Winter 2023 Newsletter

Academic Affairs

Winter 2023

Student Success  ·  Academic Excellence

Message From The Provost

There is a lot happening in Academic Affairs right now. We recently submitted our Year 7 Report to Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). A huge thank you to Dr. Sue Monahan for leading that work, which involved working with quite a few of you. And, I’d like to also thank Dr. Katherine Schmidt for assisting Sue and others in writing the 97-page report. An NWCCU team will be on campus April 12-14.

We are excited about new academic programs that will be coming to WOU. The Division of Health and Exercise Science proposed a Master of Science in Human Wellness and Performance, which has been approved by WOU’s Board of Trustees and Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission and is anticipated to begin Fall 2023. An interdisciplinary group of faculty worked to develop a Bachelor of Arts and a minor in Ethnic Studies; these exciting proposals were approved at the last Board of Trustees meeting and will continue to work through state level approvals. Another interdisciplinary group of faculty developed both an undergraduate and a graduate level certificate in Healthcare Administration, both of which have been fully approved and will be available beginning Fall 2023. WOU is on track to begin our first professional doctorate program Fall 2024, when the first cohort of our Occupational Therapy Doctorate program is scheduled to begin. These are just some of the recent curricular developments, in addition to the many, many program modifications that have been submitted this year to maximize academic excellence and the relevancy of our curriculum. This work is often unseen and underappreciated, but I am incredibly grateful for the time and effort that the faculty have invested in our curriculum.

I hope you enjoy the longer days of daylight as we enter the last weeks of Winter quarter and look towards spring. While we still face enrollment and budgetary headwinds, I see brighter days ahead.

—Provost Rob Winningham

Cover photo by WOU’s own Seyed Shahrokni, who works in the Center for Academic Innovation. Thanks, Seyed!

Important
Dates

March 17: Last day of classes

March 20-24: Finals week

March 27: Grades due

March 27-31: Spring Break

 

Open Educational Resources Course Redesign Training

Redesign your course with an open textbook or other open educational resources in just one week and earn a $750 stipend from Open Oregon. The goal of the training is to redesign an existing course using open materials in order to save students money. You will also explore open educational practices that encourage students to create or contribute to open content with a real-world purpose. Registration deadline is Monday, February 27, 2023.

More information can be found on the Open Oregon Textbook Sprint page or you can contact Sue Kunda at kundas@wou.edu.

OpenOregon Educational Resources logo

The Legacy of Matthew Shepard Project

Join us on Monday, March 6, to hear author and LGBTQ rights activist Judy Shepard speak on “The Legacy of Matthew Shepard.”

Judy’s guest talk is one of several events happening on the WOU campus throughout February and March to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Judy’s son Matthew’s brutal murder, which occurred in October 1998 in what is known as one of America’s most egregious anti-gay hate crimes.

Read more about the Project and events, and purchase performance tickets, on the Creative Arts page for The Legacy of Matthew Shepard Project.

Rice Auditorium

The Laramie Project
March 2, 4, 8-10*, 7:30 pm
March 5*, 2:00 pm
*ASL interpreted performance

Considering Matthew Shepard
March 3 and 11, 7:30 pm
Featuring the combined choirs of Western Oregon University and Chemeketa Community College

Judy Shepard speaks on “The Legacy of Matthew Shepard”
March 6, 7:30 pm
FREE to the public; first come first served seating

Cannon Gallery

Catalyst: An Exhibit Honoring the Legacy of Matthew Shepard
February 27- March 24
Featuring art by Pablo Cazares, Chelsea Couch, and Andrew Campbell


Maple Hall

Remembering Matthew Shepard
March 7, 7:30pm
Free to the public

Other Locations

Catalyst: An Exhibit Honoring the Legacy of Matthew Shepard
February 27- March 24
Featuring art by Pablo Cazares, Chelsea Couch, and Andrew Campbell
Various locations on campus

Wolf Pride Network + LGBTQQ2SIA+ Alumni reception
March 6, 5:30pm
WOU Alumni, Wolf Pride Network, and WOU LGBTQQ2SIA+ students crossover pre-event (before Judy Shepard talk)
Crush Wine Bar (off campus)

Queer Campus Culture Through the Decades
March 14, 4:00pm
Presented by Triangle Alliance and Stonewall Center
RWEC 101

This project is supported and funded in part by the Oregon Cultural Trust.

The 2023 Mario & Alma Pastega Awards for Faculty Excellence

A Message from the Committee

In an effort to address concerns raised by our colleagues regarding equity, inclusion, and access in the Pastega Awards application process, the 2023 Pastega Awards Committee has decided to make changes to the application requirements for the Pastega Awards for Faculty Excellence. 

Having received feedback that the number and type of supporting materials required to apply for the Awards may be discouraging qualified nominees from pursuing the Award, the Committee has acknowledged the need for an equitable application process that promotes participation and remains mindful of the workload of the nominees. Rather than dictating a specific selection of artifacts, the new requirements allow applicants to identify artifacts that better reflect the personal strengths they bring to WOU, as well as to utilize existing artifacts. These changes provide greater flexibility, and empower nominees to craft unique and compelling applications reflective of WOU’s highest recognition for excellence.

The new requirements are already in place and have been shared with this year’s nominees; if you’re interested in reading the new requirements, they can be found on the Faculty Excellence FAQ page (scroll down to “Questions About The Application & Supporting Materials”).

—The 2023 Pastega Awards Committee
Dr. Erin Baumgartner, Dr. Jaime Cloud, Dr. Breeann Flesch, Dr. Gareth Hopkins, Dr. Melanie Landon-Hays, Keats Chaves (ex-officio)

Save the Date

 

The 2023 Pastega Awards Ceremony

After a notable three year absence, the annual Pastega Awards Ceremony for Faculty Excellence is returning in Spring 2023! This year’s Awards Ceremony will recognize recipients for the 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 Pastega Awards for Faculty Excellence in Teaching, Scholarship, and Service.

When: Wednesday, May 24, 2023
3:30 – 5:00pm

Where: The Pastega Room (RWEC 101)

Questions? Suggestions for future issues? Contact Keats Chaves: chavesk@wou.edu

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