The Provost has introduced new Faculty Initiatives encouraging participation, ideas and volunteers within the Dickinson community. Current Initiatives are below.
Alternatives to Canceling Class
When life happens, you don’t cancel class, call in a partner. Whether you have advance notice due to a conference presentation or an unexpected personal matter arises, there are colleagues on campus eager to engage with your students in meaningful ways. Campus partners are offering pre-designed workshops on a range of topics (each listed below). Simply select a workshop and once submitted, the request will be sent to the appropriate facilitator, who will follow up via email to confirm details and coordinate the session. Sessions include:
Career Decision Making
50 minutes
Provided by the Center for Career Development
This interactive workshop provides students with the opportunity to step back and critically examine not just what they want to pursue, but why it matters. Through guided activities and discussion, students will develop a deeper understanding of themselves and how to align their next steps with their unique strengths and aspirations.
The Job and Internship Search
50 minutes
Provided by the Center for Career Development
A structured session designed to equip students with the skills and strategies to successfully navigate the job and/or internship search. Students will learn how to identify and apply for relevant opportunities, effectively leverage online job boards, and build and maintain a strong professional network. Throughout the session, emphasis will be placed on tailoring the search process to align with individual career goals.
Navigating Across Cultures
60 minutes
Provided by the Center for Global Study and Engagement (CGSE) Dickinson is a global campus and thus it is important for all of us to continue to work on building strong intercultural skills. A starting point is becoming more self-aware of our own identity and exhibiting genuine curiosity. Our identities are the way that we present to the world. Sometimes self-identified, other times imposed, our interactions with each other are influenced by who we are. Identities are shaped by the values and attitudes of the cultural groups that we belong to. It is increasingly evident that in our interdependent world, we must do the work necessary to build bridges across cultures, starting with an understanding of who we are and how our identities shape our perceptions with a goal of becoming better intercultural communicators.
Exploring Sustainability at Dickinson
50 minutes
Provided by the Center for Sustainability Education (CSE) This workshop will engage students in structured conversations about what sustainability means at Dickinson, social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainability challenges, campus and community efforts to advance sustainability, and how students can get involved in efforts to create a more sustainable future for themselves and others.
Applications of Sustainability at Dickinson
50 minutes
Provided by the Center for Sustainability Education (CSE)
An interactive workshop focused on guiding students to make connections between the field of study of the course and sustainability. Throughout the session, emphasis will be placed on connecting Dickinson’s current sustainability projects and programs to course material. Customizable case studies are available through consultation with CSE staff in advance.
Wellness 101: Building a Strong Foundation for Well-Being
50 minutes
Provided by the Wellness Center
This interactive session covers the essential pillars of wellness providing students with practical strategies to improve their daily habits, manage stress, and enhance overall well-being. Designed to be engaging and informative, this session helps students build a strong foundation for success both in and out of the classroom.
TO SCHEDULE A WORKSHOP OR CLASS SESSION
Fill out the . The more advanced notice is given, the more likely our calendars will allow us to accommodate the request. Please note that submitting a request does not guarantee a workshop, as all sessions are subject to office and staff availability.
Faculty Fellow in the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, in partnership with Office of the Provost, invites applications for the inaugural Faculty Fellow in the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
The Faculty Fellow for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion position is open to scholars in any discipline whose research engages topics of race, ethnicity, power, class, gender, sexuality, religion, ability, or social justice. The Fellow will work closely with one of the centers within the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and will collaborate with the Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer an area of strategic importance:
- Campus Climate
- Recruitment and Retention
- Accessibility
- Institutional Policy and Compliance
- Using Data to Advance Equity
- Interfaith Inclusion
- Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Programming
We welcome proposals in these areas and other areas that support community and belonging, academic equity, inclusive pedagogy, mentoring, professional development and capacity building.
