With classes behind us, we’ve entered the endgame for Fall 2020. As extraordinary and, yes, exhausting as this semester has sometimes been, we should all be proud of having maneuvered the pandemic into at least a draw heading into the break. Indeed, with vaccines imminent, we appear to be entering a much more decisive endgame with COVID itself. The pandemic may sometimes seem like some implacable Soviet Grandmaster to the plucky Beth Harmon that is KPU; but if you’ve seen The Queen’s Gambit, autumn’s Netflix sensation, then you know how it all turns out…
The Queen Sacrifice: We are sad to share that Administrative Coordinator Jill Cowan is leaving Arts to return to her former position in Scheduling. We were delighted to have Jill on our team for the past year-and-a-half, as her ebullience, work ethic, and –most importantly! – love of Jeopardy are second to none. Best of luck on this next stage of your journey, Jill.
Bughouse!! Arts held its annual Holiday Social today, on (where else?) Teams. It was one for the ages, with a Jeopardy tournament and a surprise appearance by a certain jolly old elf who bore a puzzling resemblance to Wade Deisman. Santa was checkmated, however, by Gordon Cobb’s uplifting rendition of this timeless holiday classic. Like the 1999 match between Garry Kasparov and Veselin Topalov, it is essential viewing.
The Knight’s Gambit: This is the award you’re looking for! The President’s Diversity and Equity Committee is introducing a new, university- wide award: the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Award. Nominations close on January 18 (Martin Luther King Day). See here for more information on the JEDI Award.
Brilliancy Prize: As announced yesterday (which was International Human Rights Day, as well as the start of Hanukkah), the Faculty of Arts Dean’s Office is now accepting nominations for the first Faculty of Arts Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Awards. Two annual awards will be presented to an individual and group/team (inclusive of faculty, students, staff, and alumni) in recognition of their outstanding efforts in supporting and promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion within the Faculty of Arts and/or the broader community. Please consult the awards webpage here for definitions of the terms equity, diversity, and inclusion that are associated with these awards. The deadline for nominations is January 31.
Scholar’s Mate: Given pandemic conditions, it won’t be surprising to see an uptick in the number of requests for “Incomplete Grade” contracts. We continue to encourage a flexible and compassionate approach to students during this period and will support “I-contracts” where you deem them warranted. Here is the link to the Incomplete Grade contract. Completed forms should be submitted to arts@kpu.ca
Students who are struggling may also be considered for a Request for Course Withdrawal Under Extenuating Circumstances.
For those wondering about assigning AEG, this was allowed by special approval by Senate for non-normal use for Spring 2020 only. AEG is normally only used in extraordinary circumstances. At many institutions this designation is separate from the grading policy and is described as Aegrotat Standing, which implies that the student was incapacitated due to illness (often deceased), unable to complete their full suite of courses and generally unable to return in subsequent terms.
Fianchetto: KPU Connects invites you to help connect students with alumni for career conversations through its new online mentoring and networking platform (“powered” by Ten Thousand Coffees). This will encourage students to build the relationships necessary to career success, as each month they are introduced to an alum or industry partner to ask questions, hone their skills, and expand their network. Please see the attached program summary, and reach out to nancy.armitage@kpu.ca of KPU Alumni Association with any questions.
Clock move: Another reminder here that the standard “three working days” grade submission deadline has been adjusted for the Fall 2020 term. If your class did not have a final exam or assessment scheduled during the exam period, grades are due on or before December 17th. If your class has a final exam or assessment scheduled during the exam period, all grades are due on or before December 21 (this is the final grade submission deadline for the term). Please contact Arts@kpu.ca if you anticipate problems with putting your grading in “check” by the deadline.
Strategic Crush: As you consider strategy and tactics for Spring 2021 – i.e., course design and class planning – we thought it might be helpful to recirculate these findings from KPU’s Remote Learning Student Survey from the summer. Although the context is now somewhat different, it still contains useful insight into what students find helpful in the online environment, and what they wish to see more of…
Happy Hanukkah to all those who observe the “festival of lights”…and we wish everyone a restful weekend worthy of pedagogical Grandmasters!
All our best,
Diane, Wade, Shelley, and Greg
Comments by Greg Millard