Does it Help?

As the coronavirus situation continues to evolve, UMKC administration continues to meet, assess, and plan. The UMKC coronavirus resources page asks us to each do our part to minimize risk and promote the UMKC Culture of Care. St Louis survived the 1918-1919 Influenza Pandemic with far fewer deaths than other cities because city officials closed schools and limited public gatherings – early and at the same time [read more].

The 1918-1919 Influenza Pandemic affected more than 500 million people world wide and at least 50 million died (Bristow, 2016). While a global calamity, it also remains the largest recorded pandemic with data about non-pharmaceutical interventions. In 2007, a group of scholars analyzed data from U.S. cities and several different interventions using theoretical modeling.  

Through theoretical modeling, the researchers found that non-pharmaceutical interventions However, a growing body of theoretical modeling research suggests that non-pharmaceutical interventions boosted health and stretched out the timeframe of the influenza pandemic, and reduced the number of deaths. One of the reasons for these outcomes was the decreased strain on medical systems and critical infrastructure. One of the cities with the most benefits from non-pharmaceutical interventions was St. Louis, Missouri, which implemented interventions early and with layered strategies. St Louis closed school for 10 weeks and simultaneously cancelled public gatherings at each wave of the pandemic. This resulted in a reduction of approximately 50% of lives lost to the flu.  

Many things have changed over the past 100 years. Education and social gathering is still a big part of our lives. Studies such as this are not predictive, but, they do show us that these strategies have worked in the past at an equally large scale.

Faculty Make the Greatest Difference

As UMKC responds to the novel coronavirus/COVID-19 situation, and our campus community moves quickly online, faculty are going to test the limits of Canvas and Zoom. We will learn about how fortunate we are to have Canvas and Zoom. We will also learn about what technology cannot bridge. Some of the simple things such as the informal conversations that roll into the start of class are not the same online. We may miss the students whose facial expressions provide immediate non-verbal feedback. Faculty Affairs believes that you make the greatest difference in the college experience and recognizes that for some moving online will be a challenge. 

UMKC Online and Instructional Design and Technology have resources and expertise to help. Many organizations are offering tips and information to help faculty navigate this unprecedented time. 

The Association of College and University Educators called on three experts to provide tips for faculty in six areas. The topics provide advice on things like welcoming students to the online environment, managing your online presence, and how to engage students in readings and microlectures. 

Imagining America is crowdsourcing a list of small kindnesses. “In this time of uncertainty, we wanted to create a resource that would help connect and support to fight against isolation and despair.  There is no time more urgent than now to think about how we can nurture a spirit of shared responsibility, co-creation, and hope.”

Levity

As we pivot, juggle, and revise our semesters, sometimes a bit of humor or a puzzle can be diverting. To that end, each Faculty Affairs Newsletter will feature a puzzle and/or some light entertainment.

Do you have anything fun or funny that you would like to share? Please let Alexis Petri know your recommendations. Levity is important during times like these. 

Zotero

Zotero is a free, easy-to-use tool to help you collect, organize, cite, and share research. Top five good things about Zotero

  1. It is a nonprofit
  2. The free version doesn’t have ads and is reliable and usable
  3. It supports sharing articles and citations with colleagues without having to set up a Box folder
  4. It works online and can be installed on computers without Admin approval. References are where I need them when I need them. 
  5. It might be magic in its ability to detect metadata in pdf files. 

Faculty Writing Initiative

Facilitated by Dr. Jane Greer and Dr. Antonio Byrd, the Faculty Writing Initiative offers weekly structured writing time. The goal is for faculty to make substantial progress on writing projects – and ideally feel free of writing-guilt going into the weekend. 

Next for the Faculty Writing Initiative is the Summer Writing Bootcamp for Faculty. Faculty across all ranks are encouraged to apply. If you’re interested in participating in the Summer Writing Bootcamp for Faculty, complete an online application by April 10, 2020.  Applicants will be selected to ensure that the Bootcamp serves writers from all disciplines and across all ranks in university. [Read more]

Undergrad You

As the saying goes, the more things change, the more things stay the same. We thought it would be helpful to undergraduates to know a bit more about their faculty as undergraduates. We recognize that faculty are a significant resource for undergraduate students. Sometimes faculty-student mentorships happen naturally and sometimes they could use a boost. That is how Undergrad You began – where it goes from here is up to you. Please take a few minutes, stroll down memory lane, and let students know what college was like for you. This fun survey can be completed in as little as 5 minutes, or, reasonably, about 15 minutes. 

Welcome

Welcome to the first issue of the Faculty Affairs Newsletter (working title), which we will send each mid-month. While we realize this is an unusual time to launch a newsletter, we have been planning to launch it since before the novel coronavirus situation. Instead of waiting to begin, the Faculty Affairs team thought now was a good time to launch because we could all use a bit of a break. We hope FAN is a place to celebrate UMKC’s faculty and share accomplishments, opportunities for engagement, and explore challenges. Please email Alexis Petri with feedback and ideas for future issues. 

Even if the newsletter is caught in your inbox until spring break, the news will still be timely and relevant. Take a break with us and enjoy FAN v.1.1

-The Faculty Affairs Team