Monday Minutes

Here are your Monday Minutes for January 11-15, 2021. 

From the Department Head

Dear Students and Colleagues,

Welcome to the first day of Spring 2021! We have much to look forward to, with asymptomatic student testing beginning and vaccines on the way. I am committed to transparency- if I have information to share I will share right away. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to email me or request a meeting. Many of MSU’s actions are dependent on the state’s decisions, and if I don’t have an answer, I will listen and pass along your questions and concerns to decisionmakers. 

Last week was a difficult one. Many of us are still processing the events. I encourage all to participate in the governance of this country by voting and communicating with our elected officials once in office. They can’t do their jobs unless they hear from us. In February 2020 I traveled to Washington D.C. to speak with our Congressional delegation. I rode the train under the Capitol, crossing an item off my bucket list! The artwork is provided by the winner of Montana’s Congressional Art competition for youth. It’s titled Sun’s Out, Tongue’s Out. I hope you enjoy these photos.

Take good care,

Dr. Ann Ewbank

News and Announcements

• Instructors: Please review MSU’s updated COVID-19 guidance as our conditions have changed. Remember, course delivery can only be changed with the permission of the Dean. Contact Ann if you need assistance. Also, please consider a “nothing due” week March 15-19 to provide some additional time when we don’t have a spring break. Our undergraduate advisors will be meeting with students for summer/fall 2021 advising during this week, so please encourage your students to use some of their time to meet with their advisors. 

• January marks the beginning of Annual Review season for faculty. You will be reviewed for calendar year 2020. Your review will be completed within Activity Insight. Please have your AI profile up to date by January 22, 2021. Please watch for a sign-up for a 30-minute meeting with me via WebEx between 2/1 and 3/1 where we will discuss your 2020 progress and 2021 goals. 

• Tenureable/tenured faculty review will be completed entirely in Activity Insight using the workflow function. Please also review and complete the Annual Review Workload Template (attached) and bring to your meeting for reference. 

• Non-tenurable faculty who worked 7.5 workload units (0.5 FTE) or more in any 2020 semester will complete all fields in Activity Insight and will be reviewed using the form on the Provost’s website (not through AI workflow).

• EHHD is hiring a licensure/permit technician in the Office of Field Placement and Licensure, as well as an Assistant to the Department Heads/Business Operations Manager who will work directly with Becky Stanton. Please encourage interested candidates to apply. 

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

• Congratulations to all EHHD Convocation award recipients! For the next two weeks MSU will celebrate a recipient each day. Watch MSU News and the MSU home page to learn more about all recipients. Today, Katie Bark of Team Nutrition in HHD is featured!
• Congratulations to Dr. Bill Ruff and Shihua Brazill for their presentation titled "Using Transformational Leadership to Create Brave Space in Teaching Multicultural Education" at the National Association of Multicultural Education virtual conference.
• Congratulations to Shihua Brazill for her presentation titled "Living Multicultural Education: Teaching and Working with Diverse Students" at the National Association of Multicultural Education virtual conference.
• Our department’s success is determined by our collective accomplishments. Share your own accomplishments with pride! Or if you hear of a colleague or student’s accomplishment, please share. Please send accomplishments and kudos to ann.ewbank@montana.edu. 

Professional Development & Engagement Opportunities

• Call for Volunteers: Please see the attached for ways for you and your class to participate in the virtual Science Olympiad scheduled for April. 

• From the Weidenheft Lab: Please share this short video on the biology and epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 for high school and middle school students. The goal is to inform young people around the state about actions they can take to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV2. 

• Wondering why your students are hesitant to turn on cameras during live online classes? It’s a social justice issue. This article provides information about how you can build an inclusive environment to encourage full engagement in your classes. Thanks to Dr. Christine Rogers Stanton for sharing this resource.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Opportunities

From Assistant Dean Dr. Kayte Kaminski: 

• Mark your calendars for our first EHHD Diversity Dialogue with Dr. Jody Bartz! She will lead a one-hour discussion on disability rights on Friday, January 22^nd at 1pm via Webex. In advance of this discussion Jody asks that you please review this TED Talk and this video content in advance. 

• Also scheduled for spring is a workshop on Microaggressions on March 4^th from 12-2pm. Join us for these and more that we’ll be rolling out throughout the semester! 

• Have you completed Safe Zone and the Diversity Development Certificate yet? Check out the hyperlinks to learn more and sign up! Also check out our EHHD Diversity Resources page! 

• Finally, at the retreat we referenced the idea of “Calling In” vs “Calling Out” as we recognize micro or macroaggressions in our classes, or even with family or colleagues. I really appreciate this article by Professor Loretta J. Ross at Smith College.