Dear faculty colleagues,
I hope that your first week of classes and the start of the Fall semester has gone well. Please review the information below for a few updates and important reminders for faculty. Please share what might be relevant to you, those you mentor and fellow colleagues.
- Faculty Development Leave and Faculty Development Award – Info Sessions
- National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipend
- Newly Negotiated Federal Rate Agreement
- Course on AI — Open to all Faculty
- Texas Open Science Summit
- ACUE Microcredential in Promoting Active Learning — Deadline Extended
- Course Packets Available from Document Solutions
- CTL Initiatives
- Office of Academic Technology
Faculty Development Leave and Faculty Development Award
The provost’s Faculty Affairs team will be hosting information sessions about the University’s Faculty Development Leave and Faculty Development Award for professional-track faculty programs. Sessions will be held at the following dates and times:
UT FDL information session for Tenured Faculty
9:00-10:00am, Friday, September 1
https://utexas.zoom.us/j/95225728743
UT FDA information session for Professional-Track Faculty
11:00am-12:00pm, Friday, September 1
https://utexas.zoom.us/j/99747263657
Accepting Applications ‑ National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipend
Applications are now open for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) faculty summer stipend program that provides $6,000 towards two months of summer salary. UT supplements the NEH award to bring the total stipend level up to cover two full summer months of salary.
Each institution may nominate a maximum of two faculty members, with at least one being a tenure-track assistant professor. The competition begins with an internal review to select the two UT nominations to send forward to NEH for consideration. The university’s selection of nominees—and the national selection as well—will be based on the ability of candidates to “make a significant contribution to their field.” See the NEH website for additional information. The internal application consists of:
- brief project description (three pages, single-spaced)
- bibliography (one page, single-spaced)
- CV (two pages, single-spaced)
- Plan of work (one page, single-spaced)
UT applicants must submit internal materials to Faculty Affairs by 5pm CDT, Friday, September 8, 2023.
The University’s two nominees will then submit their applications directly to NEH by their deadline Wednesday, September 20, 2023.
Learn More – NEH Humanities Summer Stipend
Newly Negotiated Federal Rate Agreement
The University has announced the newly negotiated federal rate agreement which includes the fringe benefit rates and the facilities and administrative rates (F&A) approved by the federal government for reimbursement for sponsored project grants and contracts. The rates will apply to new grants and contracts awarded on or after September 1, 2023. Currently active grants and contracts will continue to use the F&A rate at which they were proposed.
The OSP website also includes additional information regarding how F&A costs are calculated and allocated. If you have additional questions, please send them to the Office of Sponsored Projects at osp@austin.utexas.edu.
Course on AI
Good Systems and the College of Natural Sciences have developed a course open to all University community members: students, faculty, and staff. CS 109: The Essentials of AI for Life and Society will cover fundamental concepts for AI literacy, as well as the ethical and societal implications of AI technologies. Only your curiosity and willingness to explore are needed for this class – no prior technical knowledge is necessary.
The class will be held on Wednesdays, 4-5 p.m., starting Aug. 23, throughout the fall semester. Faculty and staff can sign up to audit the course (for no credit) using this course registration form, and are encouraged to sign up by Sept. 5. For more information, see the course flyer.\
Join Your Colleagues at the Texas Open Science Summit
In celebration of 2023 being designated as the Year of Open Science, the University of Texas Libraries — with support from the Office of Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors – are collaborating with HELIOS and NASA TOPS to organize the Texas Open Science Summit (TOSS).
The Texas Open Science Summit will bring together experts in a variety of disciplines to talk about the Year of Open Science, federal government requirements for sharing research publications and data, the importance of open science to early career researchers and open science opportunities at UT Austin. We’ll also be introducing the new Open Source Program Office (OSPO) at UT Austin and discussing the role of OSPOs at institutions across the U.S.
- When: Wednesday, September 20th, 2023, from 9:15 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Networking breakfast starting at 8:30 a.m. - Where: Perry Castañeda Library (PCL) and virtual via Zoom
Sign up to receive registration and additional information about the Summit.
ACUE Microcredential in Promoting Active Learning — Deadline Extended
UT System is awarding grants for 30 full-time instructors to participate in the “Promoting Active Learning“ course. This eight-week asynchronous experience allows you to learn about, implement and reflect on research-based teaching strategies in your fall semester courses. Participants will earn a microcredential that leads to an ACUE certificate. The Fall semester course starts the weekend of September 9 and runs through October 29.
Applications are due August 27, 2023.
Course Packets Available — Document Solutions
Digital and print course packet production, copyright clearance, retail and e-commerce sales are available through Document Solutions. An online portal and further information can be found here. Retail sales are available in SSW, GSB and a temporary store at the Law School. Document Solutions will also share course packets with the Co-op upon faculty request.
Learn How to Order Your Course Packet Here
CTL Initiatives
- Graduate Student Teaching Preparation Series
Do you know graduate students that would like to develop their teaching practice? Please spread the word about this series which includes flexible opportunities to learn new strategies and practice specific skills. Sessions are facilitated by Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) staff and campus partners. Participants can work towards a certificate.
- Fractalizing Pedagogy Fellows Proposals
Fractalizing Pedagogy Fellows (FPF) is a CTL program that seeks to implement strategies that break down barriers to teaching and learning. Fellows will create individual projects that are intentional and iterative for the benefit of the entire UT Austin community. Proposals are due September 1, 2023.
- Generative AI Tools
There are several updated resources on the use of generative AI tools in education provided by the Center for Teaching and Learning. While predominately focused on ChatGPT, the resource is designed to be adapted to fit different tools and pedagogical approaches. The page will continue to be updated as new resources are developed.
Office of Academic Technology
The Office of Academic Technology (OAT) is leading several initiatives to enhance the adoption of teaching and learning tools on campus. To learn more or get involved, visit the new OAT website.
Namecoach
Namecoach is a free tool available to all instructors and students in Canvas. This program allows users to record the correct pronunciation of their name and is enabled in the course navigation panel in Canvas by default. If you need help using Namecoach, reach out to canvas@utexas.edu.
If you have any faculty-related questions, concerns, and solutions please feel free to contact the Faculty Affairs team. We’re here to support you in any way we can.
Stay well,
Tasha Beretvas