Around Campus

Around Campus

A big thank you to all of the students, faculty and staff who contributed to the Northern Indiana Food Bank competition hosted by the Specialized Masters Programs. A grand total of 798 pounds of food was collected in less than two weeks. The winner of the competition was the MNA program collecting 263 pounds of food and winning a Chik Fil A lunch ! MSA collected 232 pounds, MSBA had 196 and MSM had 101 pounds. Every little bit helps to feed the hungry in our community. Thanks for the great response! 
On May 18th the Specialized Masters Program will host another opportunity to help the community. There will be what used to be referred to as an "Old to Gold" event where students, faculty and staff can drop off items, large and small, that are no longer needed and they will be donated to Goodwill. A truck will come to the Notre Dame Bookstore lawn area by the basketball courts at 3 PM to load up all of the items. We will also have a box for the Northern Indiana Food Bank so that students cleaning out their pantries can contribute food they won't be using. All are welcome to drop off donations from 1-3 PM.

Recently ND Works Weekly featured a Q&A with Mendoza alum Mike Brown '01, regional director of athletics advancement. Brown made his mark in the late 1990s as a Notre Dame leprechaun — the first Black leprechaun at the University. Recently Brown offered a FaithND Gospel Reflection in the context of Black History Month and as a member of the Notre Dame family. Read more at ND Works Weekly.

Fellowship Deadline Reminder & NDIAS Picnic
Reminder that the deadline to submit an application for a 2021-2022 Faculty Fellowship on resilience is Monday, October 5, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. (EST). For more information and to apply, please visit ndias.nd.edu/apply.

Are you interested in an NDIAS Fellowship? Do you know someone who would be a good fit for next year's resilience program? Do you want to learn more about NDIAS or have programming ideas to share? Send us a message at ndias@nd.edu! Or join director Meghan Sullivan, and Fellows on Tuesday, September 29 any time between 12-1 p.m. for an informal, socially distanced picnic on the library lawn. Bring your lunch, a chair or blanket, and look for the NDIAS.
September 28, 2020
Bridging the Divide Event Series
A new University of Notre Dame virtual event series will aim to promote understanding and civil dialogue ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election.

Called Bridging the Divide, the series will take the form of weekly, one-hour interviews between a moderator and two to three panelists.

The first event in the series is scheduled for 7 p.m. Sept. 30 (Wednesday) and is titled “Beyond Good Manners: Promoting Civil Discussion on Issues that Divide Us.” Experts from Notre Dame and Vanderbilt University in the areas of writing and rhetoric, cognition and cognitive neuroscience, and network science and machine learning will discuss the pervasiveness of false information in our current environment, how to protect oneself against it, and the importance of truthfulness and fact-based arguments in civil discourse.

The full schedule for the six-part series is as follows:

“Beyond Good Manners: Promoting Civil Discussion on Issues that Divide Us”
  • Live: Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m. EDT
  • Rebroadcast: Thursday, Oct. 1, at 11 a.m. EDT
“Political Polarization in America”
  • Live: Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m. EDT
  • Rebroadcast: Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 11 a.m. EDT
“Exploring Racial and Social Injustice and Inequality in America”
  • Live: Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. EDT
  • Rebroadcast: Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 11 a.m. EDT
“The 19th Amendment and the Myth that All Women Vote the Same”
  • Live: Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. EDT
  • Rebroadcast: Thursday, Oct. 22, at 11 a.m. EDT
“Civil Dialogue and Free Expression on College Campuses”
  • Live: Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. EDT
  • Rebroadcast: Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 11 a.m. EDT
“Reclaiming the Middle: Building Consensus in Government”
  • Live and Rebroadcast: TBD
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost in partnership with the Klau Center for Civil and Human Rights and the Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy, Bridging the Divide is free and open to all members of the Notre Dame community as well as the public.

The series will be broadcast through the Notre Dame Alumni Association website ThinkND. Advance registration is required at think.nd.edu/registration-bridging-the-divide.
September 28, 2020
THRIVE! Lunch Pairings
The Thrive! Ambassadors will offer another round of Thrive! Lunch Pairings in October. Simply sign up by Friday, Oct. 2, and Thrive! will randomly pair you with a lunch partner from another division. Given the current circumstances, you and your lunch partner may choose to schedule your meeting via web conference. Please contact Jessica Schiller at jschill2@nd.edu or 631-7923 for more information.
September 28, 2020
Here Come the Irish Football Show

Notre Dame Development debuted its "Here Come the Irish Football Show" for donors last Thursday. The show airs at 12:11 PM ET because, Development's Jim Small writes, we've "won 11 national titles and we're going after #12 this season!" You can watch the first episode here.

September 14, 2020
Virtual Faculty Town Hall
On August 31, 2020, Provost Marie Lynn Miranda joined Pat Flynn, chair of the Department Chair Advisory Group, and Tom Stober, chair of the Faculty Senate, for a virtual faculty town hall. You can view the video here. (You will be asked to log in)

For those who can't spare 90 minutes, the following segments might be of interest:

17:00 – Has there been any classroom transmission?

