January 2025

Dear Colleagues:

I hope you are emerging from a warm winter's rest to prepare for the new semester.

Just a reminder that according to the Faculty Handbook, apart from absences for observance of religious holidays, faculty may set their own attendance policies and have discretion to designate absences for other reasons as "excused" or "unexcused" based upon their professional judgement. (Revised policy approved by the faculty January 7, 2019) A representative list of holy days for the 2024-25 academic year from several major traditions can be found here through Human Resources.

Please also be mindful of the evening and weekend practice and performance constraints of our students who are involved in the performing arts and in NCAA athletics. Pre-planning for required events helps students prioritize their commitments and allows for maximum flexibility of our faculty colleagues whose teaching can be impacted by other courses that have required activities in the afternoons, evenings and on weekends. Thanks for your consideration.

We are also continuing to host half of the Nobel lectures in Winter term to increase participation. Please join us! The first one will be Tuesday, January 14 at 12:00pm in the Harte Center on the prize for literature. More information is below.

Thanks again for all that you do to help the university meet its mission.

Best wishes,

How is your FAR coming along?

It's that time of the year again! Remember to submit your Faculty Activity Reports (FAR or FAR-PEA) by Thursday, January 7, 2024 via Watermark.

Please make sure to turn them in on time. Thank you!

Lenfest Grant Applications for Summer '25 due January 27, 2025

The application deadline for 2025 summer Lenfest Grant is January 27, 2025.

Full-time tenure and tenure-track faculty are eligible for funding through this program. Current full-time visitors who have been here at least one year and who have school institutional commitment for continued full-time employment for at least one year beyond the grant period, may apply for a Lenfest Grant. Find more info here.

Art Museum and Galleries - Winter 2025 Programming

The Art Museum and Galleries are thrilled to announce a dynamic series of Winter 2025 programs that highlight the intersection of science and art. We continue to offer guided tours and tailored sessions designed to support a wide range of curricular goals and deepen interdisciplinary thinking. To bring your class to the museum, submit a request using our Booking Form or contact us at museums@wlu.edu.

Current Exhibition:

Emma Steinkraus: Impossible Garden/Dusk & Dawn, Watson Galleries, closes May 4, 2025 (wlu.edu/dusk)
Stephanie Shih: LONG TIME NO SEE (好久不⾒), Reeves Museum of Ceramics, closes June 7, 2025 (wlu.edu/shih)
Points of Exchange: Asian Ceramics in the Reeves Collection, ongoing (wlu.edu/du)
Expressions of Color: Paintings by Evelyn Dawson, McCarthy Gallery (Holekamp Hall), ongoing

For the full slate of events, visit wlu.edu/arts/museums/programs

We look forward to welcoming you and your students,
Isra El-beshir, Director of Art Museum and Galleries