[VPAAEtal] Provost Update - 5/7/2025

Wed May 7 08:38:31 CDT 2025

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Good morning, Academic Affairs!

Here we are at the end of the semester; this spring has definitely been full of many exciting events, projects, and changes. I have a handful of updates for you as we wrap up the semester and move into summer.

  *   Drs. Hempelmann and Elariss, director and co-director of the campus-wide AI Initiative, have been leading the MS in AI, which has been accepting increasing numbers of students since Fall 2024, including international students as of Fall 2025. The initiative also offered its first set of Professional Development Days earlier this semester at our Dallas location, in Commerce, and online, providing an overview of the pedagogical opportunities of AI to high school teachers and others interested. Watch for further workshops (the next one for all faculty is on principles of AI and applications with Gemini) and curricular updates. Also, consider joining the email list and attending the monthly meetings online. The final meeting for this semester is on Wednesday, May 7 at 1 pm. Please email c.hempelmann at tamuc.edu<mailto:c.hempelmann at tamuc.edu> and omar.el.ariss at tamuc.edu<mailto:omar.el.ariss at tamuc.edu> for more information.

  *   I'm excited to share that The Honors College has selected five faculty projects for funding as part of the college's inaugural Challenge Grant competition. Dean Erin Webster Garrett and Dr. Andrew Baker created the Challenge competition to promote the development of innovative curriculum and cross-campus partnerships that enhance the transformative potential of honors programs at ETAMU. As part of the award, recipients will participate in a faculty learning community and have an opportunity to share results and lessons learned at the conclusion of the award period. Congratulations to the following for their excellent work!
     *   Dr. Jessica Sterns, School of Music "This project involves honor students creating a public musicology podcast each spring semester for the History of Rock and Roll class. The students will collaborate with KETR to record their podcasts about aspects of rock music and its history, and the final product will be made available to the public through KETR's website. I am excited to work with students to develop their podcasts and look forward to having their projects shared with a broad audience."
     *   Dr. Charles Woods, Department of Literature and Languages "The United States pledged an additional $500 billion for the advancement of AI research, raising core and supplemental research to $3.32 billion dollars in 2025. My project, "Developing Data Privacy Approaches to the Teaching of Writing in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," galvanizes interest in this trend through innovative curriculum design and funding it demonstrates a clear commitment to Humanistic research in these areas from different stakeholders at ETAMU, including the Honors College."
     *   Dr. Nahid Hasan, Department of Mathematics "I'm excited to use this opportunity to give Honors students hands-on experience in data science and statistical modeling. Through workshops and mentorship, we will foster critical thinking and real-world problem-solving skills. I sincerely thank Honors College for supporting this initiative."
     *   Dr. Amy Corp, Department of Curriculum and Instruction "A new honors curriculum module is being created for integration into existing major courses, focusing on trauma-informed practices and English language acquisition for non-Spanish/non-English speakers. The increasing prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and a rise in families seeking refuge in Texas underscore the urgency of this specialized knowledge."
     *   Dr. Maggie Salem and Dr. Grace Ogden of CASNR "This interdisciplinary initiative integrates the fields of Agronomy, Sustainable Agriculture, and Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications to provide a rich and diverse learning experience for ETAMU Honors College students. Participants are encouraged to shape their own unique journeys, guided by personal interests and curiosity, all rooted in regenerative farming practices..."

  *   Two weeks ago, Britt Gamble with Evergreen Solutions LLC, the project manager for the Faculty Salary Project, joined us on campus to meet briefly with the deans, and then the Faculty Senate. Faculty senators have identified a working group and plan to continue their review of the results this summer, with recommendations to follow. Feel free to reach out to Dr. Yasemin Atinc, President of Faculty Senate, with any questions.

  *   A "thank you" to the Online Platforms Working Group, chaired by Dr. Carrie Klypchak, for their comprehensive review of use and cost of various online platforms. Their efforts were extremely useful in assisting leadership in making several difficult decisions and ensuring we continue to move forward in the best way available. I appreciate the summary of their survey results, along with an insightful final report including specific recommendations. Both documents were shared with the Deans Council (DC) and Executive Team (ET). All of the General Recommendations were well received, and I will be working this summer to follow up with increased training options on various platforms and exploring the creation of a standing committee or other process to provide ongoing review of the benefits and usage of online platforms. In addition, as recommended by the committee, we will continue our status as an Adobe Creative Campus. We will also be moving forward, as recommended, with Coursera Career Academy and Nash/Google. Of note, at the System's suggestion, I have begun to work with them directly to increase campus-wide use of both these platforms. I am hopeful that we will have additional time and usage to explore if either of these are useful for continuation at East Texas A&M.