In addition to their work on a strategic initiative, Faculty Fellows are responsible for giving one public talk or workshop during their term. This presentation may be in the Fellow’s academic field or they may use this as an opportunity to share outcomes of their work as a Faculty Fellow. Through their work, Faculty Fellows will support equity and inclusion commitments in Dickinson’s Strategic Plan and our Inclusivity Strategic Plan.
More information
Description
Faculty Fellows serve a one-year term, which may be renewed for an additional semester with support from the department and the provost. Fellows may request up to one course release or the equivalent stipend during their term as a fellow. All tenured and tenure track faculty are eligible to apply as well as faculty on multi-year contracts.
Requirements
- Record of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within academic and professional settings. This could include previous roles, initiatives led, and creative or scholarly pursuits.
- The ability to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, and students across various departments and disciplines is essential. Candidates should demonstrate experience in building partnerships and working on interdisciplinary teams to advance DEI goals.
- Demonstrate leadership skills and show potential for initiating and managing DEI projects or programs. This includes strategic planning, program development, and assessment of DEI initiatives to ensure they meet the institution's goals and objectives.
To Apply
- Letter of Interest
- Statement of Support from Department Chair
Letters of interest must be submitted to Tony Boston by Friday, February 7, 2025 . Letters of interest should address how the candidate meets the qualifications and which strategic initiative(s) they wish to advance.
Handbook Revision Task Force
Please consider taking part in handbook revisions. Sarah Niebler and I are looking for 5 to 7 faculty who represent the broad range of our disciplines, at least one must be junior/untenured, and we would very much like to have someone who holds lecturer or senior lecturer status. It is important that the group be diverse in terms of held identities and lived experiences; and, we want a handbook revision committee that has faculty on it who have served on FPC, APCS, P&B, and EIB — folks with deep knowledge of our college. The work will launch February 2025, and culminate in May 2026; and the work will be intense, we estimate 80 — 100 hours of work over the course of the academic year and a half (no summer work for task force members), and FPC has agreed to consider this the equivalent of all college service for participants.
Please email Renée, copying Sarah, indicated that you would like to be considered for the task force by December 20th.
We will bring the composition to FPC’s first spring semester meeting and announce the group at the February faculty meeting.
FYS Collaborative Study Group Invitation
Each study group should have between 2 and 7 faculty that commit to teaching the same First Year Seminar in Fall ’25 or Fall ’26, who agree to spend considerable time in spring and summer ’25 to developing that collaborative syllabus, and who agree to gather their students for co-curricular programing and events during the course of their first year (and maybe second!) with financial support, as needed, from this office. Each participant will be paid $125 a day for study groups that should meet 2 – 5 days during the summer, with the expectation that all participants will share in the work of creating the collaborative syllabus.
Please email me (cramerre@dickinson.edu) with the subject heading FYS Study Group Proposal, and 2 – 3 paragraphs proposing the topic of the collaborative syllabus, the names of participants, and a timeline for the work.
2025 Syllabus and Course Design Collaboratory
Faculty members are invited to attend the 2025 Syllabus and Course Design Collaboratory, to be held in Waidner-Spahr Library from 8:30-4:30 on Wednesday, January 15, 2025. The Collaboratory brings together staff and faculty from across the college to provide a "one-stop shop" of individual consultations and group workshops on syllabus development, course design, and teaching pedagogy.
This can be a great opportunity for professional development, have a dedicated time and space to plan courses, or connect informally with colleagues across the college. If you would like to join the 2025 Collaboratory, please RSVP no later than Monday, December 16 using the following link: . If you have any questions about the Syllabus and Course Design Collaboratory and how it may support you in refining your courses or your teaching pedagogy, please reach out to James D'Annibale (dannibaj@dickinson.edu) or John Katunich (katunicj@dickinson.edu).
