The POST | November 2018

November 2018

Dear colleagues,

During my first month as acting provost, I have been enjoying getting to know you.
As you likely know, I joined Marquette in 2016 as dean of the J. William and Mary Diederich College of Communication. Prior to that, I was associate dean of the College of Arts and Letters at California State University, Sacramento, where I also chaired the department of communication studies, directed the Center for Teaching and Learning and was professor of communication studies. During my 20 years at Sacramento State, I co-chaired the President’s Committee to Build Campus Unity, which programmed and executed campus-wide conversations on topics such as discrimination, identity and privilege.

As acting provost, I am committed to upholding our commitment to diversity and the ongoing progress of the strategic plan as we discussed at the Beyond Boundaries: A Campus Conversation event earlier this month. In this eighth edition of the POST, we provide a wealth of opportunities to learn, engage and contribute.

We welcome our new Core Curriculum director and highlight several important initiatives that will advance the university in the areas of strategic plan, community engagement, innovation and faculty development. Finally, we provide some important reminders and ways you can honor and celebrate your colleagues and advance their work.

May you have a productive end to your semester, and to you and yours I wish a holiday season of joy and peace,

-Kimo Ah Yun, acting provost

Graduate Student Week

Graduate Student Week, Feb. 18–22, 2019, will celebrate the importance of graduate students and the significant research they do at Marquette. The week will include various professional development workshops, a networking event, poster sessions and panel discussions related to graduate students. To recognize outstanding teaching and service, a graduate student will be presented with the Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Assistant Award. The week will end with the second annual Three-Minute Thesis competition. For more information, go to the Graduate Student Week website.

Marquette Forum: Democracy in Troubled Times

This fall the Marquette community has been busy exploring “Democracy in Troubled Times,” with wide-ranging events including an Immigration Forum led by Michael Neblo of The Ohio State University, a panel on faith and democracy with President Michael R. Lovell and faith leaders across Greater Milwaukee, and a conversation with Elizabeth Hinton of Harvard University and art critic Christian Viveros-Fauné on art and incarceration.

Spring 2019 highlights include:

Jan. 31 – Dr. Barbara Ransby, historian and activist, will be a Metcalfe Chair, presenting on black freedom movements.
Feb. 6 — David Archambault, former chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and leader of the pipeline protests, will discuss activism and political protest. Cosponsored by the Marquette Democracy Project and Mission Week.
Feb. 21 — Dr. Kelly Hernandez, professor of history and African American studies at UCLA, will present on race, immigration and mass incarceration. Cosponsored by the Center for Urban Research Teaching and Outreach, UWM, and UW-Madison.
April 24 — Dr. Vesla Weaver, political scientist, will discuss the Portals Project, connecting communities globally through immersive audiovisual technologies.

Faculty interested in incorporating Marquette Forum events into their courses for the spring 2019 semester or who have ideas for the Marquette Forum theme and/or events for academic year 2019–20 can contact the forum steering committee by emailing John Su, vice provost for academic affairs.

For upcoming events, see the forum website.

James Marten named acting director of the Marquette Core Curriculum

James Marten, professor and chair of the Department of History, has been named the acting director of the Marquette Core Curriculum. The director of the Marquette Core Curriculum is charged with overseeing the implementation of the new core and working with faculty from across the undergraduate colleges to develop transformative education experiences for students.

Marten has been a member of the Department of History since 1986 and department chair since 2004. Winner of the 2008 Haggerty Award for Excellence in Research, his university service includes chairing the implementation committee for the First-Year Reading Program, acting as a faculty mentor, serving on the Faculty Council, and advising pre-majors, Burke Scholars, Metcalfe scholars, and honors students. He is one of the founding members of the Marquette Core Curriculum Committee. “I look forward to the challenge of building on the fine work of former director Sarah Feldner in implementing the MCC in ways sensitive to the needs of students, faculty and departments,” Marten writes.

Marten replaces Feldner, who has transitioned to the role of acting dean of the Diederich College of Communication. Feldner describes Marten as “well-positioned to keep building on the MCC successes to date and moving the implementation process forward.” A campus-wide search for the permanent director is scheduled to occur in spring 2019.

Methods of Inquiry call for proposals

The Marquette Core Curriculum Committee invites proposals for Methods of Inquiry courses to be taught beginning in the 2019–20 academic year. MOIs — the most distinctive element of the new core — prepare students for the multidisciplinary approaches of the Discovery Tier by comparing and contrasting the approach of three substantially different disciplines to a common theme, with each faculty member responsible for a five-week unit. A detailed description of the purpose and parameters of the MOI and a Word version of the proposal form can be found on the Methods of Inquiry tab at the Marquette Core Curriculum website. Deadline is Jan. 15, 2019.

If you have an idea for an MOI, but are seeking other faculty for a team, please contact Core Curriculum Director James Marten. If you want to teach but are looking for a topic, go to the MOI tab on the MCC website and check out the ideas that emerged from a recent MOI brainstorming session. All other queries should be directed to Marten.

Retirement and emeritus status request deadlines

Dec. 3, 2018 at 4:30 p.m., is the deadline for applying for spring 2019 retirement. Please contact Sally Doyle, assistant provost for budget and division operations, with questions. Late applications are not accepted.

