Updates from the Office of the Provost

September 13, 20232

Tony Scinta

I recently returned from the Board of Regents meeting at TMCC, which was noteworthy because of some key conversations (e.g., a fiscal analysis that is worth exploring, but only if you are sitting down) and a stay in a Reno hotel where the ambiance could be best described as “Burning Man After-Party” (and I’m not making fun; everyone was nice and appeared to be having a fun and largely feather boa-adorned time). The trip marks an eventful few weeks since our last update that involved a diverse and surely audience-pleasing array of activities, including:

A short but very welcome opportunity to greet new faculty at an HR orientation session (a big thanks to Sam Koehler for making this happen!)
Mainly riding shotgun to Vice Provost Robinson on sobering but productive conversations about the programs supported by the longstanding Rogers gift
Good, informative discussions with Human Resources that necessitated a tightrope walk between advocacy and equity
The initiation of a plan of how we can continue to support our RN-to-BSN program now that our relationship with Academic Partnerships is ending (AP formerly provided significant marketing and enrollment management support); Vice Provost Sharp spared me an almost certain ulcer by agreeing to serve as project lead for this effort
Multiple discussions (at least three, by my count) about our model for allocating funds from indirect costs (and, notably, whether it should soon become our “erstwhile” model for allocating funds)

Though some of this work involved potential new directions and meaningful evolutions for the institution, a lot of it entailed the simple maintenance of critical, ongoing operations. In that light, I also have begun discussions with my team about our BIG goals for the coming year, the bulk of which will likely tackle entirely novel endeavors (e.g., the Elevating Student Voices project that is expected to stem from our SSEI program). I suspect I’ll be able to provide additional details about these BIG goals in our next update.

Gwen Sharp

Publications & Grants

Emily Hoover (English) had several items published. Her poem "Let's Be Like the Internet" ws featured in A Body You Can Talk To: An Anthology of Contemporary Disability. Another poem, "Cuscuta denticulata," was reprinted for Nevada Humanities' Double Down Blog. Her flash fiction piece "Mixed Media" was published in Maudlin House. Her microfiction "Barren Garden" was featured in the 198th edition of Microfiction Monday Magazine. And finally, her poem "For the Woman Who Hugged Me at the Self-Checkout Line at the Smith's on Sahara and Maryland" was reprinted by the Nevada Arts Council's Nevadan to Nevadan: What I need to Tell You poetry project.
Laura Rosales-Lagarde (Environmental Science) submitted a subaward proposal for a NASA EPSCoR grant. It would provide $100,000 to support research with students on subsurface aquifers.
Lance Hellman (Human Health Science) received a $19,000 subaward for an NSF EPSCoR grant to support student research.
Laura Naumann (Psychology) co-authored the article "Faculty Gender Differences in Feedback Practices" with two psych alumni, Rogelio Chris Petras and Alejandra Carrillo-Marroquín. It was published in College Teaching.

If you have a publication, grant, or honor, reach out to me!

2023 NSSE Results

Here is a spreadsheet of student comments on this year's NSSE, with one tab for first-year and one tab for senior students.

IRB News

In the last academic year, the IRB reviewed and approved 28 new human subjects research proposals. All but one was approved in the Exempt category; one was Expedited. We also recently had our first proposal approved under the new SoTL Umbrella streamlined protocol.

I want to thank this year's IRB members, who provide an invaluable service to our campus community: Raul Tapia (IRB Chair), Andrew Evanski, Lance Hignite, Lauren Johnson, and Joy Ramiro (outside member).

Gregory Robinson

Credit for Prior Learning

I’ve been partnering with Tom Nicholas, our hard-working Director of Workforce Development, to look a little deeper into credit for prior learning (CPL) lately. We’re in the investigation phase, moving forward carefully and making sure we’re getting a good understanding of what CPL entails and who it would support. The most promising area for exploration appears to be in veteran’s affairs, so we’re beginning there. If you are interested in learning a little more about what CPL means, take a look at the CAEL page. I knew nothing about CPL when I started, and the CAEL does an excellent job of clarifying its potential uses in higher education.

Everyone Loves Surveys

In 2017, we conducted a student satisfaction survey with Hanover Research. We’ve updated that survey and are getting ready to give it another shot, so I might be asking for your help encouraging students to participate. As part of our Elevating Student Voices project, I’m hoping to develop a more formal system of getting feedback from students, which would be something like:

Collect student feedback through a survey and several focus groups each fall
Analyze the resulting data and identify themes
Develop responses each spring to the themes that appear frequently
Repeat

The result would be a regular mechanism for collecting, managing, and responding to student feedback about Nevada State.

Writing Center's Social Justice Speaker Series

The Writing Center will host its first Social Justice Speaker Series visitor via Zoom on September 25th from 3-4. Please help us welcome Nevada State alum Eduardo Mabilog as he discusses his PhD research at The Ohio State University. Contact writingcenter@nevadastate.edu for the Zoom link.

Want to get things done this fall? Join a Writing Group! Administrative faculty, academic faculty, and Classified Staff members are all welcome. You'll meet once per week and focus on accountability at a time that works for you. Applications are due by September 4th. Contact writingcenter@nevadastate.edu for application questions and more information.

Also, here are the dates for the other Social Justice Speaker Series events this fall:

September 25th— Eduardo Mabilog
October 17th— Dr. Wonderful Faison
November 7th — Dr. Aimee Morrison and Dr. Melissa Forbes
Nov. 28th— Poetry Roundtable

Key Dates

9/26: Provost Speaker Series & PEER Project co-hosts Dr. Rebecca Pope-Ruark on the topic of faculty burnout, followed by an academic leadership listening session, 2:30-4:30, KAB Auditorium and Zoom (Registration required for link); refreshments provided
10/13: Assessment Professional Development Day, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Ballrooms (invites to assessment committee members will go out separately)
10/17: Provost Speaker Series hosts Prof. Marc Watkins on the topic of AI and pedagogy, 3:30-4:30, Zoom (link TBA)

Important Resources

Academic Calendar (printable versions)
Center for Teaching & Learning Excellence (CTLE) Canvas page and website
Grants & Sponsored Projects Canvas page
IRB Canvas page
PEER Project Canvas page and newsletter
Writing Center Canvas page (see the Faculty Resources page)

NSC Office of the Provost | 702-992-2663 | http://nsc.edu/provost

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