Two ENGIE-Axium Endowed appointments announced

Cynthia Carnes and Ezekiel Johnston-Halperin have been named ENGIE-Axium Endowed Chair and Professor, respectively, pending approval by The Ohio State University Board of Trustees.

These ENGIE-Axium Endowed appointments are part of the broader Ohio State Energy Partners (OSEP) initiative, which includes significant endowment funds to support faculty positions, student scholarships, sustainability projects and other university initiatives. Through OSEP, ENGIE-Axium has contributed $9.5 million in endowment funds to support five faculty positions, demonstrating a strong commitment to advancing academic excellence and innovation at Ohio State.

Nomination deadlines approaching for faculty awards

Our faculty members do amazing things. Their achievements reflect the passion and expertise they bring to their fields and the excellence that distinguishes an Ohio State education. Nominations are now open for a number of highly prestigious university-level faculty awards that recognize those achievements, including (due dates in parentheses):

• Provost's Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer (Oct. 4)
• Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching (Oct. 4)
• President and Provost's Award for Distinguished Faculty Service (Oct. 11)
• Distinguished University Professor (Jan. 31)

Faculty Affairs Leadership Podcast: Patrick Louchouarn

Our expert guest, Patrick Louchouarn, senior vice provost for faculty, shares his experiences, discusses challenges and offers valuable insights into fostering a positive and supportive environment for faculty members. Whether you're an academic leader, faculty member or simply curious about the dynamics of higher education, this episode provides a comprehensive guide to navigating the complexities of leading a faculty affairs office.

Introducing The Faculty Network

The Faculty Network is launching this semester, creating opportunities for Ohio State faculty to socialize with colleagues, discuss shared interests and concerns, and easily access valuable resources. Planned informal gatherings hosted on and off campus are designed to foster a sense of belonging, mutual support and relationship building among our faculty at Ohio State and in the surrounding communities.

Our first gathering for The Faculty Network will take place on Dec. 10, from 4:30-6 p.m. Mark your calendars, and more details will be shared soon. We look forward to your participation in this milestone event.

Faculty recognized by Fulbright-Hays

Anna Babel, professor of Hispanic linguistics in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, and Erin Lin, associate professor in the Department of Political Science, have received 2024-2025 Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad Fellowships, while Becky Huang, professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning, and Ivan Stefano, director of Intercultural English Language Programs in the College of Education and Human Ecology, have received a Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad Grant.

• Babel receives 2024-2025 Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad Fellowship
• Lin receives 2024-2025 Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad Fellowship
• Huang and Stefano awarded Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad grant

New programming to support teaching with technology

Do you want to advance your learning technology knowledge and skills? The Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning is expanding its programming and services to help educators innovate their teaching and enhance their courses with university-supported technology tools. Access self-paced courses and on-demand videos on a range of edtech topics, register for a workshop on Generative AI, work toward an endorsement in Technology-Enhanced Teaching or Online Teaching, or request a consultation.

Election Day asynchronous learning pilot

On Election Day (Nov. 5), Ohio State will hold a university-wide day of asynchronous learning as a one-time trial to support student participation in the general election. Instructors whose classes would otherwise have met in person or virtually on Nov. 5 will assign asynchronous classwork (e.g., reading, writing, a problem set, an asynchronous online lab, or other homework) to be determined by the instructor. Instructors may elect to have labs and clinical classes continue to meet in person or virtually if necessary for compliance or other compelling educational purposes, as determined by the instructor.

This asynchronous classwork day does not impact the normal workday for our employees, and only applies to classes and classwork. Employees are encouraged to work with their supervisors on flexibility in schedules for Election Day.

OAA Faculty Affairs Approval Request

The Office of Faculty Affairs has launched a new digital resource in support of all required requests for review and approval from OAA Faculty Affairs. The OAA Faculty Affairs Approval Request process will help accurately capture, track and process all requests needing OAA review and approval. This process provides increased visibility and control over the review, tracking and approval of requests submitted to OAA Faculty Affairs. It will also help expedite the reviews and responses for all submitted requests.

Faculty/Instructor Resources and Support

The Office of Academic Affairs is sharing resources and support to assist all Ohio State faculty and instructors during the autumn semester, including guidance around navigating freedom of expression, academic freedom and civic engagement during the election season. You can also learn more about religious accommodations and the Election Day asynchronous learning pilot, among other topics. The collection of resources, policies and updates will evolve as the semester progresses and new support is provided.

Telling Your Story online workshop

All faculty preparing their dossier for promotion and tenure review are invited to register for the online Telling Your Story workshop. Access to the Canvas course is provided through the registration (NOTE: please include your name.# so that we can automatically give you access to the course). You can review the virtual presentation (22 min.) to have a sense of the type of materials and exercises this workshop offers to help attendees build their professional narratives.

You do not need to be going up for promotion next year to benefit from this workshop. Everyone planning to write a promotional dossier in the future is welcome. All participants will learn how to create a compelling professional narrative, including presenting interdisciplinary work to different audiences, and clearly identify themselves as their story's central character.

Some feedback from recent attendees of the workshop:

“Very helpful, the suggestions are much different from what we hear from the faculty in the department.”

“Very relatable! Every probationary faculty should attend. We should offer something similar for P&T committees.”

Collaborative Online International Learning community selected

Fifteen Ohio State faculty and instructors have been selected to participate in the 2024 Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) community, where they will design and integrate virtual global and intercultural learning experiences into general education and disciplinary curricula. COIL connects Ohio State’s faculty and students with diverse peers in international higher education institutions where they can engage in intercultural dialogue and meaningful collaboration. This is the fourth COIL virtual exchange learning community coordinated through a partnership between the Office of International Affairs and the Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning.