November 2023 - Take 2!

Hello again! Don't forget to join us for the upcoming Nobel talk (more info below) and check out these great opportunities!

Something to Think About

While it seems like a no-brainer to hop on a last-minute opportunity for external financial support, keep in mind that the funder's deadline is not the only one you'll need to meet. Attaining the support of your department chair AND your division leader must occur before you hit the submit button, and securing those approvals requires that you work several weeks in advance. Additionally, remember that grants are awarded to Washington and Lee, not individual faculty members, and only an authorized representative can bind the university with a signature. Once you've met with your department chair, enlist the help of Corporate and Foundation Relations at least two weeks in advance (preferably more) to facilitate the process and to ensure the proper internal approvals (legal, financial, or logistical) and signatures are obtained. For more information and a clearer picture of the steps in the grant lifecycle, visit CFR's Grant Manual and contact cfr@wlu.edu.

Winter College Mini-Grants for Course Enhancements

The Dean of the College invites proposals from College Faculty for mini-grants for WINTER TERM 2024. Proposals of up to $750.00 for enhancements to specific departmental or interdisciplinary program courses to be taught in WINTER TERM 2024 will be considered. Faculty members submit proposals to their dept./prog. heads for endorsement by December 1. Heads submit endorsed proposals to Dean's Office by December 8.

Career Connections Cohort

Join this Winter term cohort to identify how you can empower students to gain confidence about their professional futures, regardless of their choice of major. While most students seek a fulfilling, but also good, job following graduation, they struggle to articulate the skills they're developing in their coursework. In turn, this means they struggle to articulate their abilities to potential employers, and instead of thinking about the skills conveyed in every course, choose majors that appear to lead directly to a job. First-gen and underrepresented students experience the most difficulty with this, as they have fewer connections to the "hidden curriculum" related to professionalization. Faculty, who are often the most accessible career mentors to students due to the length of time they spend with students in class, are well positioned to help students close the gap between coursework and careers, and to make career planning accessible to all students. Topics over the four lunch-and-learn sessions include 1. How your existing course content translates to employer-sought skills; 2. How to meet the needs of first-gen and underrepresented students when it comes to career connections; 3. How to emphasize students' values and strengths in relation to their wellbeing; and 4. How to think holistically across key areas—from advising, to major declaration, to internship, research and co-curricular experiences—in relation to students' need for purposeful work.

Contact Genelle Gertz if you would like to join this Winter-term teacher-scholar cohort. Everyone is welcome!

Do you work with or know some amazing people at W&L?

Know someone who's accomplishing great things? Take the time to show them your appreciation by submitting their name and info to The Office of Communications and Public Affairs. If selected, the person may be featured in the Employee Accolades portion of The Columns Weekly newsletter. W&L is filled with amazing people, let's tell each other all about them!