Kendall Center NewsletterFebruary 1, 2022

Sabbatical Leave Deadline

The deadline for sabbatical leave applications for the 2023-2024 academic year is 5pm, Monday, March 7, 2022. Proposal forms and guidelines are available on the Kendall Center website at https://gustavus.edu/kendallcenter/LeaveOpportunities/sabbatical.php?concert=stopEditing. Questions may be directed to Faculty Development Committee Chair Sarah Wolter.

Presidential Faculty-Student Collaboration Grant deadline

The Presidential Faculty-Student Collaboration Grant deadline is Monday, February 21, 2022, 5 p.m. The online application forms and guidelines are available on the Kendall Center website at https://gustavus.edu/kendallcenter/grant-opportunities/presidential-grant.php. Questions may be directed to Faculty Development Committee Chair Sarah Wolter.

Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Grant

The Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Grant deadline is Monday, February 14, 2022, 5 p.m. The online application forms and guidelines are available on the Kendall Center website at https://gustavus.edu/kendallcenter/grant-opportunities/RSCGrant.php. Questions may be directed to Faculty Development Committee Chair Sarah Wolter.

Teachers Talking - Integrating Research & Teaching

Please join us on Monday, February 7 for Teachers Talking. Topic: Integrating Research and Teaching. Join Pamela Conners (Communication Studies; Faculty Associate for RSC) for a discussion of ways to integrate and scaffold research experiences in your courses. Program is at 11:30 am and 12:30pm. Free lunch (Marketplace coupons), then meet in the Three Crowns Room. For a full list of sessions please visit the Kendall Center webpage under Teachers Talking. 

Faculty Social

Please join faculty for a Faculty Social on Tuesday, February 15 at 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the St Peter. No agenda, no homework, just come, relax, talk to others and enjoy some appetizers.

New Faculty Orientation Session - Online!

Join us on Thursday, February 17 for an online New Faculty Orientation Session from 12:30 to 1:20 p.m. Ellie Roscher will be joining us to check in on ourselves, reflect on the fall/j-term, and support each other as we move into another busy stretch. Ellie, also an accomplished author, has been leading a lot of wellness and mentorship sessions for the Kendall Center - and she, herself, is a Gustavus graduate! https://hellogustavus.zoom.us/j/81751111828?pwd=cFZjQlpRYkQyYVY1cjhlNEYxckJtZz09 

Faculty Shop Talk - Maria Kalbermatten

Maria Kalbermatten (Associate Professor in Spanish; LALACS; and Modern Languages, Literature, and Cultures) will present at Faculty Shop Talk on Friday, February 18. Her talk "Political Humor and Manipulation in Times of COVID-19" 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 on the Kendall Center website.

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 19 at American Swedish Institute, Mpls ($15 toward lunch) and on Sunday, February 20 at Gustavus (Konferensrum). Faculty can participate in a full day 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. devoted to writing. We’ll provide lunch. Please visit the Kendall Center website for upcoming dates and info. Please email Cathy Blaukat (cblaukat@gac.edu) to sign up.

Hiking at the Arb on Tuesdays

Partake in what many Scandivinians call friluftsliv or open-air living. Spending time outside, no matter the conditions, enhances our wellbeing. Bundle up and join Pamela Kittelson at 4:30 on Feb. 22, March 29, and April 26 outside the Interpretive Center for a walk, snowshoe or ski in the cold. The type of transportation will depend on conditions, interest, and will be updated on the Kendall Center website and via email. See this article for more information about the value of friluftsliv. RSVP to Cathy Blaukat (cblaukat@gustavus.edu).

New Faculty Orientation Session (1st & 2nd year TT only)

Join us on Thursday, February 24 for a New Faculty Orientation Session. 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 Marketplace (grab a coupon from David Stamps), then meet in the St Peter Room. 12:30 to 1:20 p.m

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 25 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) if you plan to make chili or a dessert.

Teachers Talking - Community Engaged Learning

Please join us on Friday, February 25 for Teachers Talking. Topic: Intro to Best Practices in Community-Engaged Learning. With so much retooling of our teaching and research these days, it's a great time to consider (re)integrating the high-impact practice of community-engaged learning. Join a conversation with experienced CEL practitioners to discover the many shapes and forms community-facing work can take and how it can enhance your intellectual endeavors. We'll address some key do's and dont's to consider as you explore the CEL options that align with your commitments as a scholar, teacher, and community member. Program is at 11:30 am and 12:30pm. Free lunch (Marketplace coupons), then meet in the Three Crowns Room. For a full list of sessions please visit the Kendall Center webpage under Teachers Talking. 

Kendall Center Grant Opportunities

The Kendall Center continues to offer several grant opportunities for faculty. Please visit the Kendall Center website for more information on the types of grants, info, and applications. Any questions, please contact Ruth Lin, Kendall Center Director.

FREE Book for Faculty

The Kendall Center has some extra copies of John Bean's book "Engaging Ideas: The Professor's Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom." If this book would be helpful, please shoot me an email (cblaukat@gustavus.edu) and I will drop a copy in campus mail for you.

