Important messages, dates and news from the Faculty office.
Important Dates and Deadlines

Monday, May 21, 2018
Victoria Day - Office Closed
 
Thursday May 24, 2018
Marketing MUSE Conference

Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Talk with Teri - Inclusivity at Queen's

Thursday, June 21, 2018
National Aboriginal Day

thursdayDon't Forget - This Fall, classes start on Thursday, September 6th


Last year, a Fall Break Committee made a recommendation to Senate to add a Fall Break in 2018 with the goal of improving student wellness.  As a result, the sessional dates were approved with classes starting on Thursday September 6th, 2018.  This is the first year that classes will start on the Thursday after Labour Day rather than on the following Monday.

Recently the Undergraduate Orientation Working Group looked at the structure and activities of orientation through an inclusivity lens. That review confirmed that classes starting the Thursday after move-in was important from a diversity and inclusivity perspective considering that:
  • Some students do not feel included in current orientation activities (about 10-13% annually in their survey indicate this based on race, sexual orientation, etc.)
  • Part of the university orienting experience is academic - finding your class/building, getting a sense of your academic focus, learning what a tutorial is, meeting faculty, taking notes, etc.
Ensuring classes proceed as scheduled on Thursday and Friday will be essential to the success of this new model.  We recognize that these new sessional dates may require some instructors to modify their courses.  If you are an instructor for whom this Thursday start date is a challenge, please get in touch with Jill Atkinson, Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning) at [email protected].

Do you have a creative solution and plan on using your Thursday and Friday class sections for some sort of class-wide orientation?  Please let Jill know so that she can collect and share these ideas.
museMarketing Muse Conference Registration

The fourth annual Marketing Muse conference is happening this Thursday, May 24. This event is FREE for all Arts and Science staff and faculty, and is a great way to connect with other staff and faculty and learn tips and tricks for cost-effective student recruitment, alumni, and departmental communications. Topics include: research promotion, Facebook advertising, and Grad program marketing. This year's schedule can be found here. Please register here by midnight tonight (Tuesday, May 22) to reserve your spot.
focusOnline Learning at Queen's - Focus Groups

A planning process for online learning has been underway since the Fall, and the Online Credentials Strategy Working Group will be holding Focus Groups starting in the week of May 14. 

The sessions will include questions such as:
  • where online learning fits in our vision for Queen's
  • what infrastructure is required to support growth and potential
  • how online learning links to our internationalization goals
Queen's has engaged an external consultant, Kathryn Wood, who is currently also supporting the Digital Planning exercise, to facilitate the consultation process.
Six consultation sessions will be held over a 3-week period to gather information.  The sessions are open to students, staff and faculty. 

If you have any questions, or to sign up, please contact Sandra Murray .
largeMeeting to discuss challenges involved in teaching large courses

This past term, the Student Services leadership team held an ad hoc meeting with several instructors of large courses to learn about the pressures these instructors face and for them to share the policies, processes or technologies that have helped them manage their courses.  Notes from this meeting can be found here.
There was a fair bit of consensus about the challenges faced by those teaching large classes, the most serious of which were:

1.  Setting up and delivering quizzes, tests, midterm and make up exams in light of the increasing number and complexity of requests for academic accommodation and consideration.
2.  Concern regarding academic integrity in regard to in class quizzing, online exams and the use of the self-declaration process.
3. Lack of awareness and preparation for the Thursday start of term, especially for multi-section courses with labs or tutorials in which order matters.
Of significant concern is the observation that some departments/instructors are moving away from distributed comprehension checks (in-class quizzing, proctored midterm tests) due to academic integrity concerns, TA availability, space, timetabling issues, lack of admin support, and the difficulty of producing multiple test items needed for make-ups.  If courses are to remain pedagogically well designed, more administrative support is needed.  Student Services has therefore decided to continue to meet once per term with instructors and Undergraduate Chairs to get a better picture of the resources currently in place to support large and blended courses and identify where further support is needed.
ELPFExperiential Learning Project Fund  

The Experiential Learning Project Fund (ELPF) is available again in 2018-19 to Queens's students, staff and faculty. The goal of the ELPF is to support costs associated with creating new for-credit and co-curricular experiential learning opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students at Queen's University. The fund will support projects that increase capacity for Experiential Learning (EL) activities by integrating EL into courses or co-curricular projects, enabling students to apply workplace-linked skills on campus, across the country or around the world.
 
The ELPF is divided into two competitions:

 
Applications accepted as of
Deadline for submission
Notification of Decision
Competition 1
May 1, 2018
June 29, 2018 (noon)
July 26, 2018
Competition 2
July 2, 2018
October 19, 2018 (noon)
November 8, 2018

We are currently accepting applications for Competition 1.  
 
