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English Department Meeting: November 19, 2020

English Department Meeting Information

“Go forth! Be brave! Be proud! Be true!”

  • IUP English Professor Jane Leonard (1840-1925)

Image result for jane leonard iup

Thanks

  • Thanks to Melanie Holm and Matt Vetter for giving their ongoing job placement workshops
  • Thanks to Dana Driscoll for leading a dissertation writing boot camp for graduate students

Approval of Department Meeting Minutes

We will vote to approve Minutes from the English Department meetings held on the dates below:

  • 8/21/20 (Minutes Taker: John Branscum)
  • 10/15/20 (Minutes Taker: Dana Driscoll)

Minutes are available in the Microsoft Teams English Department Group folder called English Department Meeting Minutes.

Agenda Items

1. Professional Development Opportunity: “Creating Community for At-Risk Students in an Online Environment”

  • Run by Center for Teaching Excellence
  • 1 week intensive program (December 14-18)
  • synchronous (mornings) and asynchronous components
  • Supplemental contract
  • Need to let Gian know today

2. Exam Proctoring

  • This is about $4 per student per exam
  • If anyone needs this, please let Gian know

3. IUP Fall 2020

  • Thanksgiving Break
    • Be sure to let students know in writing course requirements for after Thanksgiving break
    • Faculty are encouraged not to have students return from home, but you may require that if you feel it is best for your courses
  • Student Evaluations
    • All Student Evaluations will be sent via email link
    • Students get roughly 4 weeks to complete these
    • If you are teaching Hybrid or Remote and wish to set aside a specific time in which students can voluntarily complete their evaluations, you can arrange for someone to serve as a facilitator while you exit the room/zoom meeting

4. IUP Spring 2021

  • Spring 2021 will be like Fall 2020
  • Freshmen courses (ENGL 100, ENGL 101, ENGL 121, and ENGL 122) will be Hybrid (combination of in person with reduced student numbers and Remote/Distance Education)
  • The first 2 weeks of 100 level courses cannot be all online
  • All other courses will be Remote (primarily synchronous) OR Distance Education (asynchronous)
  • First Day of Classes for Spring 2021: January 19
  • Last Day of Classes for Spring 2021: May 3
  • Finals Week for Spring 2021: May 4-May 7
  • NEW Spring Break 2021 Dates
    • Thursday February 25
    • Friday February 26
    • Saturday March 13
    • Sunday March 14
    • Monday April 5
    • Tuesday April 6
    • Wednesday April 21

5. Retrenchment

  • A few brief updates
  • We want to continue to offer whatever support we can to Dana Driscoll, Cristina Sánchez-Martín, and Matt Vetter
  • APSCUF Retrenchment Toolkit (requires login)
  • Retrenched faculty positions end on June 4
  • Deadline to accept other people’s retrenchment letters is Dec. 30; this would require a department vote to approve the change
    • If a person wishes to voluntarily retire in order to save another faculty member’s job, the retiring faculty member needs to send notice to Gian, Dean Asamoah, and the Provost
    • Please talk to Gian about this before taking any action
    • Please also contact APSCUF
    • Retirement letters can be set for a future date (i.e., a letter can be turned in November 15, 2020, for a retirement set to begin July 1, 2021)
    • Retirement letters cannot be withdrawn
    • No one is required to retire; retirements would be strictly voluntary
  • Every English faculty member is important and all are needed
  • Gian as English Chair gets no say in retrenchment decisions
  • Staff and administrator cuts are still likely to come

6. IUP Restructuring

  • A schedule with dates, tasks, and committees has been drafted by the Provost and should be coming out in the near future
  • Still no announced decision about a dean for our new college

7. Curriculum Updates

  • B.S. English Education Changes (Emily Wender)
    • Students will move into the English Major
    • Students will earn a separate Teaching Certificate from the College of Education
  • B.A. English curriculum review (Dan Weinstein)
    • With the changes to education, it is a good time to review the rest of our B.A. curriculum
    • Having small track enrollments is problematic in the eyes of administration (which continues to change it’s mind about what it wants)
  • ESL Undergraduate Certificate (Gloria Park and Emily Wender)
    • Spring courses are full
    • Will launch in Fall 2021
    • This is a program for which we especially need Cristina Sánchez-Martín
  • Big Ideas Certificate
    • Approved by LSE
    • CHSS??? course would substitute for ENGL 121 for a group of 20-40 students
    • Bryna Siegel Finer and Melanie Holm are part of this program development
    • Aiming for launch in Fall 2021?
    • Available for review in Microsoft Teams English Curriculum folder
  • Digital Humanities Certificate (in partnership with History Department)
    • ENGL 421 – Digital Writing (3 credits)—to be required
    • HIST 379 – History in the Digital Age (3 credits)—to be required
    • ENGL 222 – Technical Writing (3 credits) – optional
    • ENGL 310 – Public Speaking (3 credits) – optional
    • ENGL 360 – Editing and Publishing (3 credits) – optional
    • Available for review in Microsoft Teams English Curriculum folder

Announcements

  • If anyone has an important announcement, we’ll use the last few minutes of the meeting to cover this