norma Love-Schropshire to attend the workshop or if you'd like their feedback in putting together a packet or updating your teaching philosophy statement. These workshops are open to all WSU faculty, but they particularly welcome BIPOC faculty who are interested in applying to join them. Please note: beginning in the 2024 awards cycle, nominations for awards celebrated at the Spring Academic Recognition Ceremony must include a draft award citation. See our website for tips on how to write these citations. ALA applications now openApplications to next year's ALA cohort are open through April 18, 2025. The Academic Leadership Academy (ALA) was created to offer leadership training to faculty and academic staff who often do not have the opportunity to engage in leadership development and mentoring before taking on formal or informal leadership roles. By participating in the one-year program, participants, known as ALA Fellows, build on their emerging leadership skills by applying what they learn to their current roles or a leadership project of their choice. Have questions about the ALA? Stay tuned next semester for virtual Q&A sessions. Coming up at the NCFDD4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 | LIVE ON ZOOM: Weekly Wrap-Up: Reflections & Planning for Success 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10 | LIVE ON ZOOM: Virtual Writing Session
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Register for our virtual session at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10, as we're joined by Jeff Pruchnic, Associate Dean for Student Affairs in the Graduate School. In this session, we will cover best practices for graduate student mentoring, how to navigate challenging advising scenarios, how to create robust mentoring networks, and how to craft advising agreements that empower both mentors and mentees.
The Office of Faculty Affairs and Development is excited to invite you to join us for another informal virtual coffee break at 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10. These are a great opportunity to take a breather, connect with colleagues, ask questions, or discuss a variety of topics in a relaxed setting. (This is an informal drop-in session; Zoom registration is being used merely to facilitate reminders.)
Join the 
Sara Kacin, Assistant Provost