ELT: October 28, 2024 – Office of the Provost

News | Advising | Grants and Fellowships | Conferences and Workshops

Monday, October 28, 2024

News

AI Curricular Development Grants

I thought I’d take a moment at the top of this ELT to offer a friendly reminder of the upcoming deadline for the first round of AI Curricular Development Grants. We will have three rounds of proposals this year and three again next year, but if you do have an idea for something you’d like to try out in your classes or in your department/program, please do consider submitting your idea.

As you might recall, I took advantage of having most of you gathered at the faculty retreat to ask you all what you are thinking these days about a variety of AI-related questions. One question that I found really encouraging was the following: “As educators, we need to help Carleton students understand and use AI responsibly.” Among attendees, 90% of you agreed or strongly agreed with that statement. We recognize, however, that fulfilling that obligation can take so many different forms. As examples, I’m copying the bulleted ideas from the website for the grant initiative below, but we can certainly imagine all sorts of different approaches to using or understanding both a variety of AI-related tools AND topics related to the impact of AI on society and our planet. Examples from the website include:

Designing new courses that focus significantly on AI-related topics
Redesigning existing courses to include an AI-based assignment or component
Developing courses or course components that address complex topics around AI (e.g., machine bias, environmental sustainability, equity of access, etc.)
Developing AI instruction and/or assessment across majors or programs

We are also currently working on a proposal to the NEH to fund a research center on undergraduate teaching and learning on AI. If you might have interest in participating in these conversations, please let me know.

Gratefully, Michelle

Self-Scheduled Exams

If you would like to use the self-scheduled exam process for your exams in November, please let Ann May (amay@carleton.edu) know as soon as possible. If you have already responded to the email Ann sent earlier in the term, there is no need to do anything further. But, if you’ve changed your mind or can’t remember how you responded, please contact Ann. More information about the self-scheduled exam process can be found on the Registrar’s website under the Exams heading.

Distinguished Women Visitors Fund Seeks Proposals

Since 1970 the Distinguished Women Visitors fund has been helping bring prominent professional women to campus in order to expose students to women who are successful in their careers. The goal of the program is that the value of the visit “will lie not so much in the career information she presents, but in the opportunity for women students to ‘sit at the feet of’ a woman, to know her not for her accomplishments alone but for her personality, her spirit, her values, her beliefs — in sum, to know the person of achievement who is a woman.” Funds are available to support more women visitors in 2024-25 and it’s easy to apply using the form linked from the Distinguished Women Visitors website.

Advising

Advising Days are Here!

As we move into Advising Days, please remember that there are many resources available to help you navigate these meetings with your advisees. The Advising Handbook provides a clearinghouse of information on a range of topics organized into major areas such as Academic Requirements and Student Academic Progress. If you are seeking someone who might provide a specific answer to a question, consult the Whom To Contact page to see who you might email or phone directly. Pathways remains a useful resource for students, advisers, and departments. Take a look and use this tool in your advising of first- and second-year students who wish to start their research on career tracks and their professional development.

Winter Term Advising Circle

Have you worked with a student with a mental health challenge and wished you had more knowledge to support them? Have you wanted to participate in Mental Health First Aid but have not had the time/availability?

The winter term Advising Circle is for you! Our focus will be on helping you develop essential skills and introducing you to resources that support students facing mental health challenges. The session will be facilitated by Patrick Gordon, Director of the Office of Health Promotion. Note: This session will not certify you in Mental Health First Aid, but it will give you some key skills and resources to support students dealing with mental health concerns.

We invite all advisers to provide input on the best date for the advising circle. Please fill out the Winter Term Advising Circle form to indicate your availability.

We look forward to having this great conversation and helping you feel that much more prepared to support your students!

New Courses for Winter Term

One of the Workday reports designed to help advisers encourage their advisees to explore the curriculum is the “Newly Added Courses ” report. You can access this report via your “My Advisees” dashboard under the tab “Additional Reports,” or by typing “Newly Added Courses” in the universal search bar in Workday.

“Department Pick” Workday Report

Do you want to highlight a new course in your department? Department chairs are invited to select one course they wish to feature each term and communicate their selection to Ann May in the Registrar’s Office. Students who explore the “Department Pick” report in Workday will see the highlighted course from each department.

For Students Interested in Starting Hebrew

The four-term Hebrew sequence is taught over two years. The sequence starts with 101 this winter term 2025, followed by 102 this spring term 2025. 103 and 204 will be offered in fall and winter terms of academic year 2025-26. For first year students, finishing the upper two levels of Hebrew as a sophomore is very doable. If you have advisees who are interested in starting Hebrew this winter, please let them know that Stacy Beckwith will be glad to talk with them if they have questions.

Academic Integrity

As we approach the end of the term, some of your advisees might be feeling the crunch of our ten-week term. Please remind your advisees, especially first-year students, what constitutes academic misconduct. Excessive procrastination and poor time management are often the primary culprits that lead to academic integrity cases. The Academic Support Center maintains a time management coach who can help your advisees with time management skills. You can find more useful information in our Advising Handbook for your advisees, especially in the Academic Integrity/Academic Misconduct section.

Key Deadlines During Fall Term

Friday, November 1: Ten-week Course Late Drop and S/CR/NC Deadline, due 5:00 p.m.
Friday, November 8: Second Five-week Course Late Drop and S/CR/NC Deadline, due 5:00 p.m.

Advising Quick Links

Grants and Fellowships

Council on Undergraduate Research Grant Dialogues Conference

The Council on Undergraduate Research is hosting its annual Dialogues conference virtually in Feb. of 2025 and registration is now open. This is an excellent opportunity for junior faculty looking for support as they begin establishing their independent research career, or for more senior faculty branching into new topics. This event brings together grant experts, federal agency program officers, and other funders to help you navigate the world of grants and funding.

Key Objectives of Grant Dialogues:

Getting Started: The conference offers insights and resources for those considering a new grant-supported project or program.
Practical Guidance: Access practical advice to enhance your grant-writing skills.
Support and Encouragement: Find the motivation and support you need to pursue funding successfully.
Collaboration and Network Building: Foster dialogue, collaboration, and networking among stakeholders, including faculty, sponsored research teams, and research officers, to strengthen grant applications and create a supportive community of grant seekers.

For more information is available on the CUR website.

Workshops

Disabilities, Bodies, and Design in Liberal Arts Education

The Alliance to Advance Liberal Arts Colleges (AALAC) is sponsoring the two-day workshop Disabilities, Bodies, and Design in Liberal Arts Education taking place May 19 – 20, 2025 at Swarthmore College. The workshop will bring together 18 built-environment educators to think through the integration of disability studies into undergraduate design teaching. Travel and accommodations will be covered for 15 participants. Interested faculty should contact Sony Devabhaktuni (Swarthmore College) or Andy Mowbray (Wellesley College).