Hi all,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a longer\nand more \u201cweedy\u201d note than usual as there is important information to share\nabout the new academic programs (\u201cbig bets\u201d) process, the budget process, an\nunexpected temporary closure of the Housing Community Center, and a winter\nvirus PSA. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But first, if you\nwere in the Library building last Wednesday afternoon, you witnessed the hum of\nactivity and wonderful connections students were making for applied learning\nopportunities with community partners at the Community Opportunities and\nInternship Fair. Thank you to our colleagues who steward this annual\nevent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another event\ndesigned to foster students\u2019 understanding of the connection between their\nEvergreen education and broader goals is the winter quarter All-Campus\nMentoring Day, which takes place on February 19th<\/sup> from 2-4\np.m. Paths of Study and Graduate Study advising will be represented at an\nopen house from 2-3p.m. Faculty: as you look forward to working with graduating\nseniors in spring quarter, the Learning and Teaching Commons and the Writing\nCenter are offering a workshop on how to support students with their the\nAcademic Statements from 3-4 p.m. in Purce Hall Classroom 7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n New Academic\nDirections<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The New Academic Directions (\u201cBig Bets\u201d) coordinating group continues to engage in our ambitious action research process to identify and prepare to implement new academic programs and\/or curricular strategies that will substantially increase the College\u2019s enrollment and create a path to financial stability. The group is in the process of creating several draft models for Evergreen\u2019s academic offerings that provide a vision for students we should and could serve, what curriculum we could offer, and what structures we would need to create to do so. There will be opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to provide additional input later this quarter. The New Academic Directions website<\/a> also offers a way to track the project and contribute to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Budget <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The College\u2019s\nCore Budget Team (CBT) continues its work to create a fiscally responsible and\nstable budget for 20-21. The CBT is starting this work by considering\ncross-divisional strategies for reducing the budget and working more\nefficiently as a smaller college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Student\nand Academic Life (SAL) division we will work with budget managers to develop\nscenarios for divisional budget reductions during the latter part of this\nquarter. We will also lean on the good thinking that came out of the budget\nscenario meetings we held last spring. The SAL budget team, which\nincludes me, Andy Corn, Wendy Endress, Larry Geri, David McAvity, and Greg\nMullins, will work with these scenarios to develop a budget reduction plan by\nspring quarter. The Resource Allocation Advisory Committee (RAAC), which is\nco-chaired by Holly Joseph and David McAvity and includes four faculty members\nfrom the Faculty Advisory Panel on the College Budget, two students from the\nGSU, and two staff members, will meet regularly during this period. We will\nwork with them to plan opportunities for community engagement. The RAAC will\nalso give advice and input to senior leadership before they make final\ndecisions in spring quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Housing Community Center <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Housing Community\nCenter (HCC) is temporarily closed due to several mechanical and structural\nissues that are currently being addressed. Residential and Dining\nServices staff have created alternate plans for students to continue to have\naccess to laundry facilities and mail delivery. While the HCC is closed,\nthe market in the CAB (POD Express) will offer expanded hours and food\nchoices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Winter Virus News<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The recent news\nabout the spread of a novel coronavirus (Wuhan\ncoronavirus)<\/a> is a good reminder that public health is our collective\nresponsibility. While the likelihood of exposure to the Wuhan coronavirus\nis very low, we are seeing elevated seasonal flu<\/a> and some\ncases of Norovirus<\/a> on campus.\nAll of these viruses are highly contagious and can cause serious health\nproblems, especially in young children, older adults, and those who are\nimmunocompromised. The staff in Student Wellness Services advise that all\ncommunity members take care of themselves and others to prevent the spread of\nillness. Get vaccinated, cover your cough\/sneeze, wash hands, and stay\nhome when you\u2019re sick. <\/strong>People with a fever of over 1000 F with a sore\nthroat and\/or cough should stay home and limit exposure to others. Once\nyou have been fever-free (without fever reducing medicines) for 24 hours you\nshould be able to return to work or school. Flu vaccine is available<\/strong> at Student Wellness Services<\/a>, on the main floor of the Seminar\nI Building, no appointment necessary; the $28 will be billed to your staff\naccount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the\nhorizon<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The two final\nmen\u2019s and women\u2019s home basketball games, which are free for faculty and staff,\nwill take place on February 7-8. On February 11 from 4-6 p.m.\nwe are all invited to a 50th<\/sup> birthday party to celebrate the birth\nof coordinated studies in February, 1970. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Especially when we are all working so hard, it is important to remember to find time to connect. There are two more gatherings this quarter, one at Einstein\u2019s and one at 3 Magnets. Staff can sign up here<\/a> and faculty can sign up here<\/a>. I hope you are able to join us if you have not yet participated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you one of over 50 % of faculty and staff who have already completed the Campus Climate Survey<\/a>? If not, there is still time to do so. As we consider campus climate, it is worth noting that we continue to hear that our students\u2019 experiences are overwhelmingly positive. This is an important reminder for us to be both real and positive in our interactions with students in the midst of challenging times. What strategies do you utilize to ensure students know the best that Evergreen has to offer? Let us know! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Best,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jen<\/p>\n\n\n\n —<\/p>\n\n\n\n SAL Renewal\nInitiatives 2019-20 Accomplishments <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Current status\nof <\/em>renewal initiatives<\/em><\/a> for which Student\n& Academic Life is primarily responsible.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Greener\nFoundations (First-year Experience Program)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Contact: Trevor\nSpeller, Academic Dean and Cynthia Kennedy, FYE Fellow<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s\nwinter quarter, and our \u201cGreener Foundations\u201d course continues in 6\nacademic programs. We have conducted a preliminary, mid-program assessment with\nsome promising results, which were presented at the week 4 faculty meeting. Dr.\nRebecca Campbell will be conducting in-services for faculty and staff\non January 30 and 31. Fall scheduling for Greener Foundations courses will\nbe announced in the coming week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Learning and Teaching Commons<\/strong><\/a> (Commons)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Contact: Julia\nMetzker, Director, Washington Center for Improving Undergraduate Education\nlearningandteaching@evergreen.edu<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nLearning and Teaching Commons has an exciting roster of upcoming events that\nare open to all faculty and staff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Workshop on Practical Strategies for Supporting Learning for Students with Neurodiversity<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>facilitated by Alicia Roberts Frank<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Week 5| Monday, February 3, (WK 5) | 3:00 \u2013 5:00 PM | Purce Hall, Classroom 5 What\nCan Your Commons Do for You? Talk to Us!<\/strong> Commons\nAdvisory Council members will listen to your thoughts about learning and\nteaching at Evergreen, and to your ideas for the Learning and Teaching Commons.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Workshop\non Providing Academic Statement Support to Students<\/strong> <\/strong>facilitated by Joli Sandoz\nand Sandy Yannone<\/em> Come\njoin us to share your experiences and learn new strategies to support students\nin developing their annual and final academic statements.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Seminars\nThat Work<\/strong>\n<\/strong>presented by Cholee\nGladney and Elizabeth Williamson<\/em> Seminars\ncan spark learning for everyone present\u2026or not. Bring your experiences and\nquestions! Presenters briefly will share their ideas about what faculty and\nstaff can do to set groups and sessions on an equitable and rewarding path,\nboth before and during seminar discussion. Then we\u2019ll open the floor for\nconversation.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Details about these opportunities will be sent via email and posted to the Learning and Teaching Commons website at sites.evergreen.edu\/ltc<\/a> Paths of\nStudy <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Contact:\nLarry Geri, Academic Dean<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n During\nthe current academic year we allocated $50,000 of our Mellon Foundation grant\nto funding student scholarships to offset costs of academic program travel,\neither abroad or domestic, or to cover expenses related to individual study\nresearch that requires travel. Over 60 scholarships have been\nawarded and the application pool is currently closed. Student\ntravel is a high impact educational practice and a goal of the grant is to\nsupport increased student engagement with a wide variety of such\npractices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Masters in\nTeaching (MiT)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Contact: Sue\nFeldman, Director<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nMiT program faculty are teaching the final on-campus term of the MiT program as\nwe have known it. It is a bittersweet time of change as we appreciate the\nremarkable opportunity two years of full-time teaching and learning yields and\nas we welcome the wonderful chance to improve the program design by making it\nshorter, less costly, and more accessible while also increasing the time\nstudents will spend in schools. The vision for the new program is to\noffer “a vibrant public education for a just society,” and the\npurpose of the program is to prepare teacher activists who join students,\nfamilies and communities in educational work, empowering a participatory democracy\nfor a sustainable and equitable future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nnew program aims to work with fewer schools in order to more intentionally\npartner in school transformation. The MiT director and field placement liaison\nare spending time in schools with principals, and in school district central\noffices meeting with human resource directors, superintendents and assistant\nsuperintendents. Our goal is to create authentic, mutually beneficial\npartnerships that support our aspiring teachers as well as the school and school\ndistricts’ transformational goals to eliminate the opportunity gap through\npublic education. