Do you have an ongoing writing project or plans to initiate a new one? In March we will offer three options for ALL INSTRUCTIONAL FACULTY to participate in the 3^rd installment of the 9^th Annual Writer’s Retreat:

Option A: March 16-20 (5-day)
Option B: March 19-20 (2-day)
Option C: March 16-18 (3-day)

Applications due NOON Friday, February 28: Click here to complete and submit the online application form.

Writer’s Retreats provide:

• a private room in Addlestone Library for one’s exclusive use away from the distractions of one’s office. Each room includes a table, Aeron chair, white board and access to the internet and printing.
• a key for your private room for the duration of the retreat.
• snacks and beverages in a common room throughout the retreat.
• group lunch at noon on each day of the retreat.
• available reference staff for assistance.
• a supportive collegial environment to focus exclusively on one’s writing.

In return, each selected participant agrees to write, but not grade, check email or social media, or leave the retreat for other meetings. As past participants have concurred, arriving at the retreat with specific writing tasks, whether conceptualizing and drafting a new manuscript or completing final revisions to a long-standing work, will allow one to maximize this opportunity.

Selected participants must bring all materials needed for the writing project, to include one’s laptop as no computers are provided.  Participants sign in by 8:30am to begin their work. If one has a collaborator on campus, both may apply separately, or one may apply and invite their collaborator to join them for a portion of the retreat. Each participant is expected to focus only on writing for at least 6 hours daily.

Want to participate in one of the options of the March 2020 Writer’s Retreat?
Click here to complete and submit the online application by NOON Friday, February 28. 

Applicants will be notified no later than Wednesday, March 4 so they may plan accordingly. Past participants are welcome to apply again, and preference will be given to faculty preparing for a major review (tenure or promotion), new faculty establishing a writing program, and faculty in transition.

We are pleased to issue the following call for nominations for this year’s Faculty Awards of Distinction:

• William V. Moore Distinguished Teacher-Scholar Award
• Distinguished Teaching Award
• Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Teaching Award
• Distinguished Research Award
• Distinguished Service Award
• Distinguished Advising Award

The deadline for nominations for all of these awards is 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 16, 2020. All eligible nominations received before the deadline will be considered. Nominations should be submitted via the online form provided for each award (below and on our website). Nominators must be College of Charleston faculty members.

Brief descriptions of these awards appear below and more details are available at http://academicaffairs.cofc.edu/awards. Any questions may be directed to the chair of the relevant award committee as listed below or to Deanna Caveny (CavenyD@cofc.edu).

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Gioconda (Gia) Quesada, Professor in Supply Chain and Information Management (SCIM), will become our Assistant Provost of Assessment, effective Monday, February 17, 2020.

You may recall that Gia did exceptional work as the Faculty Coordinator of General Education from 2013-2018. She became Chair of the Department of SCIM in 2018. Gia has extensive experience across campus in various service roles. Please join me in congratulating Gia and welcoming her to this very important leadership position for our campus.

Many thanks to Dean Shao and the School of Business for their support of this move for Gia. Dean Shao and many other leaders have been supportive in helping us to fill this most important position for the College of Charleston. Dr. Chen Huei Chou will become Chair of SCIM effective February 17, 2020.

I sincerely appreciate the work of the original search committee when we conducted a national search last semester, as well as the reconstituted internal search committee. Associate Dean of Sciences and Mathematics, Jim Deavor, chaired both of these searches and was unwavering in our goal to appoint a highly qualified Assistant Provost of Assessment. Other members of the internal search committee were Lynne Ford, Irina Gigova, and Michelle Smith. I appreciate the assistance of many across campus to conclude this search.

Message from Fran Welch, Provost

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of its founding, the College of Charleston will hold its first-ever CofC Day event on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. A day of giving aimed at generating excitement and support for the institution’s future, CofC Day provides students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the College with the opportunity to give back.

