The message below was shared with undergraduate and graduate students in this week’s MFECOE Connection. The College is sharing this message in the hope that you can amplify these processes if a student expresses a concern to you.
What to do when you have an academic concern
The University is a large place with a complicated structure, and it can be difficult to know where to go when you have an academic concern. Generally, you want to follow what is known as the “chain of command.” The basic idea of chain of command is that you first take your concern to the person who is closest to the situation and give them an opportunity to address it. If you are not able to arrive at a satisfactory resolution, you then take your concern to the next level of administration and continue this process until the matter is resolved. This structure helps to ensure that issues are addressed in a timely and effective manner. By understanding this structure, you can more effectively advocate for your needs and engage with the administration of the University.
For example, if you have a concern about a class, you should first go to the instructor to share your concern and give them a chance to work with you to address your concern. If your concern is with your advisor, you should go to your advisor and share your concern. While it may be tempting to skip this step and go to the next level, it is important to start with the person who has the best chance of fixing whatever is wrong. When an administrator receives a complaint, they will typically ask you if you have followed the chain of command, and they usually will also reach out to the person just below them on the chain of command to find out what happened at that level. So, skipping a level in the chain of command is less efficient. The instructor or advisor may not even know you have a concern (even if you think you have conveyed it to them). It is also a courtesy to the instructor or advisor to allow them the chance to address the issue before you go to their supervisor. Think about your own work experience–you would want to know about a problem and have a chance to make it right before someone tells your supervisor.
In the instructor scenario, if your concern is not resolved by speaking with the instructor, you would move to the program coordinator or graduate coordinator in the department and then to the department head. If your concern is still unresolved, you would take it to an associate dean and then the dean and ultimately out of the College if necessary. In the advisor scenario above, you would move from the advisor to one of the co-directors of undergraduate advising to the senior associate dean for academic programs to the dean and then out of the College.
The structure of the College and University are not always transparent, so if you are unsure where to take your concern next, please consult our website to see where your course or program is located. Exceptions to the chain of command include situations that violate the University’s Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy or the Sexual Misconduct Policy. Concerns of this nature should be reported directly and immediately to the Equal Opportunity Office.
- Proposal deadline: Friday, Nov. 20
Faculty are invited to submit proposals for the spring 2027 semester to work with the Clarke County School District/Mary Frances Early College of Education Professional Development School Partnership.
Guidance for proposals can be found in the call for proposals document. Notification of projects approved for spring 2027 will be made prior to the end of the semester.
As part of the development of our new strategic plan, we are updating our mission and vision, and we need your input via this survey.
This is the same survey that was distributed prior to the fall meeting in August, so if you completed it then, you do not need to complete it again. We are sharing the link again in an effort to broaden participation. Your responses will help us define the themes in the message development process.
The National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) is offering two outstanding faculty development opportunities, and College sponsorship may be available for interested participants.
As a reminder, all UGA faculty can claim a free NCFDD membership by visiting the NCFDD website, selecting “Institutional Members” under the “Services” menu, and choosing the “University of Georgia.” Membership provides access to a variety of resources designed to support success in academia.
The Faculty Success Program (FSP) is a structured, 10-week virtual experience designed to help faculty increase productivity, establish sustainable writing habits, and create greater work-life balance through coaching, accountability, and peer support.
This opportunity is intended for tenure-track and tenured faculty with research responsibilities who are seeking proven strategies to strengthen research productivity while maintaining personal well-being.
Interested? Complete the FSP interest survey and select your preferred session no later than Monday, Nov. 2.
Designed for full-time faculty with teaching responsibilities, this four-week online program provides practical tools for course planning, syllabus design, and effective teaching in today’s evolving educational landscape. Participants will learn strategies to streamline course preparation, refresh their instructional toolkits, and begin the academic term with greater confidence and efficiency.
Interested? Complete the Teaching Toolkit interest survey and select your preferred session.
Faculty interested in either opportunity should complete the corresponding interest survey. A separate survey is required for each program. Individuals selected for sponsorship will receive a follow-up email with information about registering for their preferred cohort.
Questions? Email Allison Nealy, associate dean of personnel development and leadership.
The Abigail Reddic Student Teaching Emergency Fund was created to provide a safety net for current Mary Frances Early College of Education student teachers in their time of need. As you communicate with student teachers, please share this information with them. This funding is only available to students during their student teaching semester who need emergency funding to assist with expenses.
Please visit the fund webpage to learn more and apply. Funds are available in the fall and spring.