21:15 – How PCR testing works

01:02:10 – How should faculty handle student protests?

01:07:55 – Concerns about student mental health

01:13:00 -- Student activities (watch thru 1:14:45 – serious four square -- "we'll take you out")
September 7, 2020
Staff Prayer Line

Fr. Jim Bracke, C.S.C., Staff Chaplain, has initiated a prayer line to support staff working on and off-campus. With COVID-19 and a society looking at racial justice, many are uncertain, fearful, and anxious. Prayer can be a path to finding peace, courage, and strength. All prayer requests are confidential and only accessible to Fr. Jim. Submit your prayer requests here.

August 31, 2020
Laetare Medal Nominations
Each year at this time, the Laetare Medal Committee convenes to propose recommendations for the President's consideration. In my role as Vice President for Mission Engagement and Church Affairs, and on behalf of the Laetare Committee, I invite you to submit recommendations for this prestigious award. You may do so by visiting the 2021 Laetare Medal nomination website.
 
Established in 1883 by Rev. Edward Sorin, C.S.C., the Laetare Medal has been awarded annually at Notre Dame to a Catholic “whose genius has ennobled the arts and sciences, illustrated the ideals of the Church and enriched the heritage of humanity.” In awarding it, the University strives to recognize the diversity of fields in which United States Catholics make contributions to society and the diversity of the United States Catholic community itself.
 
The recipient of the Laetare Medal will be a citizen of the United States whose Catholic faith deeply informs his or her life and actions. The Medalist will also have made significant contributions to society through sustained and illustrious accomplishments within his or her chosen field. Previous recipients of the Laetare Medal include novelist Walker Percy, jazz composer Dave Brubeck, Franciscan scholar Sr. Thea Bowman, actor Martin Sheen, labor activist George G. Higgins, Catholic Worker foundress Dorothy Day, and President John F. Kennedy. If you would like to learn more about the Laetare Medal or view past recipients, please visit laetare.nd.edu. 
 
With all of this in mind, any names you wish to submit for consideration will be very much appreciated. You may do so using the nomination form provided above, also available at laetare.nd.edu/nominations. The deadline for submission of names is Monday, September 7, 2020 at 5:00 PM EST. 
August 24, 2020
With a Side of Knowledge

Notre Dame’s new provost, Marie Lynn Miranda appeared on With a Side of Knowledge, a weekly podcast hosted by Ted Fox. Like so many here and elsewhere, a lot of Marie Lynn’s time these days continues to be devoted to how to best meet these challenges presented by COVID-19. But as she noted in the course of the podcast, she doesn’t want the demands of the moment to keep Notre Dame from also attending to its broader mission as a university. Listen to the podcast here.

August 17, 2020
University Travel Policy
Dear Faculty and Exempt Staff:

As the semester begins, it is important for you to review and understand the University’s travel policy for fall 2020. To safeguard the health of the entire Notre Dame community, travel to and from campus is strictly limited.

All University-related travel must be pre-approved by a dean or vice president, and requests for such travel should include an explanation of why the travel is essential, the dates, destinations, transportation plans and lodging involved in the trip, as well as the steps that will be taken to maximize physical distancing and to adhere to CDC guidelines and local health recommendations.  

All approved travel must be booked through either TravelND or Anthony Travel. The University will not pay for or reimburse University-related travel that does not comply with these procedures. 

Before returning to campus after approved travel, all faculty and staff are required to contact the Wellness Center and all students must contact University Health Services to determine whether any measures may be required to help safeguard our campus community. If you have any questions, please contact the Procurement Services Help Desk at (574) 631-4289.

Yours in Notre Dame,
Procurement Services
August 10, 2020
‘The Domer Dozen’
The Notre Dame Alumni Association is seeking nominations for the 2020 list of the “Domer Dozen,” which recognizes 12 outstanding graduates ages 32 and younger for their significant contributions and achievements in faith, service, learning and work — four areas in which the association seeks to help alumni thrive.

NDAA accepting nominations for the 2020 list through August 31. Nominations can be made by peers, faculty members, employers, family or others who know the nominee well. For more information, view the press release. To enter a nomination, submit this form. See the inaugural 2019 list here. 
August 10, 2020
Pre-Matric Covid Test Results

As part of the University's health and safety protocols, all undergraduate and graduate students are required to undergo pre-matriculation testing before they can return to campus. Of the 11,682 tests distributed, 5,699 tests have been completed, and the positivity rate is just 0.2%.

The pre-matriculation testing is part of the University's active surveillance testing program. All residential students must be tested, and those who do not complete the test before arriving on campus will be immediately directed to the testing center.

Find out more about the tests at HERE.nd.edu.   

August 3, 2020
University Town Hall
Thank you to those who were able to watch the virtual Town Hall live online. For those who were unable to "attend", a recording of the meeting is available here. 
August 3, 2020
Getting to Know the New Provost

Marie Lynn Miranda talks about becoming provost in the midst of a pandemic, her vision for the University, her research and her fascination with bees in this wide-ranging chat.

July 27, 2020