Monday Update: Vent with the Provost
It’s 2021! Woohoo! We’re glad 2020 is over. With a little time off for rest and relaxation, we’re all feeling recharged and ready for the new semester! Right? Well, maybe not.
A national survey by the Chronicle of Higher Education based on responses from 1,122 faculty indicate that colleagues across the country feel burned out and that the effects of COVID-19 are having disparate effects on women and other groups including colleagues of color.
Our colleagues in student affairs have been working, as described in a recent Chronicle article titled, They’re Called #TeamNoSleep, “in overdrive since the pandemic began, scrambling to keep students physically and mentally safe, fed, housed, outfitted for virtual learning, and as engaged as possible in this Bizarro World version of college life”.
So, if you’re not feeling energized to start the semester, you are not alone. If you want to chat or if there’s something specific you think the Provost Office can do to assist, please feel free to call me (Rob) at 262-595-2261 or drop me a note ducoffe@uwp.edu.
Spring Course Update
As of January 4, a little more than a third of our courses are scheduled to be delivered either fully in-person or with at least some in-person component. Here are the percentages:
In-Person 22%
Hybrid 12%
Synchronous Online 20%
Asynchronous Online 46%
Room assignments have been made for all in-person and hybrid classes. Please check your class schedules in SOLAR and work with your deans and with the reservations office to request changes.
Resources Available through Innovations in Learning
Innovations in Learning offers a full array of support services for faculty and instructional staff involved in online learning, from instructional design to Canvas support to technical support. Please visit their website for complete listings of services and events, and for links to past newsletters.
Summer Professional Development Opportunities
A number of professional development workshops will be offered during Summer 2021. These include the Online Course Developer’s Workshop, the Advanced Online Course Developer’s Workshop, the Summer Institute on Culturally Relevant Teaching, and separate workshops on Community Based Learning, Student Internships, and Incorporating High Impact Practices into General Education Courses. Please contact the Provost’s Office, provost@uwp.edu, for additional information.
Funding for other Professional Development Activities
Funding for research, conference participation and other professional development activities is available from three sources, the Academic Staff Professional Development Fund (ASPDF), the Faculty and Academic Staff Professional Development Fund (FASPOF), and the Committee on Research and Creative Activity (CRCA). Given the limited amount of travel being undertaken, all three of these groups have funds remaining for the rest of this academic year. Please contact Tina Radley, radley@uwp.edu, for additional information.