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By the end of their first year, 83% of first-time students will have met with an advisor—an important interaction that supports student persistence and academic success. It is clear that succeeding in college requires navigating a tapestry of systems that are not well understood by even the best-prepared college students, and advisors play a vital part in the student’s journey, as guides, mentors, information brokers, and a host of other roles. The UO advising community has been highly effective at reaching student populations that have been historically underserved (or poorly served) by higher education institutions (e.g., first-generation, NBLP, and Pell students). Read the Oregon Rising Memo for more details.
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| In the Spotlight
The templates for Review and Promotion policies have been updated on the Unit Policy Review Process webpage. The Teaching Evaluation Rubric template remains unchanged from early fall term. Thanks to feedback shared—the templates were reorganized to keep full alignment with the CBA while making them more intuitive. Early responses to these updates have been positive, and we hope they make your work easier.
If your unit began using the original templates, you can copy existing content into the new versions—no work should be lost. Our goal is to support you in creating policies that are clear, practical, and helpful for the years ahead.
The Fall Student Experience Survey (SES) opened last week and closes on Monday, Dec. 8, before finals begin. Please encourage students to complete or decline all surveys—those who do will avoid a grade hold and see grades as soon as they’re posted in DuckWeb. Students with incomplete surveys will see grades on Wednesday, Dec. 17, the day after the grading deadline. Setting aside 10–15 minutes in class during Week 10 is the most effective way to boost participation.
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| Awards and Opportunities
- Ersted Award for Distinguished Teaching (early-career excellence)
- Herman Faculty Achievement Award
- Herman Award for Specialized Pedagogy
- Herman Award for AI Innovation (new this year)
- Herman Award for Outstanding Online Education
The deadline for unit heads to send nominations to deans is Feb. 1. Deans must submit top candidates to the Office of the Provost by March 1. Winners will be selected by faculty serving on the Distinguished Teaching Awards Committee.
Nominations for Williams Fellowships and proposals for Williams Instructional Grants are open until Feb. 16.
- Williams Fellowships are major awards for great teachers who also are innovators and collaborators
- Williams Instructional Grants fund faculty ideas for undergraduate teaching and curriculum projects
The Williams Fund supports excellence and innovation in undergraduate education.
Faculty are required to lead every day in formal and informal ways: leading committees, graduate students, programs, departments, your classroom, your scholarly collaborations. The UO Leadership Academy provides the time to think deeply about your leadership capacity and provides practical strategies to support your growth. Apply to be a part of the 2026-27 cohort by Jan. 23.
The Relational Pedagogies CAIT will explore teaching practices — from basic expectation setting to active learning and deepening discussion strategies — that are intended to strengthen the interpersonal connections of the classroom in the service of learning. Participants will receive a stipend of $1,000 + OPE. Apply by Dec. 10 (extended deadline).
Join this six-month program that combines the creative problem-solving techniques of human-centered design with facilitation methods that enable students to integrate challenging realities. Through combining these modes, this program prepares you to transform teaching, curriculum, programming, and mentoring to enact the future of higher education today. Apply by Dec. 12.
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| Faculty in the News
Kate Kelp-Stebbins, director of the Comics and Cartoon Studies Program at the University of Oregon, curated this first exhibition at the museum. She noted that UO was the first college in the country to offer a comics and cartoon studies minor. “I would say the Pacific Northwest in general is absolutely invaluable in terms of the development of alternative comics,” she said.
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| Events and Learning
Assignment Hacks
Tuesday, Dec. 9, from 1-2:30 p.m. in Knight Library DREAM Lab Room 122
This hands-on workshop revisits Transparent Assignment Design (TILT) with added focus on generative AI for assignments revision.
Respondus Demo & Discussion
Wednesday, Dec. 10, from 3:30-4:45 p.m. on Teams
Learn how some faculty are using lockdown browsers to prevent AI use during in-class Canvas activities. Join us to see a demo of the Respondus LockDown Browser, learn from a UO colleague about their experiences with this tool, and consider whether you’d like to pilot it in winter and spring.
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