Updates from the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Greetings UM-Flint Colleagues,
I am pleased to share with you some highlights from the VPAA office:
• I am thrilled to share that the Critical Issues planning committee is advancing steadily towards our plans for the Critical Issues conference, Generative AI in Education, which will take place on March 7, 2024. Our comprehensive program will showcase the remarkable talent and insights from both our UM-Flint community and wider circles within the state of Michigan. We are fortunate to be hosting an internationally renowned keynote speaker, Punya Mishra, who will explore the playful and transformative influence of GAI on educational practices.
• Drawing from my professional background in educational psychology, I have been intently focusing on strategies to enhance student support from both an academic and psychological perspective. Our Why I Belong @ UM-Flint initiative has gained momentum and we have received 283 survey responses thus far. I have enlisted the support of three UROP student researchers to assist with follow-up focus groups and data analysis. We are looking forward to sharing our findings in the upcoming months. Additionally, Laura McLeman, David Luke, and I have shared some criteria for fostering student inclusivity and engagement in course syllabi. We have developed these criteria based on our own research about best practices, consultation with UM-Flint students in a focus group, and in connection with HLC requirements. This document has been shared with faculty and we hope it will be a useful resource.
• Under Rajib Ganguly’s leadership, an interdisciplinary team of academic advisors and University Curriculum Committee members are participating in the iGEPA institute. Our overarching goal is to develop a creative and impactful framework for our learning and teaching efforts related to general education. Our participation in the institute’s workshops and mentorship process will culminate in campus-wide stakeholder consultation and will help us chart a strategic course for our work in general education. I have personally learned a lot in the process thus far and have benefited greatly from the insights and perspectives of my fellow team members.
• We are getting closer to solidifying a new process for program approval at UM-Flint. This proposed process is aimed at developing a comprehensive yet streamlined process for program approval. It is my hope that this process will provide more front-end support and consultation for academic units and will address the challenges articulated by key university offices and faculty committees who are routinely involved in the vetting and support of new programs. This proposed process has been reviewed by the Academic Assessment Committee and University Curriculum Committee and will be reviewed by the Faculty Senate Council soon.
• I am currently working on the plans for a virtual research mixer with the University of Greifswald in Germany. This research networking opportunity will involve research areas from all five of our academic units. My collaborator Dr. Dorte Hartmann (Pro Rector, University of Greifswald) and I are eager to explore ways that we can connect researchers from both our institutions to each other where a meaningful fit may exist. More information to follow!
• Last, but certainly not least, I hosted our first VPAA retreat this past Friday (February 9). Our area includes faculty and staff in my office, the TCLT, Honors Program, Center for Global Engagement, International and Global Studies, and General Education Program. Thirteen of us met and started the process of developing a collective vision and delineating our shared values and priorities, an exercise that proved to be immensely useful. Stay tuned for more collaborative initiatives within our area in the upcoming months! I feel very privileged to work with this creative and dynamic group of individuals.
As always, I value your ideas and input. Please do not hesitate to connect with me. I would love to hear from you.
Sincerely, Sapna
Sapna V. Thwaite, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs