December 2019 Tuesday Tips

3 December 2019:

As you dash toward the finish line this semester, the Office of Faculty Development invites you to pause for a relaxing 45 minutes to recharge yourself. Join Kathy Fernandes and Farshad Azad in “Forty-five Minutes of Mindfulness” in BMU 210 on either Tuesday 12/10 from 12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. or Wednesday 12/11 from 10 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. (or come to both). Farshad will lead a brief session of Tai-Chi (i.e. moving meditation) and Kathy will lead a brief session of seated meditation. Feel free to arrive late or leave early as your schedule permits and you do not need to wear any special clothing. All are welcome even if you’ve never done any mindfulness practice before and are just curious about it.

We will provide hot coffee, decaf, hot tea, and snacks for you.

If you plan to attend, please RSVP(opens in new window) by 12/8.

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10 December 2019:

Here are some resources to support you during these next 10 busy days.

• There are still plenty of spaces available for the “45 Minutes of Mindfulness” meditation sessions today in BMU 210 from 12:30 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. and tomorrow from 10 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. Please RSVP here(opens in new window) if you plan to attend.
• The WREC has opened their “De-Stress Fest” to faculty! You are welcome to go to the Wrec this week to recharge (even if you’re not a member). They’ll have farm animals to pet today from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m., free acupuncture tomorrow from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m., and several other events all week. They are also leading a free Yoga class in the Anthropology Museum on 12/12 at noon (they’ll bring yoga mats).
• Meriam Library 459 (The Rose Garden Room) will remain open through 12/20 as a reading/writing/grading space for all faculty from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. There will always be hot coffee, decaf, hot tea, and even snacks for you.

Best wishes to stay in good health!

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17 December 2019:

Although Blackboard will be down between December 25th - 27th (details here(opens in new window)), you can still access PeopleSoft from the Faculty Center in the Portal to enter grades during this time. Here are a few “efficiency tips” to help you submit your grades by the 12/31/19 deadline.

• Clearly communicate your expectations in advance of final projects and exams. When possible, give students a rubric and share examples of poor, adequate, and excellent work.
• If you have students submit final papers to Blackboard through Turnitin, you can offer your feedback via voice comments(opens in new window) instead of hand-writing notes on their paper.
• Instead of writing out numerous comments on papers or exams, consider meeting with students in person if they want extensive feedback.
• Do some (or all) of your grading in MLIB 459 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. – a quiet space with a nice view and free coffee.

Reminder:

Be sure to register for the Tipping Point(opens in new window) Student Success Summit on 01/16/20. Enjoy great presentations with colleagues across campus…plus free lunch! Register(opens in new window) by 01/06/20.

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