Kendall Center NewsletterFebruary 1, 2020

The Chili Cook-Off and Dessert Pie-Off.........and Beer Tasting Event! 

All faculty, please plan to attend the most tasty event of the year. What to do? Please make a dessert, pie, or cook up a pot of your favorite chili, enough to share. No time to cook? Come anyway, there is always plenty for all.The Cook-off will be held Friday, February 14 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Interpretive Center. As usual, Schell's Brewery has graciously agreed to provide the beer; non-alcoholic beverages will also be available. Please RSVP to Cathy Blaukat (cblaukat@gustavus.edu)

Faculty Writing Retreats at Gustavus and ASI 

The Kendall Center is hosting monthly Writing Retreats at Gustavus and at American Swedish Institute (ASI). February Writing Retreats will be held on Saturday, February 22 at ASI and on Sunday February 23 at Gustavus (Konferensrum). Faculty can participate in a full day 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. devoted to writing. We’ll provide lunch and snacks. Please visit the Kendall Center website for upcoming dates and info. Please email Cathy Blaukat (cblaukat@gac.edu) to sign up.

Write on Site at Kendall Center 

The Kendall Center will be holding Write-on-Site for faculty in our conference room, Anderson Hall Room 303, on Tuesdays and Thursdays 9am-12pm throughout the spring semester. Write-On-Site cultivates a community of scholars who work on their individual writing projects. Bring whatever you need for your writing. Show up, check-in about what you are working on for the session, and get to writing. We work in 25 minute increments with 5 minute breaks, but you can work at your own pace and come and go as your schedule permits. Faculty from all disciplines are welcome. No need to sign up, just show up ready to write.
Write on Site begins Tuesday, February 18.

New Faculty Orientation Session - breakfast 

Join us on Wednesday, February 12 for a New Faculty Orientation Session. Topic: Checking In and Setting Intentions.
Share your reflections or questions over lunch about your experiences in the fall semester and/or during January. What was more difficult or odd than anticipated, or what was gratifying? What strategies or intentions do you have for the spring semester? Free breakfast buffet served in the St Peter Room, 8 to 9 a.m.

Teachers Talking 

Please join us on Wednesday, February 20 for Teachers Talking. Topic: Nobel Conference 2020. The Nobel Conference 2020 focuses on recent advances in cancer treatment and how to make these treatments more accessible to all. Come learn more about the Nobel Conference 2020: Cancer in the Age of Biotechnology with conference co-chairs Laura Burrack (Biology) and Dwight Stoll (Chemistry). We will introduce the range of topics covered by our confirmed speakers and discuss ways to incorporate the conference into classes both this spring and next fall. Program is at 11:30 am and 12:30 pm. Free lunch at Three Crowns buffet, then meet in the Heritage Room.

New Faculty Orientation Session
(1st and 2nd year Tenure Track Faculty) 

Join us on Thursday, February 20 for a New Faculty Orientation Session (1st and 2nd year Tenure Track Faculty). Topic: Review processes at Gustavus. This discussion provides an overview of the first, third year and tenure review procedures at Gustavus, and confidentially addresses any questions you have about them. Free lunch at the Three Crowns Buffet, then meet in the St Peter Room, 12:30 to 1:20 p.m

Faculty Shop Talk 

Anna Versluis (Associate Professor in Geography) and Annika Ericksen (Assistant Professor in Sociology) will present at Faculty Shop Talk on Friday, February 21. Their talk ""How they involved their students in research related to Agriculture in Minnesota"" will be presented at 4:30 p.m. in the Interpretive Center. Feel free to arrive any time after 4:15 p.m. The abstract for this and future talks may be viewed here.

Teachers Talking

Please join us on Tuesday, February 25 for Teachers Talking. The standard method of viewing the results from the Student Evaluation on Instruction can be difficult to summarize and even more difficult to understand. I wrote a web application that reads in the results from the SRI and generates an easy to read report. Come and learn how to use the web application. Bring your laptop as there will be time for you to generate your own SRI report. Program is at 11:30 am and 12:30 pm. Free lunch at Three Crowns buffet, then meet in the Heritage Room.

New Faculty Orientation Session 

Join us on Thursday, February 27 for a New Faculty Orientation Session. Topic: Honor code at Gustavus. This discussion provides new faculty with a shared understanding and application of the honor code at Gustavus. We will discuss faculty responsibilities, including providing definitions of what constitutes authorized aid for coursework and specifying the possible course penalties for violations of the Honor Code. An overview of the workings of the Honor Board system will be provided. Free lunch at the Three Crowns Buffet, then meet in the St Peter Room, 12:30 to 1:20 p.m

Scholarly Synergy 

Are you ready to talk with colleagues about something besides curriculum? Do you want to make new connections over common scholarly interests? Then plan to attend Gustavus’s inaugural Scholarly Synergy event on Wednesday, March 11, from 4-6 PM in the Anderson Hall atrium. Based on your expertise, KCEL and Provost’s Office staff will match you with colleagues with complementary interests for brief, one-on-one conversations. There will also be time to mingle and celebrate shared scholarly pursuits over hors d'oeuvres and festive beverages. We hope this event will energize intellectual dialogue and foster productive new connections across campus. To register, go to gustavus.edu/grants and follow the link there. You’ll be asked for information to facilitate the matching process, including areas of expertise that you are sharing and seeking. Please register by February 25. Questions? Contact Blake Couey (jcouey@gustavus.edu) or Sarah Bridges (sbridges@gustavus.edu). Sponsored by Kendall Center and Provost’s Office.

Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Deadline 

The Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Grant deadline is Monday, February 17, 2020. The online application forms and guidelines are available at gustavus.edu/kendallcenter. Questions may be directed to Faculty Development Committee Chair Anna Hulseberg or any member of the FDC.

Presidential Faculty-Student Collaboration Grant deadline 

The Presidential Faculty-Student Collaboration Grant deadline is Monday, February 24, 2020. The online application forms and guidelines are available at gustavus.edu/kendallcenter. Questions may be directed to Faculty Development Committee Chair Anna Hulseberg or any member of the FDC.

Sabbatical Leave Deadline 

The deadline for sabbatical leave applications for the 2021-2022 academic year is Monday, March 9, 2020. Proposal forms and guidelines are available at gustavus.edu/kendallcenter. Questions may be directed to Faculty Development Committee Chair Anna Hulseberg or any member of the FDC.

Mt Olivet Faculty Writing Retreat 

The Kendall Center is sponsoring a Writing Retreat for faculty on Wednesday, February 5 and Thursday, February 6 at Mount Olivet Conference and Retreat Center in Farmington, MN. This is a great opportunity to focus on your writing. The retreat is open to all faculty and space is limited and will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis. Please RSVP to Cathy Blaukat (cblaukat@gustavus.edu) by FRIDAY, January 24.