January 31, 2024

Dear Colleagues,

As we progress through the Spring Semester, and in follow-up to a previous communication, I would like to remind you to remain aware that Dayton will be in the path of a total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8. Classes will be in session on that date. It is estimated that this event will begin around 2 p.m. with totality occurring around 3:13 p.m.

There may be heavy traffic and a lot of visitors to the university for this historic event. This could pose a challenge for commuting students who attend classes that day. I ask that you plan your spring 2024 course schedules accordingly to ensure that students will not be penalized for missing class that day during impacted class time blocks. I suggest you not give any in-class exams or high-stakes assignments during that time.

Further, I encourage you to allow students to have an opportunity to view the eclipse. Special viewing stations will be available on campus. Regardless of what time you hold class that day, I encourage you to further engage your students by incorporating the eclipse event into your course materials and/or assignments, if possible.

New Faculty Workload Policy

Earlier today, a new University faculty workload policy was implemented that will be in effect for the 2024-2025 academic year. This new policy aligns us with many of our peers at other institutions and recognizes the research and service contributions and activity happening to ensure workload balance and equity.

As this is a new policy, I recognize there will be a need to revisit the workload for some faculty based on their activity. Department chairs will use the new policy to make the necessary adjustments and have discussions with faculty. Faculty workloads should be completed by department chairs by Wednesday, February 14, and forwarded to deans and then the Provost’s Office no later than Friday, February 23. Schedule changes should be in place by Monday, February 26, to ensure it is fully developed when registration for fall 2024 and spring 2025 classes begins on March 4.

We will hold a training for department chairs, associate deans, and deans on utilizing the worksheets and formula for determining faculty workloads.

Associate to Full Professor Mentoring Program

Today is the deadline to apply for the inaugural Associate to Full Professor Mentoring Program. Offered by the Provost’s Office, the program is designed to help prepare associate professors for promotion to the rank of full professor.

The Associate to Full Professor Mentoring Program is open to all associate professors interested in going up for promotion in the fall of 2024 or fall of 2025. Participation is limited to 15 faculty members, and preference will be given to applicants who have been at the rank of associate professor for five or more years.

Faculty members in the program will receive guidance to develop goals and a timeline for promotion, understand department and college promotion procedures, and construct a promotion dossier. Participants will have the opportunity to select additional topics based on their interests. Selected faculty members will participate in quarterly meetings to discuss the process of promotion and how to overcome barriers to promotion. They will also meet monthly with an assigned mentor based on the faculty member and mentor’s schedules.

The 2024 program will run from February to October.

To apply or for more information, contact Daniel Warshawsky, Provost's Faculty Fellow.

Resources

The presentation and supplemental material for “How Can I Create a Meaningful Online Learning Experience for Students?” are available through February 4. This content is provided by Monday Morning Mentors. To access the presentation, use “experience97” as the password.

Events

The Volunteer Fair is today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Student Union Atrium. This is a great opportunity to connect with local organizations to donate your time and talents. A variety of organizations will participate in the fair, including Habitat for Humanity, United Way of Greater Dayton, Hannah’s Treasure Chest, 4 Paws for Ability, and many more.
Today Wright State University also welcomes Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, world-renowned as the leader of the movement that led to India’s independence from Great Britain in 1947 through nonviolent protest.

During his visit, Tushar Gandhi will address the disparity in health care worldwide, in addition to the pillars of his great-grandfather’s philosophy, as the Earl H. Morris, M.D., Endowed Lectureship speaker. The lecture takes place at 9:30 a.m. in the Student Union’s Apollo Room.

The schedule for his visit:

8:30 a.m.: Tour of the University Libraries’ Special Collections and Archives
9:30 to 11 a.m.: Morris Endowed Lecture with a question-and-answer session
1:30 to 2:30 p.m.: Tour of the Student Success Center, hosted by Arvind Elangovan, professor of history and associate chair of the School of Humanities and Cultural Studies
2:45 to 3 p.m.: Campus tour, with Rajiv Ramdat, graduate programs coordinator in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Shannon Norton, fiscal services manager
3 to 3:30 p.m.: Visit the Model United Nations class, with Vaughn Shannon, professor of international and comparative politics
3:30 to 4:45 p.m.: Meeting with Boonshoft School of Medicine students
5 to 6:30 p.m.: Dinner with the University Center International Education, with meals prepared by international students

The College of Graduate Programs and Honors Studies will host several events during the semester. Additional information about these events will be communicated as the dates near.

Graduate Programs Open House: Thursday, February 8, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Student Union’s Apollo Room
Graduate Program Leaders Workshop: Tuesday, February 20, from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided. This workshop will focus on program director mentoring. Registration is required by February 9.

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.

Have a wonderful week!

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