March 13
March 13, 2023
ChatGPT at UNC Charlotte
There has been much discussion recently surrounding the academic usage and integrity of text-based AI tools such as ChatGPT, a new chatbot software that can explain ideas and concepts and generate convincing, human-like, though often oversimplified, written text. Charlotte has no plans to holistically restrict the use of ChatGPT or other AI tools. As Academic Affairs leaders and colleagues, we will work together to consider the impacts this new technology can have on the classes we teach and the students we serve. View the rest of this important message from Provost Bertone, along with resources to help you and your students navigate ChatGPT and AI tools.
Morale/Burnout Track – Webinar Series for Charlotte Employees
Register for the free, interactive Morale/Burnout track of the Webinar Series for Charlotte Employees. The four Wednesday courses (March 15, April 5, June 14, August 23) run from 12:00 to 1:00 PM and will tackle issues concerning well-being and self-care. All sessions will be recorded and available to registered participants. Bonus content will be emailed after each webinar to help participants continue their professional development journeys.
urbanCORE EXPLORE: An Engaged Scholarship Faculty Open House
It’s spring and urbanCORE, UNC Charlotte’s hub for engaged scholarship, invites you to an afternoon of wine and refreshments. Meet the urbanCORE staff, chat about resources to enhance your community-based research and teaching, and learn how urbanCORE can help you connect, cooperate, and collaborate with the greater Charlotte community. More information.
- Tuesday, March 21, 4:00 – 6:00 PM, Sycamore Hall
Film Screening: Sanctuary Rising
The Center for Professional & Applied Ethics and the Migration Research Network offer “Sanctuary Rising,” the screening of a new documentary about families staying together in the face of deportation and communities turning faith into action. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion about the ways in which faith communities work with immigrants. The event, sponsored by the UNC Charlotte Office of Diversity and Inclusion, is supported by the Office of Interdisciplinary Studies, Cato College of Education, School of Social Work, and Department of Geography and Earth Sciences.
- Thursday, March 23, 5:00 PM, Rowe 130 (Register)
Black Maternal Health Crisis: Film Screening and Panel Discussion of “Aftershock”
Join the College of Health and Human Services’ Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Access (IDEA) Committee for their Annual Film Screening Event to view and discuss “Aftershock”. “Following the deaths of two young women due to childbirth complications, two bereaved families galvanize activists, birth-workers and physicians to reckon with one of the most pressing American crises today: the U.S. maternal health crisis.” This interactive event is being held in collaboration with the Charlotte Maternal Child Health Workgroup and the Graduate Public Health Association to discuss the Black Maternal Health Crisis in the U.S. Students, faculty, professionals, and community members are invited to engage in this event. For questions about the event, contact Alicia Dahl or Lorenzo Hopper.
- Monday, April 3, 4:00 – 7:00 PM, Lucas Room, Cone University Center (Register)
BRIDGES Academic Leadership Program Information Session
The BRIDGES Academic Leadership Program offers the opportunity to develop and strengthen leadership skills, knowledge, and networking in order to be successful change agents in communities. BRIDGES is an inclusive professional development program dedicated to supporting cisgender or transgender women and nonbinary colleagues in higher education who seek to gain or strengthen their academic leadership capabilities, and/or individuals who demonstrate a commitment to supporting women and gender issues and equity in the academy. Individuals of any gender identity who want to position themselves for advancement in the academy and/or who demonstrate a strong interest or commitment to supporting women and gender equity in the academy are encouraged to apply. Attend the virtual information session to learn about this unique leadership program and to hear from past BRIDGES participants. More information.
- Tuesday, April 11, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM, via Zoom
Nexus: Networking Across Disciplines 2023
Nexus: Networking Across Disciplines fosters the emergence of interdisciplinary research teams by providing faculty with structured opportunities to learn about one another’s research and brainstorm areas of mutual interest. Through a series of workshops several months apart, Nexus supports the initial stages of project development as faculty formulate shared research questions, consider analytical strategies, and identify potential funding sources.
Nexus 2023 will target faculty in two research areas of focus and distinction: 1) Socioeconomic Mobility; and 2) Urban Health. Workshops will be held on May 17-18 and August 17, 2023, with working groups expected to brainstorm ideas over the summer. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 31 (see this page for information and application). Each faculty member in Nexus will receive a $1,000 stipend for participating fully in the workshops. For more information, please join us on Monday, March 13, from 4:30-6:00 p.m. in the Lambla Gallery of the Storrs Building (RSVP). We will celebrate successes of interdisciplinary working groups that formed through Nexus 2022 and discuss target research areas for Nexus 2023. Nexus is organized by the Office of Interdisciplinary Studies and the Division of Research with support from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the Cato College of Education, and the College of Health and Human Services. Questions can be directed to Professor Beth Whitaker, Executive Director of the Office of Interdisciplinary Studies.
