Dear faculty colleagues,
I hope that you were able to take a refreshing break over this summer and that you are looking forward to the year ahead with classes starting this upcoming Monday, August 26.
This newsletter starts by sharing information and important reminders for faculty and ends by sharing faculty-related Stories and News. The Updates section includes the following:
- Faculty Travel Grants
- Faculty Development Award for Professional-Track Faculty
- Faculty Development Leave Program for Tenured Faculty
- Syllabus Requirements
- Required Use of Canvas
- New Undergraduate Academic Q-drop Request System and Deadline Changes
- Faculty Development Opportunities
- Setting Up Split Direct Deposits in Workday
- Updated Guidance for Students with Respiratory Viruses
- MyUT Portal and Mobile App
- CTL Updates: August 2024
- Reminder: Longhorn Welcome Events
- Dedicated Email for Professional-Track Faculty Affairs
Please share relevant information with fellow colleagues, those you mentor, and especially with faculty who are new to campus. If you have any faculty-related questions, concerns, and solutions please contact the Faculty Affairs team. We’re here to support you in any way we can.
Stay well,
Tasha Beretvas
Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
Faculty Updates
Faculty Travel Grants
Eligible faculty may receive as much as $1,400 per academic year for travel expenses to present original papers at scholarly and professional meetings. This includes reimbursement for allowable travel-related expenses for the conference—lodging, meals, transportation, and registration, all of which are non-taxable reimbursements. Funds may be used for foreign and domestic travel. Faculty Travel Grant Applications are due no less than two weeks prior to the start of travel for processing and approval.
Learn More about Faculty Travel Grants
Faculty Development Award Program for Professional-Track Faculty
The Faculty Development Award Program (FDA) is for professional-track faculty members and provides up to $10,000 to support the recipient’s professional development opportunities and activities. The FDA application will open on Tuesday, September 3 and will close at 5 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, October 1.
Join us for a Faculty Development Award Information Session on Monday, August 26, 3–4 p.m. CDT via Zoom. This session is intended for professional-track faculty, staff contacts, and administrators.
Learn More about Faculty Development Award
Faculty Development Leave Program
The Faculty Development Leave Program (FDL) provides tenured faculty members with paid leave from teaching and service responsibilities and allows them to focus on developing their research, scholarship, and creative endeavors. (At other universities, this type of leave is commonly called a sabbatical.) The FDL application will open on Tuesday, September 3, and will close at 5 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, October 1.
Learn More about Faculty Development Leave
Syllabus Requirements
Pursuant to regulations in HB 2504, the General Information Catalog and the Texas Administrative Code, the following guidelines must be observed by any instructor teaching an organized course each term for each course:
- Provide Syllabus to Students by First Meeting Day
Please note that course syllabi and instructor-of-record CVs are due in departmental or dean’s office no later than August 26. - Public Access to Course Information
Documents should be uploaded to Access Syllabi and CVs system by departmental or dean’s office by: September 3.
Full details about HB2504 requirements
Required Use of Canvas
As a reminder, maintaining a minimum Canvas presence across all courses is a new policy that is critical for supporting student learning. The policy, announced last Fall, takes effect at the start of the Fall 2024 semester.A minimum Canvas presence is defined as:
- Attaching an official course syllabus in Canvas (on the official Canvas Syllabus page, with the word “syllabus” in the file name) OR by using the Simple Syllabus tool by the first day that a class meets.
- Publishing your Canvas course(s) by the first day your class(es) meet.
New Undergraduate Academic Q-drop Request System and Deadline Changes
Beginning Fall 2024 the academic Q-drop, pass/fail, and withdrawal deadline will now be 9 class days prior to the last class day of the semester (fall and spring only). For Fall 2024 the deadline will be November 20 and for Spring 2025 the deadline will be April 16. The Academic Calendar, Course Schedule, and General Information Catalog (GIC) will be updated to reflect these changes.
This fall, undergraduate students will now be able to submit academic Q-drop requests online via a new academic Q-drop request system. Here are some of the new features:
- Advisors and students will receive email notifications during the Q-drop request process. Faculty will receive an email notification once a student’s academic Q-drop has been approved.
- Undergraduate academic advisors will be able to review and approve academic Q-drop requests (including OTE) in the new system, as well as run reports and download spreadsheets for tracking.
The new system will go live on Tuesday, September 12
Faculty Development Opportunities
Please see below for several upcoming development opportunities for tenured, tenure-track and professional-track faculty.
Provost’s Mentored Faculty Scholars
This mentorship program offers a one-year, scholarship-focused 1:1 mentoring for tenured and tenure-track faculty, at any rank and from any discipline. Provost’s Mentored Faculty Scholars augments traditional, within-department faculty mentoring by facilitating mentor-mentee pairing across departments, or even across colleges.