Dec. 14, 2018, is the deadline for tenured or full-time participating faculty members to submit to their dean a letter requesting promotion to emerita/emeritus status. See the emeritus guidelines and promotion and tenure calendar deadlines for more information.

Costing out of programs

Dr. Jenny Watson, vice provost for academic planning, has assembled a committee to review the costing out of programs in program review. The ultimate goal is to create a template that is understandable and can be useful campus wide on a variety of levels. Please contact Watson for more information.

Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Faculty Award

Nominations are being accepted for the Marquette University Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Faculty Award. Each year, the Office of the Provost, supported by the Office of the President, recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates exemplary leadership and that manifests the ideals of diversity, equity and inclusion through practical action. Recipients may demonstrate this commitment across a range of possibilities: student-centered inclusion initiatives; efforts to support recruitment and retention of diverse faculty and/or students; teaching and/or research that expands and embraces our understanding of inclusiveness; multicultural programming or related initiatives; community outreach activities; or several other possibilities. Members of the Marquette community, including students, staff and faculty, are encouraged to nominate one or more candidates. Please nominate using the online form. Deadline is Dec. 3, 2018.

Call for honorary degree nominations

Each year Marquette celebrates its values and commitment to excellence by awarding honorary degrees and including in its graduating class a number of outstanding individuals recognized for their exceptional achievements. President Michael R. Lovell invites the campus community to help identify future honorary degree recipients.

The Committee on University Honors considers nominees in three categories:

High profile individuals who could serve as the commencement speaker
Individuals who have distinguished themselves as academics and/or intellectuals
Individuals who have distinguished themselves in public and/or community service to our community and/or our larger society

Please nominate using the online form or the University Honors website. Deadline is Dec. 10, 2018.

Way Klingler Faculty Development Awards

Way Klingler Teaching Enhancement Award — Fosters the development of effective and sustainable changes and innovations in teaching approaches within specific courses or clusters of courses. This annual award is given to a team of two or more faculty to develop, implement and evaluate a specific teaching project. One award of up to $20,000 will be given to the selected project team for one fiscal year. The focus this year is on high-impact educational practices. Application deadline is Dec. 7, 2018.
Way Klingler Fellowship — Given to full-time regular faculty at the associate or full professor rank with significant scholarship and higher potential. Faculty will be nominated by academic deans or self-nominated with dean endorsement. Based upon a recommendation from the selection committee, Way Klingler Fellowships will be awarded in two categories, labeled “science” or “humanities/social sciences.” (Check with your dean’s office to confirm the college application deadline.) Note: To provide the opportunity for as many faculty as possible to benefit from the Way Klingler Fellowship, the Committee on Research voted to restrict past recipients from being considered again until 10 years after their original award date. Application deadline for submission by the deans is Jan. 11, 2019.
Way Klingler Young Scholar Awards — Supports promising young scholars in critical stages of their careers. Up to four awards will be given for 2019–20 to full-time regular junior faculty in the three years following their third-year review. The awards are intended to fund $2,000 in operating cost and to cover a portion of salary to afford the recipient a one-semester release from teaching. Application deadline is Jan. 4, 2019. (Check with your dean’s office to confirm the college application deadline.)

Faculty Success Program

Applications are now being accepted for participation during summer or fall 2019 in a 12-week intensive mentoring experience offered as an online program through the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity. All full-time assistant and associate professors are eligible to participate. More than two dozen Marquette faculty have already participated and have found this program to be extremely helpful, even transformational. The program is designed to equip faculty with the skills and strategies necessary to increase research productivity, promote effective time management, and maximize work-life balance. Please see the Provost Office website for additional information and the online application. Application deadline is March 1, 2019.

Faculty mini-grants for diversity, equity and inclusion

In spring 2019, the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion will start awarding summer grants for full-time faculty from any discipline to develop new courses or significantly revise existing courses to infuse themes of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Application details are now available. For inquiries, please contact Dr. William Welburn or Jacki Black.

Community Engaged Research Partnership Development Grants

The Office of Community Engagement invites applicants to seek funding for the Community Engaged Research Partnership Development Grant. This grant will provide a stipend to a faculty member and community organization to forge a new community engaged research partnership that produces a research pilot project in response to a mutually identified community need. The purpose of this stipend is to expand the number of bi-directional, community engaged research partnerships. Submitted projects should include a predetermined faculty member/community partner in Milwaukee County, and respond to one of the following key community issues: health, education, incarceration and/or poverty. Awards will be announced in early May. Research partnership development will occur July 2019 – June 2020. Applications should be emailed to Dr. Dan Bergen, executive director, Office of Community Engagement. Deadline is March 22, 2019.

Marquette University Community Engaged Scholars Network Spring Meeting

The Marquette University Community Engaged Scholars Network convenes once a semester to explore and address opportunities for and challenges to engagement in research and teaching. Participating faculty members will have the chance to network with and learn from one another regarding this important framework for scholarly activity. The spring meeting will be held Wednesday, March 27, 2019, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Interested faculty members should contact Dr. Dan Bergen, executive director, Office of Community Engagement.