October 2, 2024 - Forward Momentum

Dear Colleagues,

On Wright Day to Give, I encourage you to support the area of campus that is most meaningful to you. Whether it’s academics or athletics, student scholarships or student success initiatives, every gift makes a difference in the life of a Wright State student. Last year, nearly 1,100 donors’ gifts contributed over $185,000 for scholarships and programs.

This year, our goal is to surpass last year’s number of donors, and you are encouraged to give in a variety of ways. More information about Wright Day to Give is included below.

Additionally, as we are well into the fall semester, I would like to remind you about next week’s World Mental Health Day on Thursday, October 10. Please plan to join your peers and colleagues as your schedule allows. I want to thank the Health and Wellness Task Force for its contributions; your work has been tremendous.

Midterm Grading Now Open

Midterm grade reporting is now open for all full-semester fall classes. A, B, and X term classes are not included in midterm grade reporting. Midterm grade reporting is required by all undergraduate-level classes, with some exceptions.

Midterm grades are due by noon on Wednesday, October 16. Detailed instructions for posting grades can be found on the Registrar’s website.

Faculty reporting grades in WINGS Express (and not via Pilot) only need to enter the midterm grade and can ignore the “Last Attend Date” and “Attend Hours” fields.

Faculty teaching graduate courses are encouraged to submit midterm grades but are not required to do so.

Grades of Incomplete (I) should only be issued at the end of a term if requested by a student for documented extenuating circumstances that prevented completion of the final part of the course.

For technical questions regarding reporting grades (such as reporting from Pilot), contact the CaTS Help Desk at helpdesk@wright.edu or 937-775-4827.

For additional grading questions, please contact the Office of the Registrar at 937-775-5200 or wsu-registrar@wright.edu.

Wright Day to Give

Today, you can be a champion for Wright Day to Give by sharing our mission on your social media platforms and by making a gift. The college with the highest number of alumni donors will earn a $5,000 bonus to their priority funds. There will be multiple opportunities to receive donor incentives, help unlock more gifts and matches, and encourage first-time donors to give.

Wright Day to Give is a great time for all of us to come together and show our support for our amazing students!

Learn more and give today.

Events

The Campus AI Brown Bag Series: Generative AI and Student Success will take place on Friday, Oct. 4, at 12:20 p.m., in 020 Rike Hall. This first in a series of campus brown bags will address the growing promise of AI to benefit students, faculty, and staff in higher education.

Cogan Shimizu, Ph.D., and Michael Raymer Ph.D., faculty in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, will provide a brief introduction to how contemporary generative AI works, how it can help students overcome “blank page fright” and conduct efficient searches, and address the need to foster critical thinking skills and avoid common pitfalls. Learn more.

Raider Open House

The Dayton Campus is hosting a Raider Open House for future students on October 19. I encourage you to invite prospective students and their families to register, attend, and learn why it’s a great time to be a Raider!

Raider Open House takes place Saturday, October 19, starting at 9:30 a.m. in the Student Union.

Center for Faculty Excellence

1. The Center for Faculty Excellence is pleased to bring weekly tips to your inbox every Monday morning through Monday Morning Mentors. These are quick video presentations with additional materials provided. The presentation and supplemental material for “How Can I Recover Student Engagement Mid-Semester?” are available through October 6. To access the presentation, use “recover325” as the password.
    
2. Closing the Loop on Program Assessment: The greatest benefit from program assessment comes from closing the loop on the assessment cycle. In this workshop, participants will recognize the importance of discussing assessment results in their department and articulate questions that could be asked of assessment data that lead to data-informed changes and greater student success.
   
   Wednesday, October 9, 9:05-10:00 a.m., in-person
   Monday, October 14, 3:35-4:30 p.m., virtual (Webex link will be sent upon registration)
   Tuesday, October 15, 2:00-2:55 p.m., in-person
   
   Register
    
3. Closing the Loop on Course Assessment: At the beginning of the term, assessment plans were created for each course. Now that the term is wrapping up, it is time to collect, report, and analyze the data. This workshop will walk through these processes to close the loop on course assessment for the term. Participants will learn how to report and/or collect data in the Planning and Self-Study system, receive tips on analyzing assessment results, and identify data-informed opportunities to improve student success.
   
   Tuesday, November 26, 2:30-3:25 p.m., in-person
   Friday, December 6, 11:15 a.m.-12:10 p.m., virtual (Webex link will be sent upon registration)
   Thursday, December 12, 12:30-1:25 p.m., in-person
   
   Register

Research and Sponsored Programs Training Opportunities

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs is offering Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training on:

Fall semester: October 9, 16, 23, and 30, at 1:00 p.m. in 158 University Hall
Spring semester: January 31, February 7, 14, and 21, time and location TBD

Learn more.

The 50-minute sessions address core areas of Responsible Conduct of Research and discuss the structure of the program. Grant contracts may require researcher participation in Responsible Conduct of Research programs.

Contractual RCR Requirements: Faculty, staff, students, and external collaborators whose research is supported by NSF or NIH must periodically participate in the RCR forums and program. This includes anyone who can influence the results and validity of your research. The RCR program requires participation in four forum sessions at four-year intervals.

Although only required for NSF- or NIH-funded research, anyone is welcome to attend.

When a Student Needs Support

As we enter the sixth week of the semester, students may already be struggling. Wright.edu/help is a great resource for helping students or making referrals. This site contains contact information for emergency or essential departments that can assist your students all in one location.

I hope you all have a wonderful week! You are appreciated!

Amy Thompson, Ph.D.
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs