Provost’s Newsletter: News and Updates from the Division of Academic Affairs for August 9, 2023
August 9, 2023
Dear Baruch College Community:
It’s still summer, but staff and faculty are vigorously preparing for the fall semester. I have a photo hanging next to my desk that helps keep me on track, even when the nice weather, the beach, and a good book are beckoning. It’s a picture of a text-based mural by the artist duo Peter Fischli and David Weiss that says:
How to Work Better
- Do One Thing at a Time
- Know the Problem
- Learn to Listen
- Learn to Ask Questions
- Distinguish Sense from Nonsense
- Accept Change as Inevitable
- Admit Mistakes
- Say it Simple [sic]
- Be Calm
- Smile
We often have competing demands on our time, and my time is no exception. I find it helpful to look at this list occasionally, especially when I get lost trying to do too many things at once, to pause and remind myself, “Do One Thing at a Time.”
I’m excited to announce the appointment of the new Director of Faculty Affairs later in this newsletter and the opening of CTL’s “season” with a session on talking to your students about ChatGPT on day one; please scroll down.
With best wishes,
Dr. Linda Essig
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Campus Updates
New Faculty and Student Leadership
The Office of the Provost is excited to collaborate with new leadership in both the Baruch Faculty Senate and the Undergraduate Student Government (USG). Dr. Andreas Grein, Professor of Marketing and International Business, transitioned to his role as Chair of the Baruch Faculty Senate over the summer. He is already a valued partner having served on the Baruch Community Strategic Planning Committee and co-led the Learner Success Lab in addition to his duties as a member of the Senate Executive Council.
The new USG leadership comprises Jessica Yauri, an I/O Psychology major; Abdullah Mahdi, an Operations Management major; Adriana Cuca, a Political Science and Spanish double major; and Karen Guanga, a Computer Information Systems major. Provost Essig has already had a transition meeting with Adelaide Ilyasov, USG Vice President for Academic Affairs, and will meet with her monthly throughout the year.
Faculty Affairs
New Director of Faculty Affairs Begins August 24
Norene Leddy will join Baruch College as Director of Faculty Affairs on Thursday, Aug. 24. In this newly reconfigured position, Ms. Leddy will plan, develop, and facilitate faculty-facing academic administrative processes and faculty development programming for both full- and part-time faculty. She joins us from The New School, where she is Director of Faculty Affairs for the Division of Continuing and Professional Education. All faculty will have an opportunity meet her at Faculty Convocation on Thursday, Sept. 21, if not before.
Faculty Profile Pages will be launched next week!
The Faculty Profile Pages (FPP) site will go live next Tuesday, Aug. 15. At that time, the faculty pages will be publicly accessible, and VPN will no longer be necessary to access them. Please take a moment to check your profiles and make the necessary changes or updates to Interfolio, the Faculty Activity Reporting System. Instructions on how to review the pages and make corrections are available on the FPP general information page and step-by-step guidance and screenshots are included in the Frequently Asked Questions page.
Faculty will still be able to make changes to their pages after the site goes live by updating their information in Interfolio. Any changes will be visible on the profile page after the nightly system refresh. For additional questions, please contact Associate Provost Raquel Fich.
New Faculty Orientation next week
The Office of the Provost and the New Faculty Orientation Planning Committee, which includes Associate Provosts Slavin and Fich; Maria Burgos, Faculty Workload and Systems Manager; and Vanessa Cano, Special Assistant to the Associate Provost for Teaching and Learning, are preparing an exciting multi-day program to welcome more than 60 faculty members this fall. The program will feature an introduction to Baruch College, sessions devoted to teaching and research, faculty panels, an overview of BCTC/ IT services, and HR procedures and benefits. This new faculty cohort will be officially welcomed by its colleagues at the Faculty Convocation on Thursday, Sept. 21.
Teaching and Learning
Center for Teaching and Learning
The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) invites faculty to join discussions and events this fall and spring around topics central to our mission as educators in the current moment, including the role of AI in educational contexts, supporting student mental health, and building vital communities in our classrooms. The first event, “Intro to ChatGPT and How to Talk with Students on Day One,” will be on Tuesday, Aug. 22,1:00-2:30 pm, via Zoom. Details, including Zoom links and dates for all fall events in this series, are available soon on the CTL website. Please also visit CTL’s web-hosted whitepaper resource, “ChatGPT & Its Impact On Teaching In Spring 2023.”
Reminder: Early Alert
The Office of the Provost urges all members of the faculty who teach first-year students to use the early alert system. Early in the semester, you will receive a survey that asks you to identify students who might be struggling in class. You can select from a variety of actions that students are advised to take: turn in missing homework, improve class attendance, or visit an academic support center. The student will be prompted by an email or text to take action. There’s no need to wait for an alert message to take action in support of student success; faculty can do so at any time.
The Writing Center
The Writing Center invites members of the faculty to request a class visit or in-class workshop this fall. Each semester, the center visit more than 80 sections, introducing their services to students ranging from undergrads in CICs and honors business courses to grad students in management, fundraising, and psychology. In a class visit, they present a 15-minute overview that introduces their mission and describes the resources they provide; in an in-class workshop, they’ll present a 75-minute lesson on one writing, reading, or research skill.
Research
Faculty Publications!
Dr. Els de Graauw, Associate Professor of Political Science, and Shannon Gleeson published an article on Law & Policy titled “DACA Legal Services: One Federal Policy, Different Local Implementation Approaches.”
Michael Staub, Professor of English and Director of the American Studies Program, has published “Snake Oil and Gaslight: How the Petroleum Industry Got in Touch with Nature,” in the most recent issue of Environmental Humanities, an open access journal from Duke University Press.
Want to share your recent publications, awards, or achievements? Faculty can click here. Staff can click here. Be sure to put “For the newsletter” in the subject line of your email.
Stay Connected
Strategic Planning
You can follow progress on the Baruch College Community Strategic Planning process on the Strategic Planning page.
President Wu’s Blog
Join the conversation at President Wu’s blog. Read and comment here.
Newsletter Items?
If you have an item you would like considered for inclusion in the biweekly Provost’s Newsletter, please click here to send an email to the Provost mailbox. Please note that the Academic Affairs Events Calendar will return in August.