Message from the Vice Provost for Faculty Success
Greetings Mean Green Colleagues,
I hope you enjoyed our week of Homecoming activities. Whether you are new to Denton or a longtime Dentonite, it is always nice to revel in what it means to be “home.” At UNT, we strive to make sure everyone feels like they belong in the “nest” and are a thriving member of our community.
We have so much to celebrate this month! Together with a cadre of over 50 dedicated faculty serving on our review committees, we are halfway through selecting our next UNT faculty award winners. The Salute to Faculty Excellence celebration will take place on April 28, 2023, at the historic Monroe Pearson event center. For those who submitted nominations, please consider repurposing your application for one of our prestigious NRUF-eligible awards (active award links at the bottom of page).
Our newsletter is full of important events for faculty wanting to get involved in international programs, learn more about supporting mental health and wellness, and get updates on the UNT Frisco campus. We also are rolling out a new monthly Faculty Resource Group Spotlight where you can learn more about our FRGs. Don’t miss the Fall Faculty Mixer at Discovery Park following the Nov. 30 Faculty Senate Executive Committee meeting. Finally, Faculty Success will welcome our second ABCA featured speaker, Tim Wise, on Nov. 18 for a campus-wide dialogue about taking a systemic perspective on inclusion and diversity. Be sure to check out the Faculty Success calendar for other great events this month.
I am excited to share that our 2021-2022 COACHE data will be released next week. We are also reviewing our SFE awards program to ensure equity and inclusion, reimagining our faculty mentoring program to be more culturally responsive and developmental, and updating our faculty search committee manual and training (with our IDEA partners) to help faculty committees conduct equitable and successful faculty hires.
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From Faculty Success to you — Go Mean Green! | |
Holly M. Hutchins, Ph.D. (she/her)
Vice Provost, Faculty Success
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Anti-Racism is Not a Self-Help Movement: Moving from Individual Analysis to Systemic Change
Tim Wise
Friday, Nov. 18 | 12-1:30 p.m.
Virtual via Zoom
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Understanding implicit bias, privilege, and fragility can be helpful as a first step toward anti-racism, but it's easy to get stuck at that level. Nationally renowned writer and speaker Tim Wise will discuss how viewing anti-racism through a systemic lens can recenter it as a movement for justice, rather than self-help. He'll also show how this lens can be applied to other systems of oppression such as sexism, heterosexism, ableism, classism, ageism, and anti-Semitism. | |
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News from Academic Affairs | |
SPOT Survey Runs Nov. 21 – Dec. 8 | | |
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Please encourage your students to participate in the Student Perceptions of Teaching (SPOT) survey, UNT's student evaluation system that allows them to confidentially provide constructive feedback to instructors and departments. Instructions on adding the course evaluation link to your Canvas page can be found on the SPOT Faculty Resources page, and through the faculty portal you can customize your evaluations, pull past term reports, and preview surveys created by your department SPOT coordinator. If you have questions, email SPOT@unt.edu. | |
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Mental Health First Aid Workshops
Led by Phyllis Finley from Denton County MHMR, these one-day certification courses will teach you how to identify, understand, and respond to individuals in crisis. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, psychosis, suicide, and addictions.
In Person:
Thursday, Dec. 15 | SSB 102
Register by Dec. 13
Virtual:
Friday, Jan. 13, 2023
Register by Dec. 16
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Faculty Panel: Inclusive Learning Activities
Thursday, Nov. 17 | 2 to 3 p.m.
SSB 102 & MS Teams | Register here
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Faculty panelists Neil Foote, Stella Reed, and Vanessa Ellison will share how they design inclusive learning activities to allow students to authentically and holistically engage with the content and academic field in culturally responsive ways. Moderated by Angie Cartwright.
Faculty can earn ABCA credit by attending any two CLEAR inclusive events in their entirety.
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What Inclusive Instructors Do:
Creating Welcoming, Equitable Learning Environments
February 1 | 10 to 11:30 a.m. | Union 382
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In this interactive faculty workshop, Tracie M. Addy, author of the highly acclaimed What Inclusive Instructors Do, will discuss how to create transformative learning environments by exploring the results of a study of instructors who implement inclusive teaching approaches. Participants will apply the principles and practices discussed to a few case studies relevant to teaching students at UNT.
Faculty can earn Anti-Bias and Cultural Awareness credit for attending the event in its entirety.
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Midterm Wellness Tips from Marilyn Parrish, LCSW
Assistant Director of Training for Counseling and Testing Services
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Midterm burnout can be a reality for faculty as well as students.
Be sure to prioritize your own wellness!
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Be aware of energy management along with time management. Plan tasks for times in your day or week when you have the most energy. What activities energize you? Work these pick-me-ups into your schedule. | | |
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Carve out time to play. True stress relief is found in activities we enjoy and that give us a feeling of “flow” — being completely absorbed in the moment. Go for a bike ride, find the nearest zipline, sit by the lake, or blow bubbles with a child. | | |
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When you leave campus, let your mind leave too. Turn off your availability and give yourself permission to continue your work the next day. | | |
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Lighten the mood in class. Tell a funny story, do something unexpected, or present the same material in a new way. | | |
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Make the most of your off time by incorporating positive self-care activities (taking a walk, bubble bath, or drive in the country) over mindless or numbing distractions (TV, social media). | | |
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Take advantage of employee counseling resources through our EAP/Employee Assistance Program by calling 855-784-1806 and providing the ID: UNTS. | |
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If you have questions about mental health and wellness for yourself, a loved one, or a student, attend a Counselor Consultation Hour:
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Wednesdays from 3 to 4 p.m. on Zoom
- Dec. 8 and 22 from 11 a.m. to noon in the Faculty Lounge (Union 249)
You can contact Marilyn directly at Marilyn.Parrish@unt.edu.