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Native Pathways\nProgram (NPP)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Contact: Dawn\nBarron, Director<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n NPP\nfaculty and staff completed designing the curriculum and program fundamentals\nfor the next 3 year upper division cycle. This has been informed by NPP student\nsurveys and research on Native\/Indigenous studies in higher education. We\nare currently working on an assessment process for all branches of NPP that\naligns with Evergreen\u2019s 6 Expectations, as well as the NPP mission. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We\njust returned from another exciting ATNI (Affiliated Tribes of Northwest\nIndians) meeting where Dawn is a member of the Tribal Educators Alliance and\nEducation Committee. The TEA is working on the issue of Identification of\nAI\/AN students, among other issues, which led to the development of our newly\nformed ATNI Higher Education Consortium. NPP students presented about NPP\nStudent Governance, the CIRCLE student club, legislation and bills (status and\nsupport updates), and representing their Tribes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On March 7th<\/sup> from 7-10 p.m., the CIRCLE student club\nfor Creating Indigenous Revolution through Culture, Language, & Education\nis hosting a fundraiser at the Lord Mansion with musical and spoken word artist\nCalina Lawrence and open mic to follow. The cost is $20 at the door. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tacoma Program<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Contact: Marcia\nTate-Arunga, Dean<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n At Evergreen –\nTacoma, we were honored to host a zoom presentation with the Daili Lama on the\nsubject of compassion. This was hosted by the office of the Governor, Jay\nInslee, in conjunction with 3 additional college campus sites in the state of\nWashington. The presentation was a successful community engagement event,\nattended by over 75 students and community people and included a live question\nand answer period. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tacoma has\ntaken on the responsibility of managing a work study crew of students to\nenhance our facilities and keep our laboratories open that made possible\naccessibility of our limited facilities and expanded our hours of availability\nto our media laboratory and our computer lab. This has improved our ability to\nstreamline access to equipment and study space for our students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The responsibility\nof S&A now falls completely in Tacoma\u2019s purview and we are working out ways\nto respond to organizational gaps in meeting student needs, while building an\neffective learning curve. The team successfully held elections, expanding to an\n8 member body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We have added\nnew partners and local stakeholders with the following organizations: Graduate\nTacoma, Metropolitan Development Council; Pierce College-Fort Steilacoom;\nDecolonize Education Conference organizers; 3 Upward Bound and Trio programs in\nthe Pierce county region, Technology Access Foundation and St. Martins Church\n (Women\u2019s health initiatives). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Entrepreneurship<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Contact: Larry\nGeri, Academic Dean<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n An event titled\n\u201cEntrepreneurship and Changemaking at Evergreen\u201d was held on campus on Friday,\nOctober 18th bringing together over 30 faculty, staff, students and community\nmembers to envision possibilities for the campus entrepreneurship\nprogram. The event was very successful in exploring an expanded vision\nfor this initiative. Work is underway with a small group to develop the next\nsteps for stewarding this work. More soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aquatics\nProgram <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Contact:\nElizabeth McHugh, Director, Wellness, Recreation & Athletics<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Aquatics\nSteering Committee Co-Chairs and Student Wellness, Recreation, and Athletics\nstaff members shared the Aquatics Review Summary Report and options for\nconsideration to Senior Leadership in the fall. College leadership is in the\nprocess of assessing how to proceed with approaching work that is critical to\nmaintaining a safely operating swimming pool. Current operations remain in\neffect until further notice. See here for more information: https:\/\/www.evergreen.edu\/recreation\/pool<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Please RSVP for the workshop by completing this short survey<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nWeek 6 | Tuesday, February 11th | 12-1 pm (lunch provided) | SEM II B-2107<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nWeek 7 | Wednesday, February 19th | 3-4 pm | Purce Hall, Classroom 7<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nWeek 8 | Monday, February 24th | 12-1pm (lunch provided) | SEM II E-3107<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Learning and Teaching Commons Advisory Council continues to plan more ways to best support you and the work you do with students. Please send your requests for workshops, discussions, trainings, or other types of professional development to learningandteaching@evergreen.edu<\/a>.
Council membership includes Robin Bond, Emily Gray, Julia Heineccius, Penelope Partridge, Julia Metzker, Therese Saliba, Joli Sandoz, Eric Stein, Eirik Steinhoff, Lisa Sweet, Pauline Yu, Sonja Wiedenhaupt, Elizabeth Williamson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n