Greetings, colleagues!
I am writing to express my excitement about and gratitude for the opportunity to serve as Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. It is with great appreciation to Kate Willink and the amazing Office of Teaching and Learning, staff, faculty, and partners across campus that I step into the role. As we think about building into the future, I believe faculty wellbeing and issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion are critical. The last several years have been remarkably difficult and underscored long-standing inequities. But, within challenges, we find opportunities to set forth and implement a collective vision for wellness. We can work together to reduce and repair harm by advancing workload equity—examining our teaching evaluation practices and bringing a trauma-informed lens to our work. We can strengthen supports for faculty across series, including adjuncts, through collaborative learning and systems-change initiatives. We can build more faculty development resources and communities for faculty from onboarding to mid-career and into retirement. Research clearly links workplace wellbeing to productivity, creativity, and retention. A thriving university for the public good requires that faculty are well enough to engage learning opportunities, collaborate across disciplines and units, and think reflectively about teaching, scholarship, and service for the life of their careers. I look forward to continuing this work with all of you.
Jennifer Bellamy, PhD.
Vice Provost of Faculty Affairs