May 2020 Announcements

• The Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost has recognized six outstanding staff members as winners of the 2020 Provost’s Unit Awards for Excellence. Learn more about those honored.
• NC State’s Department of Social Work is now the School of Social Work. The change was approved by the UNC System, Board of Trustees, the provost and the dean, and with the unanimous support of the social work faculty at NC State. 

COVID-19 Information

• NC State has issued guidance for on-campus operations in light of Governor Roy Cooper’s implementation of Phase 1. As NC State moves forward and begins implementing plans for reactivating on-campus operations and activities, the university’s top priority in all decisions will continue to be the health, safety and well-being of the Wolfpack community. The university will follow all state orders and UNC System guidance, as well as CDC guidelines to help ensure a safe on-campus environment.
• Need some help navigating these choppy and unpredictable COVID-19 waves?  Are you trying to solve a problem and want some strategic conflict resolution coaching? Then contact the Faculty and Staff Ombuds Office for independent, confidential, informal and impartial assistance. Whenever you want help and are not sure where to turn – Go Ombuds.

From the Office of Faculty Development:

• Faculty, postdocs, and teaching graduate students are invited to apply for the Summer 2020 online cohort of the Inclusive Teaching Certification (ITC)|. This comprehensive, asynchronous Certification is a collaborative professional development project among NC State University’s Disability Services, DELTA, experienced faculty, GLBT Center, Graduate School, Office of Faculty Development, Office of Global Engagement, Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity (OIED), and Office of Information Technology. For more information, please visit go.ncsu.edu/red-itc. Apply Online for the ITC.
• Applications for the Summer 2020 cohort for the Core Teaching Certification (CTC) are now being accepted. The CTC: provides faculty the opportunity to learn pedagogical skills and information about teaching not necessarily gained during formal training in graduate school, helping them become more scholarly teachers; recognizes faculty for their efforts in becoming more intentional, reflective teachers who incorporate effective practices in teaching in higher education; and affords faculty members the opportunity to meet other faculty members outside their home departments who are dedicated to improving their teaching. For more information, please visit go.ncsu.edu/red-ctc. Apply Online for the CTC.
• Fulbright Fridays is an opportunity for faculty and staff to get one-on-one advice on Fulbright programming and support for developing your application materials. Fulbright Fridays is aimed at applicants at all stages of the process, whether you are just contemplating applying or are working on materials. Every Friday from May 1st- Sept 4th the Director of External Faculty Awards and Recognition, Dr. Maria Almanza, will be available for individual meetings. Appointments are available for up to an hour and are dictated by the needs of applicants. To reach more faculty, available time slots will alternate each week between 9-12 and 12-3. Interested faculty and staff can sign up by searching the google calendar available here or at https://go.ncsu.edu/fulbrightfriday.

How do I sign up? 1) Click on an available calendar slot. Appointment slots are available each Friday beginning May 1st. 2) At the bottom of the “Book Appointment” screen, click save. This will automatically generate an invite and place a hold on the time slot. 3) I will email you shortly after to gather more information about your needs and to share a zoom invite to our meeting. For more information or if you have difficulties in booking an appointment, please contact Dr. Maria Almanza (maria_almanza@ncsu.edu).

From NC State DELTA:

• The Course Quality Program at NC State is now accepting applications for fall 2020. Apply by May 29 for one of our professional development opportunities to improve your online or blended course based on Quality Matters standards. 
• DELTA staff members have created a step-by-step online course creation guide to support faculty who would like to create a quality online course. The guide walks you through the fundamentals of setting up your course, teaching synchronously or asynchronously, and assessing your students while incorporating sound course design and pedagogy.
• Apply by May 15 at 5 p.m. for a DELTA Grant! We want to partner with you to solve instructional challenges and positively impact student success. DELTA Grant recipients not only receive financial resources but a team of DELTA staff members with expertise in instructional design, media development and more. We have six grant types to fit your individual needs.
• In case you missed it, check out these recent articles for important considerations related to assessments and teaching online: 
  • DELTA Testing Updates 
  • Alternative Assessment Resources for Teaching and Learning Online
  • Teaching Online When That Wasn’t Your Original Plan

From the NC State University Libraries:

• D.H. Hill Library’s new Innovation Studio, opening in fall 2020, will showcase innovative work and provide a platform for teaching methods of innovation to the campus community. The Innovation Studio will be a new type of learning space for the Libraries, featuring interactive exhibits of groundbreaking student and faculty work and offering a full slate of workshops and events to teach about tools and methods that spark innovation.
• Library Journal has named the NC State University Libraries’ Will Cross, Director of the Copyright and Digital Scholarship Center, a 2020 “Mover & Shaker.” Cross is recognized in the award’s Educators category for his passionate advocacy for open education initiatives and his work to build a model for adoption of open educational resources (OER). Cross becomes the twelfth staff member from the Libraries to receive the award—the most honorees of any academic library.

From the Office of Information Technology:

• NC State has established a Captioning Grant to assist faculty in creating captions for videos. The grant provides funding for captioning video when:
  • a student with a disability requiring this accommodation registers in a course using video; or
  • an instructor wants to proactively create captions for a video.

To apply for the grant, faculty should complete the Captioning Grant Application Form. Please contact accessibility@ncsu.edu if you have any questions.  

From the Office of Research and Innovation:

• University leadership continues to monitor worldwide COVID-19 disease-related developments. Important information and updates for the broader campus are provided through NC State’s Coronavirus Response website. Faculty and staff can find a list of general frequently asked questions here.

Vice Chancellor Mladen Vouk released a memo on 5/8/20 about the university’s phased-in research restart efforts that will begin 5/18/20. Colleges will approve which projects are appropriate for restart. We are providing guidance on how to manage disruptions to normal research operations resulting from the precautions (including recommended physical distancing and reduced facility access) taken to avoid widespread COVID-19 communal transmissions. We have gathered some information below to assist in planning.

Research and Innovation units continue to provide critical services. Contact staff via email with inquiries.

• Every year in mid-May, the Laboratory for Analytic Sciences (LAS) formally kicks off its planning cycle by releasing its annual ‘Call for White Papers’. This document summarizes our envisioned focus areas for the following calendar year. It is derived from a careful consideration of mission needs (based on discussions with our agency’s Operations Directorate and IC partners, among others) as well as the current expertise and interests of LAS-G staff. The Call for White Papers sets the stage for LAS Collaborators Day, an annual event hosted in June. This event is designed to attract unique and qualified academic and industry partners who are interested in working with LAS. This afternoon-only event has traditionally consisted of an introductory session followed by an open discussion with LAS research and analytical staff. With NC State University largely shut down and with COVID-19 social distancing measures in place, LAS is putting a new twist on the format for this year’s event. LAS Virtual Collaborators Week will be a 100% virtual affair that will run in segments from 15-18 June 2020.