Grants will be in the range of $1,000-$2,000 per project, typically creating 5-10 new student EL roles per project. (Requests for funding amounts greater than $2,000 will be considered on a case-by-case basis.)                                                            
  • Applicants must submit their ELPF application and supporting documents by the deadline at 12:00 pm. Apply here. 
  • Project Coordinators will confirm receipt of your application once submitted.
  • Applications will be scored based on the ELPF criteria outlined on the website.   
Note: Only one application per project will be accepted.
 
We are happy to answer any questions you may have regarding project proposals and assist you in starting your application. Contact the EL Hub at [email protected] with "EL Fund question" in the subject line.
TeriTalk with Teri - Inclusivity at Queen's

Join Teri Shearer, Deputy Provost (Academic Operations and Inclusion), for an open discussion about inclusivity at Queen's.

Dr. Shearer will be in the Ban Righ Hall, Dean of Women's Tower Lounge from 4:30 - 6:30 pm on Wednesday, June 20, and will be available to speak with staff about how we make Queen's a more inclusive community. Bring your ideas, experiences, and challenges. Light refreshments will be provided.

Please RSVP to [email protected]
URSURS Searchable Funding Opportunities Database

Use the new searchable table (found on the URS website) to find funding opportunities in your research area. The table includes all opportunities announced on the funding opportunities e-mail list service, and may be filtered by sponsor, program, posting date (i.e. when it was distributed via e-mail), grant type or by any keyword or research area. Closed opportunities are included in the table for one year after the first required deadline is reached. Any questions about the database should be sent to [email protected].
PERUpdates to Professional Expense Reimbursement (PER) Process

In an effort to streamline the Professional Expense Reimbursement (PER) process, the Faculty Office has decided to introduce an option for Faculty members to submit PER claims via the Queen's online Expense Reimbursement System (ERS). Please note that we have updated the Faculty's PER Guidelines reflecting this new option. Additional guidance regarding the ERS system can be found here.
 
If you have any questions regarding Professional Expense Reimbursement, please contact Amanda Fulker, Financial Assistant at the Dean's Office by email or by phone at extension 77967.
AcquireAcQuire Training Session

On Wednesday, June 13, from 10:00 - 11:30 am in the Hand Purvis Room in Dunning Hall, the Queen's Procurement Team will be providing some best practices training for AcQuire users. This is also an opportunity to ask the AcQuire team some questions about the system. Please send any questions in advance of this session directly to Nicole Fowler.
WebpublishUpcoming WebPublish Workshops + Drop-In Sessions

Introduction to WebPublish (Part 1)
 
This introductory workshop offers you the opportunity to learn the basics of WebPublish, using a training website to participate in exercises.
              
Upcoming Sessions  (subject to change based on enrolment):
  • Wednesday, June 6, 2018, 10.00 - 11.30 am
Location :  Mackintosh-Corry Hall, B176 Computer Lab
 
Registration :  To register, please visit the ITS Workshop Registration System. If you have never attended an ITS workshop, visit the Registration and Cancellation Process page on the ITS website for instructions.
 
Please note:  Dates are subject to change.  Up-to-date details are and will continue to be posted on the ITS website in the WebPublish Training section and in the ITS Workshop Registration System.
 
Introduction to WebPublish (Part 2)
 
This workshop builds on the skills acquired in the Introduction to WebPublish (Part 1) and introduces more advanced features in WebPublish.
 
Note : You must have completed Introduction to WebPublish (Part 1) or have been an active user in WebPublish for at least six months to attend this training. Do not hesitate to contact [email protected] if you are unsure if this workshop is right for you.
 
Upcoming Sessions :
  • Wednesday, June 13, 2018, 10.00 - 11.30 am
Location :  Mackintosh-Corry Hall, B176 Computer Lab
 
Registration :  To register, please visit the ITS Workshop Registration System. If you have never attended an ITS workshop, visit the Registration and Cancellation Process page on the ITS website for instructions.
 
Please note:  Dates are subject to change.  Up-to-date details are and will continue to be posted on the ITS website in the WebPublish Training section and in the ITS Workshop Registration System.
 
WebPublish Drop-in Sessions
 
Have questions about your WebPublish site or service? Having trouble getting started? Want technical help nearby while you work on your site? Come visit us at one of our WebPublish drop-in sessions. No formal material will be presented, so be sure to bring your work and questions!
 
Upcoming Sessions:
  • Thursday, May 31, 2018, 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Location :  Mackintosh-Corry Hall, B176 Computer Lab
 
Registration :  None required
 
Note: Drop-in session information is also available on our WebPublish Training page as well as the Queen's Events Calendar.

onehealthOne Health World Congress

The 2018 One Health World Congress will be held June 22 - 25 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The 2018 Congress will focus on One Health in underserved communities in recognition of the complex interplay of environmental, animal, and human health in underprivileged or subsistent societies around the world. Find more information and register here.