UNCG: An ‘Earn It’ school

UNCG Gen Ed: Applied knowledge in a complex world

Colleagues,

As was announced in the November 13 issue of Campus Weekly, the search committee for the position of Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs has been convened.

As this work begins, we are seeking perspectives from the campus community (faculty, administrators, staff, and students) to help inform the committee’s efforts and those of our partners Isaacson, Miller (IM). To provide input, please complete the linked scoping survey which is administered by IM. Only IM will see the responses. IM will then submit a report on the findings to the search committee, without identifiers attached.

The survey will close on Monday, November 25.

You are also invited to participate in Wednesday’s Faculty Forum to discuss the Provost Search. It will be on November 20, 3-5 p.m., at the Alumni House.

Thank you for your participation.

Professor Andrea Hunter
Chair, Provost and EVC Search Committee

TO: UNCG Faculty,

RE: O. Max Gardner Award Nominations

I am writing on behalf of the O. Max Gardner Award committee to ask that you assist us with the nomination process for the 2020 award. The Gardner Award is awarded by the UNC Board of Governors and has been given annually since 1949. The award was established to recognize faculty who have “made the greatest contributions to the welfare of the human race.” The Board of Governors solicits nominations from UNC campuses in the fall semester each year, and a BOG committee decides on the system-wide winner during the spring semester. The winner receives a cash prize and recognition at the May BOG meeting. Those chosen in the past have been persons who have made notable contributions of national or international scale. See information regarding last year’s winner here 2019 O. Max Gardner Award Winner.

The role of our UNCG Faculty Senate-based committee is to solicit nominations, recommend the campus nominee to the Provost and Chancellor, and assist with preparation of the nomination materials that are put forward to the Board of Governors. To better honor our campus nominees, Provost Dunn has allocated a $1000 award for our campus nominee.

One thing to note about the award criteria: the award is based on the significance of accomplishments made during the past year. Of course, big accomplishments almost always arise after an extensive history of work. So, don’t discount putting forth a nominee whose long-standing work has culminated in an interesting way over the past 12 months (we can put forth nominees multiple times).

For more information on our past nominees, our committee, and the nomination process, please visit the Provost’s O. Max Gardner Award information page. The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, November 22, 2019.

Feel free to forward this to others; nominations are encouraged from all on campus. If you have any questions, committee member contact information may be found here.

November 5, 2019
MEMORANDUM

TO: UNCG Faculty and Staff

RE: Weatherspoon Art Museum Leadership Transition
I write to inform you that after 22 years of dedicated service, Nancy Doll will step down as Director of the Weatherspoon Art Museum on July 31, 2020.
Under Nancy’s outstanding leadership, the Weatherspoon’s collection has continued to be known and highly regarded on a global scale, as indicated by the growing number of loan requests we receive from major museums in this country and abroad. Nancy has overseen impressive enhancements in the museum’s service to the national and international arts communities, as well as to the UNCG campus. More faculty than ever, representing a wider array of disciplines, have incorporated Weatherspoon exhibitions into their curricula and assign classes to visit the galleries in support of class projects. Non-student attendance has also grown steadily, reaching more than 38,000 annual visitors.

Nancy has been successful in raising funds from individuals, corporations, and foundations to advance the mission of the Weatherspoon. Supporters have included the National Endowment for the Arts, North Carolina Arts Council, Tannenbaum-Sternberger Foundation, Cemala Foundation, Joseph M. Bryan Foundation, Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation, Andy Warhol Foundation, Deluxe Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation. Working with the curatorial staff, Nancy has led the charge to diversify our collections, exhibitions, and programs to include many more artists of color and women artists. Because of her steady commitment to these issues, the Weatherspoon’s audience has also greatly diversified. Nancy was also instrumental in marshalling the Weatherspoon through two successful reaccreditation reviews by the American Alliance of Museums.

Nancy was appointed Director of the Weatherspoon in July 1998. She came to Greensboro from Santa Barbara, California, where she was Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum. Her impressive career includes a number of other distinguished roles, including service as Curator of 20th Century Art at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art; Director of Gallery Eleven and Curator of the University Art Collection at Tufts University; and Director of the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery at Keene State College. Nancy holds a BFA (cum laude) from Mundelin College of Chicago and an M.A. from the University of Iowa.

Please join me in thanking Nancy for her many contributions to the Weatherspoon and UNCG. We will miss Nancy’s strong leadership, wise counsel, and collegial style. A national search for Nancy’s successor will begin soon. Given the strength of the Weatherspoon’s collection, I am confident that we will attract a strong pool of candidates for this desirable position.

October 23, 2019

Dear UNCG Community,

I’m writing to let you know that I will transition from the Provost role effective July 31, 2020. It’s been a privilege and a pleasure to serve as Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor at UNC Greensboro and to work collaboratively with Chancellor Gilliam and the campus community to advance our very important mission.

The last five years have seen enrollment growth and record enrollment, an intensification of research and increased research funding, an expansion of the faculty, the launch of new academic programs, the creation of a new division of student success, and the establishment of UNCG as a leader in promoting graduation for a highly diverse student body. Clearly, UNCG momentum is strong. I believe it’s the perfect time to attract a new provost who will work with you to build on the strong foundation in place.

By the time I step down I will have been a Provost/VPAA for over 12 years total. As much as I enjoy this work, I will look forward to a new phase, whether it entails a return to the classroom at UNCG or new endeavors.

Thank you for all you do to make UNCG a great university. I look forward to working with you until my transition.

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A Civic Engagement Matters Day at UNCG

Tuesday-11/19/19

11:30 am – 2:30 pm in the Virginia Dare Room

Co-sponsored by UNCG Association of Retired Faculty (ARF), UNCG Office of Leadership & Civic Engagement, UNCG Faculty Senate, UNCG Staff Senate, and UNCG Chapter of AAUP 

  UNCG Students, Staff, Faculty, & Retirees are invited to come & learn how to become more involved in upcoming local, state, & national elections!

Free Pizza & Drinks for Attendees

Come & learn how you can volunteer for the following non-partisan civic groups.

• League of Women Voters
• NC You Can Vote
• Common Cause
• Democracy NC 

Students will also learn about two courses they can take at UNCG where they learn civic engagement knowledge and skills.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Margaret Mead

2020

THOMAS UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH MENTOR AWARDS

Call for Nominations

Overview: The Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creativity Office (URSCO) requests nominations of outstanding UNCG faculty mentors for the Thomas Undergraduate Research Mentor Awards. We seek to recognize both pre-tenured (early career) and tenured (career) faculty for their efforts to engage undergraduates in experiential learning through research. The 2020 Thomas Undergraduate Research Mentor Awardees will be presented during UNCG Faculty and Staff Excellence Awards Ceremony at the end of the spring semester. These honors will include a plaque and $1,000 to support activities related to research and/or creative inquiry as it involves undergraduates during the following academic year.

Eligibility: UNCG faculty members with experience mentoring UNCG undergraduate students in projects that contribute to their disciplinary scholarship are eligible for this award. Nominees should hold a terminal degree in their discipline. The faculty member must have mentored at least five UNCG undergraduate students in research and/or creative inquiry. Prior recipients can be reconsidered after a three-year interlude.

Nomination Process: A faculty member must be nominated for the Thomas Undergraduate Research Mentor Awards by their Department/Program Chair/Head. The nomination will consist of: 1) letter of nomination from the Chair/Head, 2) the nominee’s C.V. (including highlights of undergraduate research activities), 3) brief letters of support from two students mentored by the faculty member (two-page max), and 4) a teaching/research statement from the mentor (two-page max).

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