Provost’s Newsletter: News and Updates from the Division of Academic Affairs for November 29, 2023
November 29, 2023
Dear Baruch College Community:
I hope you all had a restful Thanksgiving break. I have been in academia for more than three decades so, over that time, have become particularly attuned to the ebbs and flows of the academic year. As an administrator, I have found that the time between Thanksgiving and the winter break provides a good opportunity to take stock, especially so this year as we recover from the network outage and get back on track to implement our new strategic plan. For faculty, it may be a time to finish out a semester of teaching, writing—and then grading—exams; for staff, it’s a time to complete semester-long projects and plan for what’s next. I will also use some of this intervening time to complete the mandatory E-SPARC and WPV trainings required of all employees (scroll down for details). Our accrediting body, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, hosts its annual conference next week, which I will be attending to learn about the recently revised accreditation standards.
This is also a time for gatherings at which we can enjoy each other’s company outside of the usual classroom or office setting. The Academic Affairs monthly Coffee Chat/Tea Talk is on Monday, Dec. 4 (details below), and President Wu has announced a series of community receptions in the coming weeks.
I look forward to seeing you at one of these soon!
Best wishes,
Dr. Linda Essig
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Campus Updates
December Coffee Chat/Tea Talk Celebrates Faith Diversity
The Academic Affairs monthly Coffee Chat/Tea Talk for December honors the faith diversity of our community. This month, the drop-in event is co-hosted by Olga Dais, Linda Essig, Jamel Hudson, and Saloni Kikan. Faculty and staff are invited to join us Monday, Dec. 4, from 9 to 10:30 am in the Newman Conference Center, Information and Technology Building, 7th Floor, Room 760.
Faculty Affairs
Table of Contents Added to Faculty Handbook
The Baruch Faculty Handbook’s landing page now features a Table of Contents, providing a more cohesive topical view of the material in the handbook. The alphabetical index remains accessible and linked at the top of the page. Faculty can direct their comments, questions, or suggestions for new sections to Associate Provost Raquel Fich.
Save the Date: Spring Tenure and Promotion Workshop on Tuesday, Feb. 27
Please save the date for the annual Spring Tenure and Promotion Workshop to be held in person on Tuesday, Feb. 27, from 12:30 to 2:30 pm. All tenure- or Certificate of Continuous Employment (CCE)-eligible faculty members and staff members who work on the faculty tenure and promotion process are encouraged to attend, including associate professors considering promotion. This workshop will present an overview of the tenure, promotion, and CCE processes at Baruch and will feature recently tenured, promoted, or CCE-awarded colleagues who will share insights and advice from their own experiences. The content and format will be a bit different from prior years, so if you have attended in the past, please plan on participating.
Annual Review and Input Period in Interfolio
The Office of Academic Affairs encourages all faculty to input, review, and update their academic activities in Interfolio in December. During the annual review period, faculty should (1) add a picture (professional headshot is preferred), (2) update their first field of expertise with a list of keywords, (3) enter new activities in research or service, and (4) review existing activities and update if necessary. Please refer to Baruch’s Interfolio User Guide and this FAQ document. A specific area of the faculty activity record that deserves attention in the annual review period are items that are marked as either “Peer-Reviewed” or “Not Peer-Reviewed.” The University requires that faculty CVs used in personnel actions indicate that scholarly and creative activities are either peer-reviewed or not peer-reviewed. In the Activity Classifications section of the item record, there is a required field labeled “Was this peer-reviewed/refereed?” Please select a designation and ensure that the record is saved. Additionally, make sure your Interfolio data is updated. This information is used to generate faculty CVs, run activity reports for accreditation and other purposes, and populate the Research, Service, and Honors Tabs on the Faculty Profile Pages. For questions or comments regarding Interfolio, please contact our Interfolio lead administrator Maria Burgos and/or Associate Provost Raquel Fich.
Faculty Affairs Open Office Hours for Adjunct Faculty
Norene Leddy, Director of Faculty Affairs, is continuing biweekly open office hours for adjunct faculty. The next session will take place Friday, Dec. 1, from 12 noon to 1 pm via Zoom. Faculty must register in advance. After registering, faculty will receive a confirmation email and the recurring Zoom link for this semester. These open office hours are not mandatory but provide an opportunity for adjunct faculty to meet with Ms. Leddy and discuss any questions or concerns they may have. If you are interested in attending but are unable to make the scheduled time, please reach out to her to schedule a separate meeting. Contact Norene Leddy for more information.
Student Success
Starr Career Development Center Faculty Services and Resources
To assist undergraduate faculty in preparing students for the world of work, the Starr Career Development Center offers a variety of services and resources for faculty (e.g., in-class presentations, one-on-one consultations, career-related assignments/tools). Learn more here. Mark Your Calendar: On Friday, Dec. 8, from 12 noon to 1 pm, the center will be offering Incorporating Career Readiness Into Your Course(s), a faculty tool session via Zoom. Register here.
Faculty News and Publications
Provost Essig Appointed to CERF+ Board
Provost Essig has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+). Established in 1985, CERF+ is a national nonprofit organization providing education programs, advocacy, network building, and emergency relief to artists across the U.S.
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.
Reminders
PSC-CUNY Research Award Program Cycle 55
The deadline for the PSC-CUNY Research Award Program Cycle 55 is Friday, Dec. 15. PSC-CUNY seeks to enhance the University’s role as a research institution, further the professional growth and development of its faculty, and provide support for established and junior scholars. Awards are distributed by the University Committee on Research Awards, a faculty committee, and administered by Research Foundation CUNY. All applications are submitted through the Grants Proposal System.
Reminder for All Faculty and Staff to Complete E-SPARC and WVP Trainings
All faculty, both full-time and adjunct faculty, are required to take two online, asynchronous training courses each year: Employee Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Course (E-SPARC) and Workplace Violence Prevention (WVP). Both are available via Blackboard, under My Organizations. Please set time aside as soon as possible to complete these mandatory CUNY trainings. For any questions or concerns about the trainings, please reach out to Baruch’s Compliance Training Administrator.
Required Ethics Training for Adjunct Faculty
As part of their professional development, all adjunct faculty are required to complete ethics training as mandated by the New York State Ethics Commission. The initial ethics training session is the Comprehensive Ethics Training Course, which will be conducted live via Zoom. We have made significant progress; thank you to the 400+ faculty who have already completed it. Please note that New York State is requiring all of our employees to be trained by Sunday, Dec. 31, so it is imperative that faculty, including adjunct faculty, complete this training as soon as possible. Adjunct faculty should have received an email with instructions to sign up for one of the training sessions. If there are any questions or concerns, Zicklin faculty can reach out to Dr. Sloane von Wertz and Weissman and Marxe faculty can reach out to Gail Marshall.
Stay Connected
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. If you have an event for the Academic Affairs Events Calendar, published each Thursday, click here.