Dickinson Dean’s Fellowships for Public and Engaged Scholarship
Through this program, my office will provide funding to establish:
3 Summer’25 Dean’s Fellows who will earn a small stipend or professional development funds ($1,500) for the creation and placement of at least one piece of public scholarship;
3 Semester Long Dean’s Fellows (fall ’25 or spring ’26) who will earn either a small stipend or professional development funds ($1,500) or an unfunded course reassignment, for the creation and placement of at least one piece of public scholarship (this choice should be made in consultation with the department and the dean);
1 Year Long Dean’s Fellow (AY 25/26) who will earn either one funded course-reassignment to be taken in consultation with their department and the dean, or a stipend or professional development fund of $4,500, for the creation and placement of at least two pieces of public scholarship during AY 25/26, and the development of a half-day workshop on public facing scholarship.
A half-day workshop on public facing scholarship, facilitated by the year long dean’s fellow with hospitality and material support provided through my office, in spring ’26, to germinate additional public facing work on campus.
More Information
To apply, by January 16, please send a cover letter following to cramerre@dickinson.edu and ritchiem@dickinson.edu with the subject line Faculty Fellowship Application, and including the following:
An indication of the experience you already have in producing public-facing scholarship;
An explanation of your desire to do more public facing work, and a vision for that work in the time period you hope to hold the fellowship;
A clear indication of what length and time frame you hope to hold this fellowship (you can apply for both summer and semester, or summer and academic year in the same application), and the way you intend to access the support (stipend, professional development, or course reassignment);
A statement explaining the value of this work to your discipline, to the College, and to the public;
Links to samples of this work, where possible.
Those applying for the academic year fellowship should also provide a brief paragraph or two prospectus or outline of a vision for a workshop on the topic of public scholarly engagement.
All applicants should also include a cv with their emailed application.
A small committee of provost office staff will consult with FPC in the awarding of these fellowships, using the following criteria:
Potential and promise for placement of important scholarly work in the public realm;
Ability of this work to translate well to the public;
Clarity of purpose;
Diversity of perspectives, disciplines, and ranks represented by the cohort of fello
Hartman House Hosts
A collaborative initiative with the VP of OEI and Chief Diversity Officer, Tony Boston, to provide a midday space for faculty and staff to gather informally. I’ve asked members of my team, including department and program chairs, to consider ‘hosting’ times each week in Hartman House. Regardless of who is hosting, we simply want faculty and staff to feel free to use this as a space to have informal conversation, to grade, to eat a packed lunch – to sit on the front porch or out back in the sun, and to connect with colleagues you don’t usually see – Hartman House will be open for this use every weekday M-F, from 10 – 2 pm. Sign up to host in the spring.
Dish with the Dean
This is an invitation to gather 2 – 5 of your colleagues for concerted and purposeful conversation with me. Maybe you’re a junior faculty member who wants to bring members of your incoming cohort together to talk about what you’ve noticed about the college so far; maybe you’re a department that wants to think out loud with me about ways to reshape your curriculum; maybe you’re a mentoring cohort and you just want to hear another perspective on service and leadership at the college; maybe you’re a staff member in academic affairs who wants to know more about areas of the college you don’t routinely see, and so you find your peers in those areas and invite them along. Or, maybe you want to talk about shared governance, or a common research project, or an idea you have. If this describes you, and you have some colleagues who want to join in, please sign up below on a first-come-first-scheduled basis.
The only requirements are: use this link (
) to sign up with a complete group of between 3 and 6 people (you + 2 – 5 more), and let me know the topic/question/theme for our time together. I’ll provide the location in advance, refreshments the day of; I’ll welcome the chance to connect.
These times and options are “cute” – I love alliteration – but the purpose is serious: building relationships, hearing concerns, generating ideas, and listening to each other.
Posse Chicago, Call for Mentors
We are happy to invite applicants to be the next Posse Mentor for a group of young and talented scholars from Chicago, IL. Dickinson has a long and successful relationship with the Posse Program – a national leadership organization with a mission of creating more diverse leadership in the United States. Posse Scholars undergo a careful selection process, culminating in their being matched with a college or university, and earning a full-tuition scholarship. Posse is life changing for students, and one factor that makes the Dickinson experience special for these leaders-in-development is the commitment of faculty and staff who have served as Posse Mentors. Dickinson has had Posses from New York City and Los Angeles – the incoming first year class will be our first Posse from Chicago.