Peer Networking Circles
As a reminder, today is the last day to apply. Peer networking circles allow professional-track faculty to connect and share experiences with peers from across the university. Each “circle” will promote discussion of best practices centered on a particular theme. Twice monthly discussions will be facilitated by a professional-track faculty colleague who will moderate participants’ mutual exploration of the circle’s theme. A few circles are still accepting applications including the two Fall term offerings: Digital Accessibility at UT and Incorporating Civil Discourse Across Disciplines.
Setting Up Split Direct Deposits in Workday
To set aside funds for summer months, faculty with 9-month appointments can take advantage of the split deposit feature in Workday to manage their reserves for summer months. With a one-time election in Workday, faculty can distribute their monthly paychecks across two accounts. Please see following resources for more information.
- Using Split Direct Deposit to Establish Reserves for Summer Months FAQs
- Workday Payment Elections Step-by-Step Guide
- Info Session Presentation with Scenarios (PDF)
For questions about your specific situation, please contact payroll@austin.utexas.edu.
Updated Guidance for Students with Respiratory Viruses
As the semester begins, we anticipate that we will continue to see intermittent upticks in respiratory viruses like flu and COVID-19. We don’t want to put our faculty and instructors in the position of managing students’ illnesses or their return to class, so please refer students to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to manage their own healthcare. Further, as has always been the case, faculty should not provide classroom notifications about exposure to illness. Most common illnesses like flu and COVID-19 do not require exposure notifications. For communicable illnesses that require notification (e.g., Mumps, Measles, etc.), University Health Services will follow established guidelines for notifying students and instructors.
It’s important that we all follow this guidance to maintain consistency across campus and provide students a clear understanding of how they can manage possible infection and when they should return to class.
Upcoming Flu and Covid-19 Vaccination Clinics
MyUT Portal and Mobile App
The redesigned MyUT is now available online at my.utexas.edu, as well as in the App Store and on Google Play. MyUT offers quick access to essential academic, financial, and campus services in one convenient location.
CTL Updates: August 2024
Please see below for several updates from the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). Explore more opportunities in the August newsletter and 2024–25 programming flyer:
Teaching Preparation Series
Please share with graduate students in your networks! CTL and campus partners are offering a range of workshops this semester designed specifically for graduate students. These workshops provide an opportunity to learn, observe, practice, receive feedback, and reflect on effective classroom teaching techniques. The series will kick off on August 29 with “Understanding Your Role as a TA” (Online via Zoom).
Accessible Pedagogy Conversations
Hosted by the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), the Disability Cultural Center (DCC), and Disability & Access (D&A). Beginning September 4, join us each Wednesday this semester from 12–1 p.m. on Zoom for Accessible Pedagogy Conversations. This informal, peer-directed space is open to all instructors who hope to share questions, strategies, and recommendations regarding accommodations and inclusion in learning environments. We will collectively explore new topics each week.
Early Career Faculty Fall 2024 Book Club
Beginning September 10 from 2–2:45 p.m., join us for four in-person meetings of the fall semester book club. Participants within their first five years of teaching will read Relationship-Rich Education. After interviewing nearly 400 students, faculty, and staff, Felten and Lambert realized that relationships built inside and outside the classroom are central to the success of many of our students. This text provides practical advice on how faculty can help students develop and sustain relationships that play a significant part in their success in college. Participation will be limited to 10 participants.
Reminder: Longhorn Welcome Events
The Fall term kicks off with Longhorn Welcome, a week full of events to welcome the campus community back to campus. Below are events faculty may be interested in attending.
Presidential Pop-Up Party on the Main Mall
On Monday, August 26, join the campus community for a welcome event to celebrate the first day of classes. There will be cold treats, photo ops, and a few other surprises. You are encouraged to wear burnt orange to show your Longhorn pride. The event is from 11:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m.
Longhorn Friday
On Friday, August 30, join the campus community for National College Colors Day. Join President Hartzell and friends as we rep burnt orange on the first Longhorn Friday of the semester. Enjoy free cold brew, burnt orange giveaways and more. The event is from 2:30- 3:30 p.m.
Learn More about Longhorn Welcome Events
Dedicated Email for Professional-Track Faculty Affairs
Featured News & Stories
Peer mentorship: It takes a village
The Provost’s Mentored Faculty Scholars (PMFS) program is a one-year, scholarship-focused mentoring program for tenured and tenure-track faculty at UT Austin.
Introducing new Vice Provost for Professional-Track Faculty
Jen Moon will join the provost’s Faculty Affairs team as the University’s inaugural Vice Provost for Professional-Track Faculty.
How’s Your “Business Poise”?
If all the world’s a stage, then corporate America is now headlining in Business Improv — a continuing education course hosted by The University of Texas at Austin’s Extended Campus.
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