More Free books for Faculty 

The Kendall Center has a few extra copis of the J-term reading groups books. Please email me if you would like a copy and I'll drop a book in campus mail. Superior: The Return of Race Science by Angela Saini. The book chronicles how science legitimized the use of race to categorize people and consequences of that bad science all the way up to the mid 2010s. It explores the biological and social consequences for people/societies. The author does a great job of making biological and social science accessible to a general audience. My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem. The book provides new solutions to recognizing and healing racialized trauma.

Mentoring Community

Please join us on Monday, March 14 from 4:30-6:00 p.m. in the St Peter Room for a Mentoring Community gathering. The Kendall Center believes that anyone at any stage of their lives and careers can benefit from space and opportunity to share their whole self. The mentoring community also strengthens the Gustavus community, reminding us that we are not alone and we are stronger together. This community hopes to spark further conversations and future collaborations. Regardless of age, background, faculty rank and status, all faculty who are interested in building and strengthening their relationships with others in the Gustavus Community are invited to attend any or all of the three 90 min gatherings throughout the school year. These gatherings will be facilitated with time to reflect and write on specific questions/issues as well as opportunities to practice deep listening and sharing in small groups.

2 Day Faculty Writing Retreat in March at Mt Olivet

The Kendall Center is sponsoring a Writing Retreat for faculty on Friday, March 18, 2022 and Saturday, March 19, 2022 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. The Kendall Center covers the cost of the retreat. Please RSVP to Cathy Blaukat to sign up. 

Spring 2022 Advisor Development Workshops

The Academic Support Center and the Kendall Center are once again teaming up to sponsor advisor development workshops in February. All Gustavus advisors are welcome to attend the workshops. A morning and an afternoon session will be offered each day. Register today!

Workshop #1: Advising Fine Arts Students
Thursday, February 17 at 9 AM or 2:30 PM in the President’s Dining Room
Register online!
What should advisors know when advising students who participate in the fine arts? For example, why would your advisee register for a zero-credit music ensemble? What are the advising ramifications of the various fine arts scholarships? What other common issues do student fine artists face that their advisors should know more about? Join us to learn more! Facilitated by faculty advisors from Art & Art History, Music, and Theatre & Dance.

Workshop #2: Advisors as Validation Agents: Cultivating Sense of Belonging and Student Success for Racially Minoritized Students at Predominantly White Institutions
Thursday, February 24 at 9 AM or 2:30 PM via Zoom
Register online!
Higher education institutions are experiencing an influx of racially minoritized students enrolling at historically high levels (Ponjuán & Hernández, 2020). However, racially minoritized students, who are often first-generation students, continued to lag behind in degree completion compared to White students (NCES, 2019). Higher education institutions must change to support these students who are entering a world that was not designed with them in mind. Dr. Laura Rendon’s (1994) validation theory is an assets-based framework that helps us understand how to work with these students by building supportive relationships. In this workshop, participants will learn and understand Rendon’s validation theory, learn about the challenges racially minoritized students face at predominantly White institutions, and foster inclusive advising practices and approaches to cultivate a sense of belonging and facilitate student success. Facilitated by Rafael R. Almanzar, Director for Peer Mentoring and First Gen Student Success at Texas State University.

Mark your calendars! KCEL presents the SECOND ever Gustavus Trivia Night!

On Friday, March 11, 4:30, put on your thinking caps and show off your best useless facts as you compete with your fellow faculty for the world's most prestigious prizes: Books! Pens! T-shirts! Bragging rights! Come with a team of up to 5 people, or join one when you arrive. Special questions will feature fun facts about GAC new faculty members, so now's the time to strike up a conversation and dig all the skeletons out of their closets! Trivia will take place in the Interpretive Center and a Zoom option will be available for those who prefer their fun facts as far fetched and far flung as feasible.

Incorporating Standards-Based Grading into Your STEM Course

In response to prior faculty feedback, the HHMI Inclusive Excellence Project is sponsoring a facilitated workshop to help faculty incorporate standards-based grading into their classrooms. Although this workshop is primarily designed for STEM faculty, all are welcome! Please engage with our PRE-workshop materials ahead of time, then join us for the event at the Zoom link below (Thursday, March 3, 3:30-4:20 PM CST). Pre-workshop materials (will be populated by Monday, February 21): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Ih9SUmhV_7_EBgkkOrBL_tQUQgpB8Z_W?usp=sharing
Zoom link: https://hellogustavus.zoom.us/j/82930435781?pwd=c2FCZjNBa01iZmNMaDdvelg2WWM4UT09

Competitive Travel Grants 

The Kendall Center for Engaged Learning will offer limited competitive travel grants of up to $1000 to all faculty who are tenured, tenure-track, and those who have continuing instructor status. The most important factors in the committee's consideration will be the importance of the meeting, conference, or workshop within your discipline; a detailed but accessible description of the applicant’s participation; and the applicant’s assessment of the potential significance of the meeting, conference, or workshop to their development as a scholar, artist, and/or teacher. This money will be on top of the normal travel grant allocation available to individual faculty, and will cover any meeting, conference, or workshop that occurs in the period of June 1, 2022 - May 31, 2023. The applications are due March 23 and decisions will be communicated to faculty by April 13. Detailed information, along with the application, can be found on our website.