U of A to Put Spotlight on Faculty, Say 'Thank You'

Charlie Alison

Faculty Appreciation Week is April 6-10.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. –The University of Arkansas will host its first university-wide Faculty Appreciation Week, Monday, April 6 through Friday, April 10. Events will include a faculty enrichment series on “Work-Life” balance, a student panel thanking faculty, a faculty reception, a faculty panel to discuss the academy and an ice cream social.

“The purpose of Faculty Appreciation Week is simply to acknowledge the dedicated and sustained efforts of our university’s greatest resource, the faculty,” said Ro DiBrezzo, vice provost for faculty development and enhancement, who is organizing the event. “This is going to be the Woodstock of faculty celebrations. Rather than make it a one time event we plan to institutionalize it.”

The first event, a part of the Enrichment Series, is the presentation, "Work-Life Balance Revisited:  Peace of Mind for Faculty", from 3-5 p.m. Monday, April 6 in Willard J. Walker Hall, Room 203. 

“Around here we have the saying, ‘Students First,’” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “Perhaps it should be, ‘Students First, Faculty Always.’ Our faculty are critical to creating a Student First environment and those who do need to be recognized for their efforts.”

Students can join the celebration on Tuesday, April 7 by becoming a part of the “Student Shout Out” -- using #WooProf to post messages on the thanks.uark.edu website or send selfies with a favorite teacher. 

“If you appreciate a professor’s engaging classroom or exciting research, please let him or her know,” said Gearhart. “You’d be surprised how rarely they hear it and how much it means to them.”

Other Faculty Appreciation Week events include:

• Faculty Reception, with food, beverages and music, 5-6:30 p.m., Wednesday April 8, Jonelle Y. Hembree Alumni House
• Faculty Panel to discuss the academy, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 9, Hembree Auditorium, Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences Building
• Ice Cream Social, 1-3 p.m., Friday, April 10, Central Quad, outside Arkansas Union

Throughout the week’s celebration faculty will receive discounts at the University Bookstore and an extension on the “Friday $6 lunch deal” from Chartwells.

University Recreation will provide discounts of 17% off UREC memberships, $40 per hour massages (a $10 an hour discount) at the HPER building, free equipment rental, and free body assessment on the new InBody machine at the Donna Axum Fitness Center during Faculty Appreciation Week.

Razorback athletics will show their support for faculty members at the softball game on Monday, April 6 and the baseball game on Friday, April 10, with discount tickets to both games and a faculty member throwing the first pitch in each game. The athletics department will also hang a banner over Razorback Road during the week, and show support for the faculty with a “Thank You” image on the giant screen at the Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

For more information on Faculty Appreciation Week visit thanks.uark.edu. The full schedule of events will be posted at facultydev.uark.edu on Saturday, April 4.