Have questions? Please contact Rebekah Seabolt, associate director of stewardship.
To better serve diverse faculty needs, we are transitioning what was previously known as the ITT Academy into two distinct monthly learning communities. You are welcome to attend both or move between them as your goals evolve.
Both groups will meet in Aderhold Hall Room 206 from 1-2 p.m. on select Fridays monthly. If these meeting times don’t work for your schedule, stop by Room 232 or reach out to Kayla Flanagan in the Office of Information Technology to brainstorm new ideas or explore digital strategies for your courses.
Group 1: TLC
TLC (Teaching and Learning Community) is an interdisciplinary community that offers a supportive environment for faculty to explore practical teaching strategies, discuss evolving classroom dynamics, and collaborate on effective methods to enhance both instruction and scholarly work with a focus on emerging technologies.
Upcoming sessions:
- Friday, Oct. 16: Beyond the AI Ban: Draft an academic honesty policy and discuss how to navigate assessment with the use of AI tools
- Friday, Nov. 13: Accessibility: Discuss strategies and receive instruction on making all materials more accessible on eLC
Group 2: EDGE
EDGE (Educators Driving Growth in Education) brings together early adopters and innovative educators to experiment with emerging technologies and novel instructional practices across disciplines, driving continuous educational growth and high-impact learning across online, hybrid, and traditional classrooms.
- Friday, Oct. 23: AI Tools for Faculty Use: Learn and practice with AI tools and strategies for your teaching
- Friday, Nov. 20: AI Tools for Student Use: Create assignments for your students that use and evaluate the use of AI tools for learning
Please reach out to Kayla Flanagan with any questions.
The JoLLE (Journal of Language and Literacy Education) graduate student team has been planning the upcoming JoLLE conference with excitement. For the first time since the pandemic, the conference will be back in person. It will be held Feb. 12-14, 2027, in Athens, Georgia, at the UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel on UGA’s campus.
We’d love to have members from across the Mary Frances Early College of Education community submit and attend to foster interdisciplinary conversations about the conference themes of community, praxis, healing, and power.
Please do share widely with networks! And don’t hesitate to be in touch with any questions by emailing jolle.conference@gmail.com. Also, please view our newly published issues from this past summer.
- Date: Friday, Oct. 23
- Time: Noon-1 p.m.
- Location: Zoom (register today)
- Presenter: Luis R. Alvarez-Hernandez, assistant professor, Boston University School of Social Work
Join the UGA qualitative research program for the second QUAL Lab Speaker Series event this semester, “See Me!”: Amplifying LGBTQ+ Latine Voices Through a Critical Qualitative Book,” presented by Luis R. Alvarez-Hernandez.
How do you put a community in a book? It requires genuine connections, interdisciplinary collaborations, and strong critical qualitative methods. The testimoniadores (storytellers for social change) in our book tell their life stories as gay and trans men living in South Texas. They also show their faces through black-and-white photographs as their authentic selves, determined to connect with all of us. Our goal was for the book to be accessible to everyone in our communities. We envisioned our madres (mothers) and tías (aunts) reading it.
In this presentation, Alvarez-Hernandez will discuss his process of writing a qualitative community-based book—its complexities, messiness, and joy. He will share how he approached:
- Connecting with the community
- Collaborating with an interdisciplinary team
- Centering Chicana and Latina feminist values and qualitative methods to amplify the voices of community leaders
Building a Thought Full World: Creativity + Love of Humanity
- Date: Monday, Oct. 26
- Time: 4-6 p.m.
- Location: UGA Chapel
The Torrance Center for Creativity will be hosting Po-Shen Loh for the 2026 Torrance Lecture. Loh will share his experience innovating an ecosystem which teaches both creativity and love for humanity, powered by combining the faraway worlds of professional actors, mathematicians, and Internet live-streaming. He will also discuss the future of AI and strategies for thriving.
Please register for this free event.
Candice Hargons (Ph.D. ’15), an alumna of the College’s counseling psychology doctoral program, was recently elected 2028 president of the American Psychological Association (APA).
Hargons, an associate professor of behavioral, social, and health education sciences at Emory University, is an APA fellow and has held leadership roles in the organization at the state, divisional, and national levels.
“Psychology has extraordinary potential to improve people’s lives and help address society’s most enduring challenges,” Hargons said. “My vision is to bring psychologists together across specialties, career stages, and communities to stand up for science, promote practitioner progress, and collaborate in community care with a liberation and love ethic.”
Read the full story on the APA website.