Three SUNY New Paltz pre-tenure faculty will receive support for leaves in fall 2021 through the Dr. Nuala McGann Drescher Affirmative Action/Diversity Leave, a unique program that creates opportunities, with local campus support, for underrepresented SUNY faculty to advance as scholars and professionals.
Please join us in congratulating this year’s fall 2021 Drescher awardees:
April Coughlin, assistant professor in the Department of Teaching & Learning, will receive funding and leave support for a project titled “Becoming a Self-Advocate: Perspectives from Young Adults with Physical Disabilities.”
Christiana Fortune-Reader, assistant professor in the Department of Music, will receive funding and leave support to plan and record a concept album of viola music.
Katya Stanislavskaya, assistant professor in the Department of Theatre Arts, will receive funding and leave support to write and compose a new musical theatre piece, “The Poorhouse Project,” for the Gainesville, Georgia, Theatre Alliance’s 2021-22 season.
There have been 31 Drescher leave recipients among the New Paltz faculty since 2016, which is among the highest figures in the SUNY system.
The Division of Academic Affairs has led a College-wide effort to support candidates for this program that has helped members of our community achieve a high rate of success in their applications. Drescher alumni, UUP representatives and Provost’s Office staff host regular workshops to encourage applicants and review their work and application materials, and provide a network of support that particularly benefits pre-tenure women and BIPOC faculty.
Applications for the spring 2022 Drescher Leave award will be accepted now through Aug. 23, 2021, to meet the Sept. 1 deadline.
Complete guidelines for the Drescher Leave Program are available at this link.
The Drescher Leave Program application can be found here.
About the Drescher Leave Program
The Dr. Nuala McGann Drescher Diversity and Inclusion Leave Program is a joint United University Professions (UUP) and New York State initiative that enhances opportunities for employees who are preparing for continuing appointment (academic employees) or permanent appointment (professional employees).
Established under the Diversity, Inclusion & Equity Committee, this Program seeks to promote diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity in SUNY’s workforce. Preference is given to employees who demonstrate they are underrepresented in their department, unit, program or school on the basis of their protected class status, including but not limited to age, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, military or veteran status, disability, gender expression and gender identity.
The types of support available from the NYS/UUP Joint Labor-Management Committees include salary for a replacement for the duration of the employee’s leave, and other related expenses for research or study as determined by the review committee. In addition, the campus will continue paying the employee’s regular salary for the duration of the leave.