After considerable discussion at DC and ET, it was decided not to renew LinkedIn Learning. The contract ended this past month, and will no longer be available through East Texas A&M University.

  *   Deans Council met last week for a day-long workshop exploring the needed groundwork for ETAMU to move forward in becoming a student-ready university. The deans will continue to build on the discussions, working together to author a white paper highlighting the philosophical approach, clarifying values, and outlining next steps. Much more to come!

  *   The revised Tenure & Promotion policy has been under review at the System over the past several months. Last week, our University Ethics and Compliance Office heard back from the System with comments, including those from OGC. That office has been working on the responses and has now resubmitted the document. I am hopeful that we will receive final approval soon and will keep the campus updated.

  *   You should have received an email last week noting that as of May 5th, university Outlook accounts will start sending Faculty/Staff e-mails from @etamu.edu by default.  No action is necessary to individually configure your Outlook settings on desktops, laptops, or phones. As was stated, for a period of time, you will continue to receive e-mails to both the former @tamuc.edu as well as new @etamu. Please use this transition period to update any external accounts that you have associated with the @tamuc.edu address.

  *   This is a reminder that the results from the Culture and Climate Survey for all current employees from October 2024 is now available. As the president shared, the results of this survey are a part of our advancing and implementing Goal #3 of our 2024-2029 Strategic Plan: Creating a Welcoming Community<https://www.tamuc.edu/strategic-plan/>. The aggregated reports are on the Office of Institutional Research website<https://www.tamuc.edu/ir/#tamuc-section-213025>. Scroll down to Resources-Climate Survey.

  *   Academic Affairs continues to review and update the list of campus-wide procedural documents. Please make note of the following:
*       12.99.01.R0.01 (Faculty Development Leave): An updated version with minor revisions will be distributed in Fall 2025.
*       31.05.01.R1 Faculty Consulting and/or External Employment: An updated version with minor revisions will be distributed in Fall 2025.
*       Teams across campus are currently working to review and revise the following procedures. Input may be requested and revisions will be disseminated once the final approved revisions are complete:
*       12.01.99.R1 Academic Freedom
*       12.03.99.R1 Faculty Workload
*       13.99.99.R0.03 Undergraduate Academic Dishonesty
*       12.99.99.R0.13 Annual Evaluation of Faculty

  *   I want to thank Dr. Eric Branscome for completing the revisions for our Faculty Handbook. He worked tirelessly with others across the university to rewrite sections and to ensure accurate and up-to-date material. I appreciate that this important academic document is now up to date, well-organized, and available on our website in a structured, user-friendly format. I am convinced that you will find the revised Faculty Handbook both accessible and informative. I am so pleased that this is now available for our faculty and will be provided to all new faculty members during orientation.

  *   Please join me in thanking Provost Fellows Flavia Belpoliti and Brian Zator for their efforts in helping to create a teaching and learning center for faculty at East Texas A&M, the Faculty Success Center. With their hard work, there is an extensive web page with resources for faculty, which will be available shortly. To be clear, the Faculty Success Center is more than just a resource page (though yes, it will be packed with valuable tools!)- it's the beginning of a bold, faculty-driven initiative designed to meet the real and evolving needs of today's East Texas A&M educators. I envision the Faculty Success Center as a one-of-a-kind space that brings together innovation, collaboration, and faculty support in powerful new ways. From cutting-edge teaching strategies and pedagogical development to mentorship, workshops, and community-building, the center will offer dynamic, responsive programming that grows alongside our faculty.

Built for faculty, by faculty, the Faculty Success Center isn't just a new addition- it's a part of the future of academic excellence at East Texas A&M. We're only just getting started, and I need your assistance! Please let Cynthia Rhodes know by the end of this month if you are interested in serving on a faculty work group in the fall to continue this important work.

I want to end by reminding everyone that I appreciate your hard work in transforming lives and propelling this institution forward. Despite obstacles, the Division of Academic Affairs at East Texas A&M University remains steadfast in providing excellent scholarship and support amongst each other and our students. Throughout the semester, our faculty and staff have continued to show unwavering commitment to educating and caring for our students, embodying the heart of our university's mission. Your resilience and dedication do not go unnoticed, and I encourage you to hold on and keep going- your work matters deeply, now more than ever.

I hope this summer is a relaxing one, and I look forward to seeing what we accomplish come this Fall. Please take good care, Lions!

tvh

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