Division of the Humanities | Planning and Programs

Planning and Programs

 
 

Facilities | Communications | Event Planning | Arts Programming | Capital Project Development

The primary function of the Planning & Programs staff is to provide faculty in the Division of the Humanities with the infrastructural support they need to carry out important aspects of their scholarly mission. This support is provided primarily in the areas of facilities, communications, event planning and execution, arts programming, and capital project development, and is provided by the following staff members:

Facilities

Faculty should send all facilities requests to their departmental or other unit coordinator. Then, depending on the nature and urgency of the request, the staff member should either

Communications

The Humanities Office of Communications consists of one full-time staff member and one student assistant working one day per week. The office directs all internal and external communication for the Humanities.
Internal communication includes designing and maintaining this Web site, assisting departments with stationery needs, providing publicity for annual departmental lectures supported by the Division, and offering advice on best practices to department faculty and staff on publicizing departmental events (conferences, lectures, and newsletters).
External communication includes publishing and editing Tableau, the magazine of the Humanities, responding to initiatives proposed by the deans and Development office, serving on various University communications committees and groups, and keeping the public pages of the Web site current and informative.

Event Planning

Faculty with event planning needs should contact the Humanities Division's Director of Events. The Director of Events can help with all aspects of event planning and execution, including the following:

  • Assessment of budget, staffing, and supply needs for conferences, lectures, receptions, memorial services, and other gatherings;
  • Preparation of task lists and other tools for executing events;
  • Hiring and training of student events assistants and other support staff for events;
  • Coordination with other divisional staff on scheduling (including notices posted on the divisional calendar and other Web resources), publicity (press, posters, etc.), and development implications.

Arts Programming

Among the broad range of activities engaged in by faculty, students, and staff of the Division, arts activities frequently have specialized needs that require a coordinated response. The Coordinator of Arts Programming is here to help with jointly sponsored exhibitions, performances, and other events; programming for visiting artists; and supplying the administrative and facilities infrastructure necessary for a diverse and stimulating array of both curricular and co-curricular arts activities.

Capital Project Development

Fulfilling particular academic needs frequently requires making changes in the University's physical plant. Whether it is renovating a classroom, building a laboratory, purchasing audio-visual or other types of equipment, or redesigning an office, a need of this kind is addressed through the capital project development process. Faculty members can propose, develop, and request funding for such capital projects by contacting the Associate Dean for Planning & Programs.

The capital project development process begins each academic year on April 1, the deadline for submitting capital project proposals to the Associate Dean for Planning & Programs, accompanied by an endorsement from the chair or director of the department or other unit submitting the proposal. By May 1 the Associate Dean will follow up with requests for additional information and notification as to the next step in the capital budget process. Proposals that are accepted will over the course of the summer be developed into full-fledged proposals (with narratives, estimates, and designs prepared as necessary) that will be funded either by the Division, by a joint funding arrangement (involving the requesting unit, outside funder, or other party), or by the central administration pending a positive response by the Office of the Provost.

Each October the Humanities Division submits a capital budget proposal to the Provost that includes all capital project proposals approved by the Dean of the Humanities. Proposals can under some circumstances be accompanied by a request for early approval, in which case the Provost notifies the Division in February whether proposals submitted the previous October have been approved for funding. In general, however, in June of each year the Provost provides the Dean of the Humanities with a response to proposals submitted the previous October. The planning, construction, and other work to be done in fulfilling proposals is then scheduled for the summer or other time when disruption to the activities of faculty, students, and staff can be minimized.