December 4, 2023 Dear colleagues, At the FAS-SEAS Senate meeting on Thursday, November 30, we addressed two major agenda items: 1. Open Science and Open Scholarship at Yale: Barbara Rockenbach, the Stephen F. Gates ’68 University Librarian at Yale University, and her team Lindsay Barnett, Scholarly Communication Librarian, Lauren Di Monte, Associate University Librarian for Research & Learning, Daniel Dollar, Associate University Librarian for Scholarly Resources, Sandra Aya Enimil, Program Director Scholarly Communication and Information Policy, discussed the rapidly evolving landscape for scholarly publication, and how the library can best support faculty dissemination of scholarship. This was a highly informative and thought-provoking presentation punctuated by a lively discussion. We plan to invite our outstanding library team to return next term to continue the discussion. All faculty should be thinking about how best the library can deploy its budget for scholarly publishing. 2. How Can Faculty Best Support Students in Stressful Times? Pericles Lewis, Dean of Yale College and Douglas Tracy Smith Professor of Comparative Literature and English, Lynn Cooley, Dean of the Graduate School, Vice Provost for Postdoctoral Affairs and C.N.H. Long Professor of Genetics and Professor of Cell Biology and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, and Maytal Saltiel, Interim University Chaplain, gave a thorough and moving summary of what they have been hearing from students over the past 7 weeks, and how, in such times of conflict and profound disagreement, faculty can further an environment that is both supportive and open to inquiry. This topic was by no means exhausted, however faculty present felt reassured by the dedication and humanity of these Yale leaders and their teams. Please join us on December 14 for the next FAS-SEAS Senate meeting where we will hear from (1) Jeremiah Quinlan, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, about Yale admissions in the wake of the SCOTUS decision on affirmative action, and (2) Joe Sarno, Senior Director of Labor Relations and lead negotiator for the Yale University talks with the newly formed graduate student union, about the unionization process and its potential impact on FAS-SEAS faculty. Cheers, Meg Urry (Chair) and Rebecca Toseland (Deputy Chair) FAS-SEAS Senate November 28, 2023 Dear FAS and SEAS faculty, The next meeting of the FAS-SEAS Senate is this Thursday, November 30, 2023, in Dow Hall 100, at 370 Temple Street, and on Zoom for anyone who is unable to attend in person (see link below). The meeting begins at 4 PM for all faculty, following the Senators-only closed session from 3:30 PM – 4 PM. The agenda for the open session is as follows:
· How Can Faculty Best Support Students in Stressful Times? Pericles Lewis, Dean of Yale College and Douglas Tracy Smith Professor of Comparative Literature and English; Lynn Cooley, Dean of the Graduate School, Vice Provost for Postdoctoral Affairs and C.N.H. Long Professor of Genetics and Professor of Cell Biology and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology; and Maytal Saltiel, Interim University Chaplain, will discuss what they have been hearing from students over the past 7 weeks, and how, in times of conflict and profound disagreement, faculty can set the tone. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, and hope you will join us in person. Sincerely, Meg Urry Rebecca Toseland October 19, 2023 Dear Colleagues, The Senate of Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences and School of Engineering and Applied Science will conduct an open meeting on Thursday, October 26, 2023 from 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM in Dow Hall Room 100 (370 Temple Street). The meeting can also be accessed via Zoom (please see Zoom information below). Please note that a closed Senators-only meeting will precede the open session from 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM. Our agenda will include the following topics: · Generative AI Guidance for Teaching and Learning. (4:00-4:50pm) Jennifer Frederick (Executive Director of the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning and Associate Provost for Academic Initiatives) will discuss generative AI in the context of teaching and learning at Yale. The discussion will include: o General observations about generative AI in education at Yale as of early fall 2023 o Top recommendations and a useful framework for thinking about generative AI use policies in your courses o Mitigating the risks – what faculty should know o Broader campus action and planning framework – an early preview o Q&A · Diversity Committee Report on Romantic and Sexual Relationships Between Faculty and Graduate Students. (4:50-5:30pm) Senators Oswaldo Chinchilla and Maria Piñango will present a report of the Diversity Committee concerning a proposed policy change concerning romantic and sexual relationships between faculty and graduate students. We look forward to seeing many of you at the meeting! Sincerely, Meg Urry Rebecca Toseland September 25, 2023 Dear FAS and SEAS faculty, Welcome to the 2023/24 sessions of the FAS-SEAS Senate (formerly the FAS Senate). The Senate is beginning its 9th year of representing your interests and concerns to the administration. Numerous Senate Reports and Resolutions from previous years are posted on our website, where you can also access meeting schedules and additional information. Our first meeting of the year took place last Thursday, September 21. This was a closed meeting for senators only, to organize the coming year. We discussed priorities, which include faculty salaries, the faculty handbook, continued improvements for instructional faculty, and admissions following the Supreme Court decision on affirmative action. Concerning the latter, we received an update from Vannesa Martinez Cecchini (Senior Associate General Counsel) and Jeremiah Quinlan (Dean for Yale College Admissions). This topic will be revisited soon in a public Senate meeting. To do our job effectively, the Senate needs your participation. We encourage you to attend the monthly Senate meetings and voice your ideas (meeting schedule). To request a faculty speaking slot at a future meeting, please contact the Senate Chair (meg.urry@yale.edu) or Deputy Chair (rebecca.toseland@yale.edu). Each month we will email you the agenda, date, and location of that month’s meeting, as well as the Zoom link. Following the meeting, you will receive a brief summary of what was discussed. Thank you in advance for helping make the Senate an effective, coherent channel for faculty action. Meg Urry Rebecca Toseland |