CofC Day starts at midnight on Jan. 30, and the CofC community may kick the day off right by donating online through the CofC Day website. In addition to the giving campaign, there will be fun activities on campus throughout the day including the following:

9 a.m. – Breakfast with President Hsu on Cougar Mall

Noon – Pizza in the Cistern Yard at CofC Day Headquarters

2:50 p.m. – Ringing of the bells throughout Charleston to commemorate the College’s 250th anniversary

3:45 p.m. – The unveiling of a state historical marker on George Street, near Porter’s Lodge

3:50 p.m. – Chucktown Sound and CofC Cheerleaders performance in the Cistern Yard

4 p.m. – CofC Day ceremony, including recognition of the Founders’ Day Medal recipients

4:30 p.m. – Block party on George Street and the Cistern Yard

6 p.m. – CofC Alumni Clubs will hold CofC Day parties

6:30 p.m. – AFISHAL visual DJ performance

The CofC Day team will be hosting CofC Day Headquarters in the Cistern Yard from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Throughout the day, the team is encouraging members of the campus community to stop by and learn more about CofC Day, play some cornhole, grab a snack and pick up some CofC swag. The team can also help visitors learn how to increase their impact through challenge gifts.

Those who participate in CofC Day are asked to share what the College of Charleston means to them on social media using the hashtags #CofC250 and #CofCDay.

Read more at: https://today.cofc.edu/2020/01/27/cofc-day-packed-with-opportunities-and-activities (Darcie Goodwin)

Please join us in welcoming the newest member to Academic Affairs, Katy Flynn.

Katy Flynn serves in a dual position as the Faculty Secretariat to the College of Charleston’s Faculty Senate and as the Academic Coordinator for the Office of the Provost. Katy joined the College in December 2019. Katy received her B.A. in Secondary English Education and M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Kentucky. After graduate school, Mrs. Flynn taught high school English and from 2016 to 2019, Katy worked for the Kentucky Community and Technical College System first as a Financial Aid Specialist and later as a Curriculum and Programs Coordinator.

As Faculty Secretariat, Mrs. Flynn works in collaboration with the Speaker of the Faculty, Senate Secretary, and Parliamentarian on administrative, archival, and social functions for the Faculty Senate, the primary legislative body of College faculty. In this role, she is also the website content manager for the Faculty Senate, and provides staff support for the maintenance of all faculty senate archives and the Faculty/Administrative Manual.

For the Office of the Provost, Katy assists the Office of the Provost with a variety of functions including curriculum management, faculty credentialing, Course|Instructor Evaluations, and divisional data integrity. Together with Franklin Czwazka, the Registrar’s Office’s Catalog and Curriculum Systems Manager, Katy provides technical and administrative coordination for our curriculum management system, Curriculog, under the direction of Associate Provost Del Mastro. Katy also manages the College’s faculty credentials records to ensure compliance with standards outline by the College and our accreditation agency, SACSCOC, and she is responsible for provisioning and auditing accesses for credentialed instructors and academic program directors. Additionally, Mrs. Flynn is the staff administrator of Course|Instructor Evaluations under the direction of Associate Provost Caveny. Mrs. Flynn assists Academic Affairs with data integrity and both internal and external reporting related the faculty, teaching assistant, curriculum, Course|Instructor Evaluation, and academic administrative data.

We are very excited to have Mrs. Flynn join our team!

Check out: CofC Today: New Staff – featuring Katy Flynn (12/04/2019)

The Committee for Innovative Teaching and Learning in the Liberal Arts and Sciences is soliciting proposals for small grants ($500-$1,500) to aimed at supporting innovative teaching at the College of Charleston. All continuing roster and adjunct faculty are eligible for the program. No faculty member will receive more than one grant per academic year. Please visit http://academicaffairs.cofc.edu/research/research/#ilas to download the application and for additional information. Submit applications and any requests for additional information to the Jason Vance, ILAS Committee Chair (vancejt@cofc.edu).

The College is hosting representatives from the Educational Advisory Board (EAB) on campus Wednesday, November 6^th, to facilitate discussion on regional economic development. You are invited to register for either the morning (9:00 – 11:30am) or afternoon (1:00 – 3:30pm) session by emailing Michelle McGrew at mmcgrew@cofc.edu.

Please encourage your fellow Deans, Senior Team Members, and Department Chairs to take advantage of this unique, professional development opportunity.

Thank you,

Fran