September 12, 2022
Summary
This week I look forward to participating in the Diversity & Inclusion Welcome Back Reception on Sept. 14, hosted by the Office of Diversity & Inclusion. Events such as these provide space for discussions on topics including how best to be a community that is welcoming and supportive of colleagues so that they thrive, while also addressing some of the very real challenges such as the disproportionate committee work often shouldered by faculty of color. I look forward to seeing many new and returning community members there.
Full Description
This week I look forward to participating in the Diversity & Inclusion Welcome Back Reception on Sept. 14, hosted by the Office of Diversity & Inclusion. Events such as these provide space for discussions on topics including how best to be a community that is welcoming and supportive of colleagues so that they thrive, while also addressing some of the very real challenges such as the disproportionate committee work often shouldered by faculty of color. I look forward to seeing many new and returning community members there.
With that, here are the Top 5 Things to Know this week:
- The Studio for Teaching and Learning Innovation (STLI) is hosting their Fall ‘22 Teaching & Learning Talk: Engagement Through Experience on Tuesday, Sept. 20, from 12:30–1:45 p.m. in Swem Library G64 or by Zoom. The discussion will include contributions from W&M faculty and students as they discuss the positive impacts of experiential learning. If you’re interested in joining, please RSVP by noon on Sept. 16.
- The Student Accessibility Services Center in the Sadler Center opens today. The testing center offers accommodations for approved students from 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For questions, email testing@wm.edu or call (757) 221-2512.
- University Human Resources is holding a workshop via Zoom on Health & Wellbeing in the Workplace for faculty and staff on September 30, 2022. The discussion will cover topics such as work-life balance and establishing priorities. Registration is required through Cornerstone by searching “AnthemEAP.” If you have any questions, please contact Mane Pada at mepada@wm.edu.
- U.S. News & World Report released their undergraduate rankings today, joining recent rankings from the Princeton Review and Morning Consult. W&M moved up among the top 10 institutions for undergraduate teaching in U.S. News and is cited in Morning Consult’s new ranking as the most trusted university in the nation. These rankings are not an all-encompassing reflection of our work here, yet we acknowledge their importance to external audiences.
- The shout-out for this week goes to the community members involved in putting together the Neighborhood Block Party: Zip, Slice, Explore last Thursday. A tremendous amount of work went into the Sadler Center renovations, so it was wonderful to have this opportunity for faculty, staff and students to come together and see the finished product while enjoying plenty of fun activities.
Finally, I want to highlight the upcoming event, Can We Talk Politics, being held this Thursday. While sign-ups for the event are now on a waitlist basis, I am very excited about this offering and the community’s response to it. I’m hopeful that we will have more events like this so that we can continue to normalize encourage healthy democratic dialogue across our campus.
I also want to note that the W&M Digest, distributed each weekday, is a fantastic resource for learning more about and sharing offerings such as Can We Talk Politics?
Thank you, and have a wonderful week.