Center for Teaching and Learning Workshops
Supporting Student Study Skills in the Age of A.I.
Join this session to learn how to better support students’ study skills in the age of A.I.. We will demonstrate how to prompt A.I. tools (like ChatGPT) to develop self-study guides, practice assessments, and serve as a personal learning assistant for students. By the end of the hour, you will have an action plan for how to communicate these strategies to students in your course(s).
Supporting Student Writing Projects in the Age of A.I.
Join this session to learn how to integrate AI tools effectively in writing projects throughout the semester. We will demonstrate how to chunk and scaffold project tasks for peer review and instructor support, as well as how to prompt A.I. tools (like ChatGPT) to enhance the writing process at each stage. By the end of the hour, you will have a planning tool and strategies for integrating AI into writing projects.
Annual Faculty Showcase
Please join us for this year’s Faculty Professional Development Showcase and learn how fellow faculty made improvements in their teaching as a result of their participation in professional development activities around campus. The purpose of this event is to raise awareness and celebrate faculty best practices at UNC Charlotte. This Showcase is hosted by the Office for Assessment and Accreditation, Center for Teaching and Learning, Atkins Library, and Communication Across the Curriculum. Please register by Friday, March 24.
- Thursday, April 6, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM, Halton Reading Room, J. Murrey Atkins Library (Register)
J. Murrey Atkins Library: Upcoming Events
She Flew the Coop LIVE! Women’s History Month Talk Show
Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories
Join Atkins for a panel discussion on women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship moderated by Charlotte alumna and former TV journalist, Sarah Colón-Harris. In 2013, Colón-Harris launched her video production company, Stories to Inspire, and eventually founded the women’s empowerment non-profit She Flew the Coop. The emcee of the event is Lanaire Malone, founder of Hurdles in Heels. Panelists include Dr. Sonyia Richardson, assistant professor in UNC Charlotte’s School of Social Work, Dr. Michelle Meggs, Executive Director of the UNC Charlotte Women + Girls Research Alliance, Dr. Beth Wahler, Director of UNC Charlotte’s School of Social Work, and Chef Yvette Kerns, owner of Petite Cook Charlotte.
- Thursday, March 23, 6:00 – 8:00 PM, McKnight Hall, Cone University Center (Register)
2023 Race and Social Equity Spring Forum
A Call to Action: Cultivating Antiracist Practices in the Helping Professions
The UNC Charlotte Race and Social Equity Academy (RASE) 2023 Spring Forum will focus on advancing inclusive practices, including anti-racism and equity practices for helping professionals. The forum will feature two dynamic speakers, Isis Bey and Joshua McNeill, sharing best practices for inclusive practice from an intersectional lens. The RASE Spring Forum is hosted in collaboration with the School of Social Work Field Education Office and the J. Murrey Atkins Library, and is supported by the UNC Charlotte Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s Inclusive Excellence Grant.
- Wednesday, March 29, 12:00 – 1:30 PM, via Zoom (Register)
Panel Discussion: Free Expression at UNC Charlotte
The Free Expression and Constructive Dialogue Task Force invites students, faculty, and staff to join us for a panel and conversation about freedom of expression rights, parameters, and support on campus. We hope the program will create greater clarity about free speech, external group visits, and academic freedom and lead to positive discussions at UNC Charlotte. The discussion will be moderated by Susan Harden, Associate Professor of Education and Faculty Council President. Panelists include Jesh Humphrey, Vice Chancellor for Institutional Integrity and General Counsel, Sujit Chemburkar, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, and Mary Griffin, Senior Program Officer, Policy Reform, FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression). More information.
- Thursday, March 30, 4:00 – 5:30 PM, Halton Reading Room, J. Murrey Atkins Library
Faculty News Council
Please visit the Faculty Governance website for the latest news from the Faculty Council including:
Dissertation Defense
The dissertation defense is one of the ways a new scholar demonstrates readiness to join the academy and is an opportunity to share their research widely. View All Dissertation Defense Announcements.
Latest AA News
For up-to-the-minute news from Academic Affairs (faculty awards, research, recognition, initiatives), visit the Academic Affairs Division News webpage.
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Deadline for submission is 11:00 a.m. every Friday.