[Mathemeritus] Update and 2020-2021 committee assignments

[Yat Sun 潘日新 Poon]

Dear Colleagues, 

It has been a month since our last faculty meeting. I am writing to update you on departmental matters. It is a long message. But I spare you a meeting. 

A. Personnel. 
(1) All M&P in 2019-2020 cases are now settled. It is time to prepare for the new cycle. Please update your e file soon. 

(2) My appointment as chair and Amir’s appointment as vice-chair are pending campus final approval. If we are approved, your committee assignments will be as attached, for now. 

(3) We have a VAP search committee pending campus approval. 

(4) We have a “Organization Committee for Faculty Online Teaching Workshop” this year. 
Dr. Kevin Costello has graciously agreed to chair this committee. This workshop is intended to help the faculty to identify various ways to deal with online teaching.  
This workshop will take place in mid-September. 

(5) I am also putting together a Committee of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Its role is (a) to sustain our “Exploring Equity in Mathematics” week sequence; (b) to serve an information hub and connection hub to facilitate faculty and students’ participation in regional or national activities in promoting diversity; and (c) to serve as a support group for faulty and students. Dr. Estela Gavosto has agreed to chair this committee. Drs. John Baez, Matthew Durham and Patricio Gallardo have agreed to serve on this committee. 

(6) I have created a TA Professional Support Group. Members of this group, together with those involved in TA management and advising, will take turn to meet with TAs weekly regarding their issues, needs, and professionalism. For those who have been around for more than five years, this weekly meeting replaces the old Math 302, as the new Math 302 has changed, due to union grievance, into an academic seminar for first year students since 2017. Dr. David Weisbart has agreed to organize these meetings. 

(7) To increase our capacity in supporting faculty and graduate students,  we have signed up our department as an institutional member of National Association of Mathematics effective July 1, 2020 (I thank Fred for this idea). Some of you may recall that Dr. Edray Goins was immediate past president of NAM. He gave an opening lecture in the open lecture of inaugural “Diversity and Excellence Workshop” in fall 2018, and co-organized the same with us in 2019. Our institutional membership is a natural extension of this partnership. Therefore, our department is now an institutional member of MSRI, AMS, MAA, AWM, Math Alliance, and NAM. Please encourage your students and associates to participate in their activities. 

B. Support to Graduate Students
(1) We are in negotiation with the Dean’s office to reduce the TA budget cut (initially at 10%) to 0%-1%. 

(2) We offer support to every graduate student’s membership fees in SACNAS and NAM effective 2020-2021 in spite of a looming budget cut. 

C. Teaching
As far as I could tell by talking with decision makers, or those who are close to decision makers on campus, I understand the following. 

Some of you may want me to speculate on the default mode of instruction in winter, please be reminded that you the campus at one point promise us that it will tell us its decision three months in advance. So, you should have an answer when the fall quarter starts. 

D. Working on campus, and supplies while off campus
Please follow past instruction regarding your request for opportunity to work in person on campus. Of course, if you are working off campus, at home or out of the country, there is no need to file any report. 

If you work at home in the US and need supplies, please email Joyce and cc Melissa to make your request. They could arrange online order mailed to your home address. 
As the workload is high, please avoid piecemeal orders. 

Have a nice and cool summer evening. 

Best Regards,
Yat Sun Poon
Professor and Chair
Department of Mathematics
University of California at Riverside




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