NC State will celebrate Black History Month through February 28 by highlighting the achievements, culture and contribution of members of the Black and African Diaspora. This year’s theme is “Reclaiming Our Time: Solidifying Our Existence in the Wake of Resistance.” Featured programs will emphasize taking ownership of experiences and counter-storytelling. For more information and a full list of Black History Month events, visit go.ncsu.edu/bhm.
Changes are coming to Statements of Mutual Expectations (SMEs), which will become Statements of Faculty Responsibilities. The transition will take place over the next several months in response to a need to improve the consistency and clarity of SMEs. In addition to the change to SFRs, two additional changes will take place: the debut of a new online tool and the availability of additional guidance on faculty activities. The Office of Faculty Affairs will provide information about the transition via the Provost’s website, in campus-wide information sessions, and other meetings beginning in Spring 2018. Please contact Katharine Stewart, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, at kestewa4@ncsu.edu or at 919-513-7741, or Courtney Thornton, Associate Vice Provost for Academic Personnel and Policy, at chthornt@ncsu.edu or at 919-515-5490, if you have questions about the transition process. Learn more about the SME to SFR transition.
RPT overview sessions: The Provost’s Office is offering general information sessions on the Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure process. The sessions will include details about the process, an overview of the website and a question and answer period. New tenure-track and non tenure-track faculty, those who will soon be entering the RPT cycle, and anyone involved in the RPT process are encouraged to attend. No registration or RSVP is needed to attend. Please familiarize yourself with the RPT website prior to the session and contact Amy Jinnette, Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, at arjinnet@ncsu.edu or 919-515-3123 if you have any questions. Sessions will be held:
Friday, Mar. 23 from 9 a.m.–10:30 a.m. — EB2 1021 (Centennial Campus)
Interim Vice Provost for Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity (OIED) named: Linda McCabe Smith recently stepped down as vice provost for OIED and returned to the faculty in the College of Education. Sheri Schwab, director of County Operations for the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, has been appointed interim vice provost, effective March 1. Marie Williams, associate vice chancellor for human resources, will oversee OIED’s day-to-day operations in the interim period.
New academic department head: Beth Fath is now the interim head of the Department of Health and Exercise Studies in the Division of Academic and Student Affairs.
NC State’s Faculty Ombuds Office, led by Roy Baroff, recently participated in a research project along with 10 other universities for the International Ombuds Association. The project focuses on how universities use ombuds to address employee issues, provide education to employees, and help administrators take a critical look at employee issues and trends. The resulting article, “Ombuds and Conflict Resolution Specialists: Navigating Workplace Challenges in Higher Education” profiles the Faculty Ombuds Office. The full article is available at http://bit.ly/2GBhKfD.
The 2018 Sisterhood Dinner will take place Monday, February 26 in the State Ballroom at Talley Student Union. A reception and silent auction will begin at 5:15 p.m., with a dinner program to follow at 6 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Council on the Status of Women, the NC State Foundation and the NC State Women’s Center. This year’s theme is “Speaking Truth through Our Stories,” with a keynote by Mandy Carter, a 51-year veteran of social, racial and LGBTQ justice and activism. Event registration information can be found on the Council for the Status of Women website at https://oied.ncsu.edu/csw/sisterhood-dinner/. Table registration is $300 for eight seats and individual registration is $35 per seat. The registration deadline is Monday, February 19.Please contact Kimberly Zugay at kdzugay@ncsu.edu or call 919-515-9195, or call the Women’s Center at 919-515-2012 with any questions.
Recent faculty awards include:
James Rand, the Distinguished Professor of Architecture in the College of Design’s School of Architecture, has been selected to attend the 2018-2019 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in Finland. The Finnish-American program distinguishes itself for its exceptionally broad funding and partnership network. Rand is a Distinguished Chair selection — the first from NC State — and will be teaching and conducting research at Aalto University in Helsinki from January-May 2019. Congratulations!
Rodolphe Barrangou, the Todd R. Klaenhammer Distinguished Scholar in Probiotics Research, University Scholar and associate professor in the NC State Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, will receive the 2018 NAS Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences for his CRISPR-Cas systems research. The award recognizes research by a mid-career scientist at a U.S. institution who has made an extraordinary contribution to agriculture or to the understanding of the biology of a species fundamentally important to agriculture or food production.
Envisioning Research, NC State’s annual research image contest, is now open and accepting entries until June 8. Graduate students, postdocs, faculty and staff may make submissions in four categories: Photography (including photos of field work), Microscopy, Graphics and Illustration, and Video and Interactive. All images should be original, well-executed, and effective at communicating information to the audience. There will be separate cash prizes, based on each contestant’s status at the university. Submissions should be submitted using the online submission form. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/2sdvPN7.
The 2018 Kay Yow Cancer Fund Celebration/Walk will take place Saturday, February 17 at 9 a.m. on Stafford Commons. The event is for anyone who wishes to participate to celebrate or honor those who have been affected by cancer. Registration is $25 and all proceeds directly benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/2E7VmMG.
NC State will continue to celebrate Data Privacy Month through February 28. OIT is sponsoring the following activities to help you secure your digital assets:
Wednesday, February 21: Wolfpack Way of Life Wellness Fair, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Talley Student Union, State Ballroom. Stop by OIT’s table to learn more about 2-factor authentication (2FA) and mobile device security and to get fun giveaways.
Tuesday, February 27: Android Mobile Device Security, Noon-1 p.m., Avent Ferry Technology Center, Room 106. Do you know if your Android is really secure? Have you implemented the right security measures? No worries. Daniel Sink of OIT Security and Compliance will take you through step-by-step recommendations — and requirements if you have a university-owned device — to secure your Android devices. Leave this session with a secure mindset. Light refreshments will be served and you will have the opportunity to win great prizes. Registration is required.
Free assistance with income tax preparation is being providedby Poole College of Management accounting students for the 2018 income tax return season. The service, offered through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, is available for those whose income did not exceed $64,000 in 2017. The income tax return help sessions will be held on the NC State University campus in the basement of Nelson Hall, in room B400, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on the following Saturdays: February 24, March 17 and April 14. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/2E5Wykl.
NC State University Police will host its 13th annual Polar Plunge to raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics North Carolina. This year’s Polar Plunge will be held on March 24 at the University Club pool, located at 4200 Hillsborough Street. There will also be a 2.5-mile trail run on the property around the University Club. Interested in “Freezin for a Reason” for nearly 40,000 Special Olympics North Carolina athletes? Check out http://bit.ly/2GSpOZy for more information.