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Library Questions? Your Subject Librarian is a great point of contact for your library questions. You may also reach out to us through our Ask Us Service, which provides contact through chat, phone, email, and in person!
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The UNT Music Library's UNT Jazz 75th Anniversary Exhibit runs through the spring semester and brings together materials from multiple music special collections. Visit the exhibit virtually!
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Resource Highlights
Variety Insight tracks people, projects, and companies across TV, film, and digital entertainment, from upcoming releases and awards to film festivals, screenings, and representation changes.
JoVE Basic Biology provides easy-to-understand animated video lessons on key concepts in biology. This is a great resource for students who need a refresher, are struggling with some concepts, or would benefit from an alternative audiovisual learning experience.
Early Child Development and Care is a rigorously peer-reviewed multidisciplinary journal that publishes articles on "social, education and preventive medical programs for young children, experimental and observational studies, critical reviews and summary articles."
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Frisco Landing Library opens January 2023!
The Frisco Landing Library will be located on the second floor of Frisco Landing. The Spark@Frisco, a makerspace and technology center for creative learning, research, and making, will be located on the first floor. The Libraries are excited to be a part of the incredible UNT team supporting the learning, research, and creative needs of our students, faculty, and Frisco community.
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International Education Week
Join International Affairs Nov. 14–18 to celebrate International Education Week, a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and Department of Education designed to promote international education at U.S. universities.
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Fall Faculty Mixer
Wednesday, Nov. 30 from 4 to 5:15 p.m.
College of Engineering Dean's Conference Room
Discovery Park Room A140
Join Faculty Senate and the Provost’s Office for a reception following the November Faculty Senate Executive Committee meeting! Discovery Park faculty are encouraged to attend the meeting, which is open to the university community, from 2 to 4 p.m. and/or stop by the reception to visit with their Senators and Faculty Senate Executive Committee members.
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Faculty Senate Elections
Elections are currently running for the following positions:
- Faculty Senators for voting groups I, III and V
- Graduate Council representative for voting group IV
- University Faculty Grievance Committee representative for voting group VI
Be on the lookout for more election information from the Faculty Senate in the next 30 days. If you have any questions, email FacultySenate@unt.edu.
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FRG Spotlight: LGBT Faculty Resource Group | |
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Vision
The LGBT Faculty Resource Group is a group of LGBTQA+ faculty and allies dedicated to cultivating an inclusive environment that promotes the success of LGBTQA+ faculty in research, teaching, service, and personal/family life.
Mission
To serve as a peer-support group for LGBTQIA+ faculty by:
- Providing peer-to-peer mentoring for faculty of all ranks;
- Fostering a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment and workplace;
- Including allies to support the mission of LGBT faculty success;
- identifying issues faced by LGBT faculty and resources for faculty success;
- Providing advocacy and outreach for faculty;
- Organizing events and social gatherings — including an upcoming LGBTQ film series in partnership with UNT Libraries — to share the success and experience of LGBT faculty;
- Sponsoring invited speakers to inspire the success of faculty.
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Yolanda Flores Niemann, professor of psychology, recognized for collective scholarly work
Dr. Niemann earned the Senior Scholar Award from the Critical Examination of Race, Ethnicity, Class, and Gender Special Interest Group in the American Education Research Association (AERA).
She will serve as the keynote speaker at their Business Meeting next April during the annual AERA conference in San Diego, California. Congratulations, Dr. Niemann!
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Dhru Mukherjee, associate professor of social work, receives $1.865M HRSA grant to fund substance use disorder Community Health Worker (CHW) training program
Dr. Mukherjee will use the funds to address health disparities and the shortage of health care workers in DFW who are skilled in handling opioid and other substance use disorders in underserved communities. Read more about the project, a collaboration between UNT's Department of Rehabilitation and Health Services and Center for Racial and Ethnic Equity in Health and Society (CREEHS).
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UNT faculty ranked among the world's most cited researchers
More than 60 UNT researchers were included in the ranking of the world’s most cited researchers and those who are among the top 2% of more than six million scientists worldwide within their specialty areas throughout their careers. 64 researchers were among the top 2% for a single year — 2021. See the full list.
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Updated Emergency Request Interface
In conjunction with DSI (formerly Classroom Support Services), UNT Police has updated the emergency request interface found on certain instructor stations throughout campus. The system is now more robust and leaves less room for human error.
Calling or texting to 911 remains the best option when available. if not, the Report a Problem button on the instructor station desktop provides a secondary backup communication tool.
To schedule a virtual demo with your workgroup for a more interactive demonstration, please contact Community Relations Officer David Causey at David.Causey@unt.edu.
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We want to hear from you!
Faculty Success oversees numerous programs designed to support faculty in their teaching, scholarly, and leadership endeavors.
If you have questions for our team or suggestions for the newsletter, email us at Faculty.Success@unt.edu. You also can follow @UNTFacSuccess on Twitter!
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