This Week in LANG 10/16/2024
In this Edition: **Chair Office Hours this week: W 12:45-2:00 pm (Zoom), R 1:30-3:30pm (Zoom), Workload Policy, SEACS CFP, Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Highlighting two of our students and a faculty member**
Dear colleagues,
Welcome to this short week. I hope you had a wonderful Fall Break and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Thank you all for your input for the Workload policy. The CAPC will continue to work on it and share a final draft with you before voting on it and sending it as a seconded motion to the consent calendar for our next department meeting. We will also begin working on updating our Annual Evaluation Guidelines.
I would like to encourage all of you to continue to submit material for this weekly newsletter to This Week in LANG and our Scholarly Activities and Professional Development forms. Please share your activities so that I can celebrate them.
Dates and Events this Week
Thursday, October 17
- Last day to withdraw from course(s)
- Cultural Panel, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm, Career Center
Friday, October 18
- 4:00-5:00 pm, Denny 200, Meet-Up With Dean Boyer for NTT faculty members
Looking Ahead Dates and Events Fall 2024
October 25
- End of Open Enrollment for Aetna, Information and what to do
- NTT Reappointment and Promotion Workshop, 3:00-4:30 pm, email Syreeta Taylor
November 1
- Department Meeting
- Dean’s First Friday at Armored Cow Brewing
November 11
- Veteran’s Day, no classes
November 14
- Personally Speaking: Personally Speaking: “Immigration and Mass Incarceration: Another American Tradition”, 4:00 to 6:30 pm, J. Murrey Atkins Library, Halton Room; Learn More; Registration link to come.
November 18
- Deadline to submit proposals for SEACS: SEACS 2025 Paper and Panel Proposal Form
November 18-22
- International Education Week, submit proposals: via OIP website
November 22
- Tentative Department Meeting
November 25
- Nominations due for the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence (tenured faculty) and the UNC Charlotte Award for Teaching Excellence (non-tenure track faculty) Complete the online nomination form
November 27-28
- Thanksgiving Break
December 4
- Last Day of classes
December 5
- Reading Day, Department Meeting, End of Semester Party and Retirement Celebration for Carol
December 13
- Commencement
December 16
- Grades due
Congratulations
Congratulations to Chris Mellinger for the publication of his edited volume The Routledge Handbook of Interpreting and Cognition published by Routledge, which includes a chapter he wrote with Pawel Korpal “Interpreting and Individual Differences” as well as the introduction “Interpreting and Cognition: An Introduction.” You may remember that Pawel was a Visiting Scholar from Poland in the department several years ago. Chris also published the peer-reviewed article “Psychometric properties of survey translations: A simulation study in Translation” in Cognition & Behavior, as well as two book chapters: “Institutional data in language industry studies: Questions of access, confidentiality, and epistemology” in Critical Approaches to Institutional Translation and Interpreting: Challenging Epistemologies, ed. by Esther Monzó-Nebot and María Lomeña-Galiano and “Translation and interpreting process research” in The Routledge Handbook of the History of Translation Studies, ed. by Anne Lange, Daniele Monticelli, and Christopher Rundle, as well as one book review and a preface.
Important Information for Faculty and Staff
Workload Policies
Please find here the approved CHESS Draft Workload policy. For reference, please see here the current LANG Workload Policy. Here is the Draft LANG Workload policy.
Workload Policy Timeline
October CAPC works with feedback
November 1 Department Meeting Final Vote on Workload Policy
Upcoming Events
Flu Shot
Flu Clinic Thursday: Student health is offering flu vaccines for students, faculty and staff throughout October. The next flu clinic is from 10 am to 3 pm, Thursday, Oct. 17, in the Barnhardt Student Activity Center. Sign up on the student health website.
SEACS 2025
Use this form to submit a paper or panel proposal: SEACS 2025 Paper and Panel Proposal Form. For more information, visit theseacs.org or email SEACS2019@gmail.com. I encourage everyone to submit a proposal and also to work with graduate and advanced undergraduate students to submit a proposal.
NTT Faculty Promotion and Reappointment Workshops
The College will be offering a Zoom workshop on NTT Promotion and Reappointment, on Friday, October 25 (3:00-4:30 pm). If you would like to attend this session, please email Syreeta Taylor to receive the invitation.
Meet-Up With Dean Boyer
Dean Boyer would like to welcome all non-tenure track faculty to meet with him on October 18th from 4:00-5:00 pm in Denny 200. Please register for the event by filling out this Google Form.
The Free Expression & Constructive Dialogue Grants
The Free Expression & Constructive Dialogue Task Force is offering five $1,000 mini-grants for the 2024-2025 academic year. These funds are to be used by faculty to help promote free expression, constructive dialogue, and viewpoint diversity on campus. These funds could be used for items such as conference travel, classes/training, or other projects. All funds must be spent in accordance with University fiscal and procurement policies. Deadline to apply is Friday, November 1. Apply here. Summary Report due to FECD: August 15, 2025.
Award Nomination Deadlines
| Bonnie E. Cone Professorship in Civic Engagement | October 25, 2024 |
| Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award | November 1, 2024 |
| First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal | November 8, 2024 |
| Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence | November 21, 2024 |
| UNC Charlotte Award for Teaching Excellence | November 21, 2024 |
| Bonnie E. Cone Early-Career Professorship in Teaching | January 31, 2025 |
| Provost’s Award for Excellence in Student Success | January 31, 2025 |
Hispanic Heritage Month: Celebrating our Students and Faculty
Two of our students, Graciela Olivo Díaz and Gabriella Craan, as well as our own Paloma Fernández Sánchez were featured for Hispanic Heritage Month in Niner Insider.
Graciela Y. Olivo Díaz: First-Generation Trailblazer
Graciela Y. Olivo Díaz ’24, a first-generation Mexican American born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, has continuously defied expectations. After earning her bachelor’s degree in Spanish and certificates in business-Spanish and translation and interpretation studies, she is now pursuing a master’s degree. Her future goal is to make an impact in the fields of legal and medical interpretation, helping those who may face language barriers in critical situations.
“I’m proud to be the first in my family to earn a bachelor’s degree and pursue a master’s degree,” said Díaz. “It’s not always easy, but my parents’ sacrifices drive me to keep pushing forward.”
Gabriella Craan: Advocating for Healthcare Access
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Gaby Craan has overcome many challenges as a first-generation student. After initially pursuing chemistry and taking a break for esthetician school, she returned to complete a degree in Spanish and health systems management. Passionate about advocating for health care access in the Hispanic community, Craan operates her own beauty business while working part-time at Atrium Health.
“Working at Atrium Health has allowed me to advocate for Hispanics and Latinos, and I hope to keep doing that in my future career in health care,” said Caan.
Paloma Fernández Sánchez: Empowering the Next Generation
Paloma Fernández Sánchez, originally from Spain, advocates for Latinx and Hispanic students at UNC Charlotte. With over 12 years of teaching experience, she mentors students through her work as a teaching professor and undergraduate language advisor in the Spanish program, encouraging them to embrace their heritage.
“I encourage students to embrace their multilingual identities, take pride in their language abilities and celebrate their heritage,” said Fernández Sánchez.
Learn more about Fernández Sánchez.
Thank you for all you do.
All the best,
Anabel