More Information
The Posse Mentor is responsible for helping members of their Posse thrive at Dickinson, by meeting with the scholars individually and as a group during their first two years on campus, connecting them with resources and key support services on campus, and engaging in college long (and potentially life-long) mentorship of these students. Posse Mentors help the group establish connections at Dickinson, play a role in helping them talk with their academic advisors about their pursuit of educational opportunities, and help the group navigate life at the College – both as a group, and as individuals.
Mentor Responsibilities
Posse mentors serve in the position for two years and are required to attend three intensive training seminars prior to the arrival of the scholars in the fall, including a week-long mentor training in July. In the spring of each year, the Posse Mentor attends, with the group, the annual Posse Plus Retreat, on campus, a 2 ½ day commitment. Expenses for trainings and retreats are covered by the college and constitute a significant opportunity for professional and personal development. Once the scholars arrive on campus, the Posse Mentor is responsible for facilitating meetings of the Posse, weekly, for 1 – 2 hours at a time. The Posse program provides some curriculum materials, but the mentor also needs to be responsive to the needs of the group and adjust the plan throughout the semester and year. The Mentor also meets with each scholar individually every-other-week, with a commitment to also taking notes on those interactions. Mentors have weekly check-in meetings with a member of the Posse Chicago staff. Posse Mentors are responsible for providing the Posse national and Chicago staff with regular updates on the academic and social progress of each Posse scholar. At core, the Posse Mentor is responsible for providing support and encouragement as needed, to members of their Posse.
Compensation
Serving as a Posse Mentor is a life-changing and powerful professional experience; it is also an awesome responsibility that requires a significant amount of time and attention. To account for the additional service to the campus community, the mentor chosen to serve in the role will be offered the following as compensation for their commitment to the program:
- One funded course release per semester for the first year, with one additional funded course release in the second year, or a stipend of $4600/year for two years
- A summer stipend of $1500 in the first year of Mentorship, to prepare meeting facilitation plans and engage in self-guided personal and professional development
Selection Process
Those who are interested in serving as the Posse Mentor for the group of Chicago Posse Scholars set to attend Dickinson beginning fall ’25 should email an application to stroudg@dickinson.edu and cramerre@dickinson.edu, with the subject line: Posse Mentor Application, by Friday December 13. We will convene a small group of student affairs professionals and past Posse Mentors (faculty and staff) to evaluate these applications and will take a recommendation to FPC before a formal appointment is offered. Your application should consist of a letter detailing your interest, and answering the following four sets of questions:
- What ways have you worked to foster a sense of belonging among diverse Dickinson students? Please offer specific examples and reflect on whether these approaches had the desired effect.
- What work have you done, personally and professionally, to understand your identity(ies), and how will that work inform your interactions as a mentor? Tell us about a mentoring relationship that you have had (whether as a mentor, or someone being mentored) that has been meaningful to you. What would you take from that experience to build relationships with the Posse Scholars?
- How would you work to build a sense of community with your Posse students? What aspects of their Dickinson experiences would you be most attentive to?
- What experience do you have in helping to foster healthy group dynamics among young adults? Please offer some specific examples and ideas of how you would engage with the Dickinson Chicago Posse.
Book Discussion Invitation
And, an invitation – I’d love to read and discuss the book . Please sign up by emailing me copying Maria. I’ll buy copies and a meal for 7 people who want to read and talk – we’ll schedule the conversation for a time that works for everyone (wish us luck!).
We will also be reading and discussing the book . Please sign up by emailing me, copying Maria. I’ll buy copies and a meal for 7 people who want to read and talk – we’ll schedule the conversation for a time that works for everyone (wish us luck!).