To Faculty Teaching Graduate Students in Fall 2024:
I hope everyone has had an enjoyable summer. We are excited to welcome our new graduate students to Case Western Reserve University as they begin the next phase of their academic careers. We also recognize the ongoing research and scholarship of our continuing graduate students and wish them a productive academic year.
I am also excited to welcome Marvin Nieman as the vice provost and dean of graduate studies, effective July 15. Marvin brings innovation and excitement to graduate education. His office will invigorate our recruitment efforts to bring top-notch graduate students to launch their careers and support the research mission of the university.
Marvin is looking forward to engaging with students, faculty and program leaders throughout the year.
As you prepare for the first day of classes on August 26, I encourage you to take the following actions:
- Check the Fall Semester Academic Calendar, and take note of important dates, deadlines and university holidays/closures as you plan assignments and exams during the semester. For deadlines related to half-semester or dynamically dated courses, please refer to the University Registrar’s website. Refer to the School of Graduate Studies calendar for deadlines related to graduation requirements.
- Visit the School of Graduate Studies website for resources, policies, and training information relevant to teaching and advising graduate students.
- Review the guidance on course syllabi that includes preferred language about disability accommodations and academic integrity. In addition, instructors’ attendance policies should be clearly described in the syllabus and applied uniformly across students
- Consider AI policies in course syllabi as recommended by the AI Task Force. We respect our faculty's academic freedom to teach their classes as they see fit. This list of sample texts is a resource that you may consider using for your syllabi as you finalize preparation for the fall semester. We recommend that you be clear about the allowed usage of AI and AI tools in your courses.
- Explore resources to enhance civility and connection. Last spring, the Civil Discourse Advisory Group identified 10 skills to enhance civil discourse on our campus. These skills have provided a framework for a multitude of programming occurring on campus this fall. I hope they are a useful resource for you and that you will encourage your students to attend one of the many events and programs designed to enhance civility and connection on our campus.
I hope you have a wonderful semester. I am so grateful for all you do to educate our graduate students. I look forward to hearing about your successes this semester.
Sincerely,
Joy K. Ward
Provost and Executive Vice President