Provost's Office

Presented by Alex Newhouse the Digital Research Lead at the Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism at MIIS and Kris McGuffie the Deputy Director of the Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism (CTEC).

Big data are ubiquitous. Although this may not come as a surprise, you may be surprised at how easy these data are to access without any specialized technical skills! In this talk, we’ll begin by showing the power of accessing big data and the ease at which it can be done by the layperson. We’ll then discuss the pros and cons of the availability of such data and provide examples of each. Finally, we’ll talk about decision making based on big data in facial recognition and how it will affect the future of humankind.

Middlebury is currently undergoing a comprehensive evaluation for Reaccreditation by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). The evaluation is focused on nine standards defined by NECHE. The Reaccreditation steering committee compiled a Self-Study to respond to the standards and forms the basis for the visit. The review team will be hosting an open meeting for all Staff. All staff are encouraged to attend at this time. Open Faculty and Student meetings are held at other times.

The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Institute uses technologies such as computer models and commercial satellite photographs to study nuclear weapons programs around the world. The results look like the work of an intelligence agency, but they are done entirely by faculty, staff and students using open information.

Our ability to effectively respond to forced migration flows in the 21st century is hampered by legal and regulatory regimes that reflect neither the reality of modern displacement nor the moral and social imperatives of our age. Looking at Syrian refugees in Jordan as well as the forthcoming issue of the climate displaced, Peter Stavros will discuss how current regimes serve hardly any party’s interests in the ongoing debate over how to address forced migration.

Faculty, Students and Staff are invited to hear the report out of the review team appointed by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), Middlebury’s accrediting agency. This meeting takes place at the conclusion of their three day site visit.

Reaccreditation and the Comprehensive Evaluation 2019
All educational institutions that are accredited go through a process to receive that accreditation. Every ten years this process includes a comprehensive evaluation. Middlebury’s comprehensive evaluation is this year culminating in a visit by a review team in November. Faculty, Staff and Students are invited to attend this information session to find out about the accreditation process, the self-study, and how you can be involved.

Hosted by Jeff Cason, Provost, and LeRoy Graham, Associate Provost for Planning

Chemical Weapons use in Syria confronted the international community with a difficult challenge. The US and its allies were reluctant to intervene in another Middle East conflict and afraid that a sudden collapse of the Assad regime would enable jihadist groups to seize control of Syria. At the same time, outside powers did not want to allow a longstanding norm against CW use to erode through repeated violations. Eventually, the US – sometimes working with France and the UK – adopted a strategy of coercion.

Sarah Bidgood, Senior Research Associate and Project Manager, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, will lecture on “Terror in a handful of dust”: Exploring the State-Level Pursuit of Radiological Weapons.

The Fund for Innovation will be hosting drop in hours! Have questions about the FFI? Want to learn more about the FFI? Need to workshop your FFI proposal? Come to our Drop-In Hours to learn more about the FFI before the application deadline on February 28.