April 17, 2024

Dear Colleagues,

The last week of classes is well underway, and I hope you know how appreciative I am of your dedication and focus on our students. There have been many priorities we’ve asked you to consider and work on—I thank you for your time and enthusiasm.

This Friday we will recognize the nominees and recipients of the second annual Student Success Champions Awards. I hope to see you there! Additional information, including time and location, are listed in the Events section below.

Campus Scholarship and Innovation Campaign Update

We’re in the final week of the Campus Scholarship and Innovation Campaign! We have reached 39% participation so far, with staff participation accounting for a 72% contribution rate and faculty contributions making up 28% of the total. The goal of this campaign is 50% participation of faculty and staff with a minimum donation of $5, so make your contribution today!

The academic-related area contributions as of Monday, April 15, are:

University Libraries – 56% participation
College of Graduate Programs and Honors Studies – 54% participation
College of Engineering and Computer Science – 40% participation (4% increase over week 4)
College of Liberal Arts – 38% participation (10% increase over week 4)
College of Health, Education, and Human Services – 36% participation (2% increase over week 4)
Lake Campus – 34% participation (6% increase over week 4)
Raj Soin College of Business – 31% participation (2% increase over week 4)
College of Science and Mathematics – 23% participation (7% increase over week 4)
Boonshoft School of Medicine – 14% participation (1% increase over week 4)

Provost Fellow – Application Due Friday

It is not too late to apply for the Provost’s Faculty Fellows Program. Additional information, including application instructions, can be found on the Faculty Affairs webpage. The deadline to submit your application is this Friday, April 19, by 3 p.m.

Faculty Affairs

Please remember that faculty have an obligation to meet all of their scheduled classes throughout the scheduled time, throughout the academic year. The academic year includes finals week. Faculty who are not using the final exam period to give a cumulative final exam should notify their department chairs regarding the alternative experience planned for that period.
As mentioned in a previous newsletter, since much has changed from prior collective bargaining agreements, it is important to review the updated information about annual faculty reviews in Article 11 (PDF) of the new CBA. Selected highlights are:

Beginning this fall, annual reviews will be due September 15. Faculty will report their academic year activities for the previous academic year (thus, fall 2023 to spring 2024) not for the calendar year, as in the past (11.7)
Submissions will solely be collected through information entered by faculty in Watermark’s Faculty Success software.
- One-hour user training sessions and system overview and submissions training (new) are available.
Evaluation of teaching and service as well as scholarship for TETs will be based on a five-point scoring system. (11.3)
Teaching and service will be evaluated for the year under review only; scholarship will be evaluated for the year under review, with the merit score for that year then averaged with the two prior years. (11.2)
Criteria for evaluation of teaching and service have changed; see section 11.6.
The provost or a provost designee may also periodically review the productivity of faculty who are either tenured or on continuing contract. (11.9)

Responsible Conduct of Research Training

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training through the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs is underway this spring. The remaining forums will be held:

Series A: April 29 and May 6 at 9:00 a.m. in 132 Oelman Hall
Series B: April 17, May 1, and May 8 at 1:00 p.m. in 132 Oelman Hall

The 50-minute sessions address core areas of Responsible Conduct of Research and discuss the structure of the program. Grant contracts may require researcher participation in Responsible Conduct of Research programs.

Contractual RCR Requirements: Faculty, staff, students, and external collaborators whose research is supported by NSF or NIH must periodically participate in the RCR forums and program. This includes anyone who can influence the results and validity of your research. The RCR program requires participation in four forum sessions at four-year intervals.

Persons who desire to, or are required to, participate in the RCR program can register for upcoming sessions. Although only required for NSF- or NIH-funded research, anyone is welcome to attend.

Benefits – Dependent Audit Verification

As previously communicated, Wright State is currently conducting an audit of employees covering a dependent on their healthcare plans. BMI, the university’s dependent audit third-party administrator, sent letters requesting supporting documentation by April 26, 2024. This correspondence was mailed to your home address on file with Human Resources.

If you did not receive a letter, please contact BMI at 877-634-7780, Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., and Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. to request login instructions to retrieve your letter from the BMI portal. BMI assigned each employee a confidential audit identification number to access BMI’s portal.

If you have completed the verification process with BMI, no further action is required.

If you have questions regarding the status of your dependent audit, please contact BMI at 877-634-7780, Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., and Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Events

The University Awards for Student Success Champions recognition event will be held on Friday, April 19, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the Berry Auditorium (009) in the Student Success Center. Faculty and staff are encouraged to attend. Registration is not required, and light refreshments will be provided.
The University Libraries and the Friends of the Libraries invite you to join us at the annual Friends of the Libraries Luncheon on Wednesday, April 24, at 11:00 a.m. in the Wright State Nutter Center Berry Room. Our featured speaker is Vick Mickunas, host of the “Book Nook,” an author interview program on WYSO. A lunch buffet will be provided.

Registration is required and must be completed today. All proceeds benefit the Friends of the Libraries. If you need accommodations for this event, please call 937-775-2380 five business days in advance.

When a Student Needs Support

Wright.edu/help is a great resource for helping students or making referrals. This site contains contact information for emergency or essential departments that can assist your students all in one location.

I hope you all have a wonderful week! You are appreciated!

Amy Thompson, Ph.D.
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs