Skip to main content
Appalachian Today
News and events at Appalachian State University
  • For the media
  • COVID updates
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Webcams
  • Galleries
  • In the Media
  • Grants
  • Speakers
  • All Posts
  • Topics
  • Accolades
  • Alumni
  • Arts and Humanities
  • Athletics
  • Awards and Honors
  • Community Engagement
  • Diversity
  • Events
  • Faculty and Staff
  • Gifts and Grants
  • Global
  • Health and Wellness
  • Publications
  • Research
  • Safety
  • Scholarships
  • Students
  • Sustainability
☰ Menu
  • Events
  • Webcams
  • Galleries
  • In the Media
  • Grants
  • Speakers
  • All Posts
  • Topics
  • For the media
  • COVID updates
  • Contact

Dr. Sandie Gravett named winner of 2020 Academic Freedom and Faculty Governance Award

View larger image

Dr. Sandie Gravett, professor of religious studies in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Appalachian State University. Gravett was honored with the 2020 Academic Freedom and Faculty Governance Award from the university’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) during App State’s virtual Spring 2021 Faculty and Staff Meeting. Photo by Chase Reynolds

By Laura Ammon
Posted Feb. 12, 2021 at 2:07 p.m.

BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Sandie Gravett, professor of religious studies in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Appalachian State University, has received the 2020 Award for Academic Freedom and Faculty Governance from the university’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). She was presented the award during App State’s Spring 2021 Faculty and Staff Meeting, held virtually Friday, Feb. 5.

The award recognizes a member of the university community whose outstanding service has enriched the university by defending, supporting and working to advance academic freedom and faculty governance across the campus.

Gravett, a native of Greensboro, has been an advocate for faculty governance throughout her career. She has served as chair of the University of North Carolina System Faculty Assembly, a member of the UNC System Presidential Search Committee, a faculty grievance mediator at App State and a member of the university’s Faculty Senate Budget Committee.

Most recently, Gravett is chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Shared Governance, established in fall 2020 by the university’s Faculty Senate. She is also a member of App State’s Faculty Grievance Assistance Committee, working to advocate for the rights of faculty in grievance proceedings.

One of her award nominators wrote, “Dr. Gravett is incredibly knowledgeable about university and System policies and has used her knowledge and skills to protect and promote academic freedom and faculty governance on our campus and across the UNC System. … she’s a go-to resource on university policies and procedures and on AAUP principles.”

With App State colleague Dr. Stella Anderson, professor of management, Gravett set up the Faculty Employment Rights Project — a study of faculty experiences with the grievance processes across the UNC System. Gravett and Anderson gathered data to determine if adverse employment situations and hearing processes were meaningfully resolved. They then used this data to review and recommend revisions to App State’s Faculty Handbook that would prioritize professional standards and the principles of faculty governance.

Gravett was awarded an Appalachian State University Research Grant to support her work for the Faculty Employment Rights Project.

She has also helped develop UNC System policy for military students, to foster student success and for UNC Online — a web portal designed to facilitate registration for online classes offered by each of the System’s university campuses.

Gravett earned her bachelor’s degree from UNC Greensboro and her Ph.D. from Duke University.

About AAUP

Founded in 1915, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is a national organization of American college and university professors that has chapters on over 450 campuses. AAUP has helped to shape American higher education by developing the standards and procedures that maintain quality in education and academic freedom in the nation’s colleges and universities.

Additionally, AAUP defines fundamental professional values and standards for higher education, advances the rights of academics, particularly as those rights pertain to academic freedom and shared governance, and promotes the interests of higher education teaching and research. Prominent members have included John Dewey and Albert Einstein. Learn more.

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

Grant-supported App State project explores relationship between religious studies and public issues
Grant-supported App State project explores relationship between religious studies and public issues
Jan. 13, 2021

Three religious studies faculty members at App State are engaged in a grant-funded project to envision a public-focused future for religious studies teaching and scholarship — one that explores the relationship of religion to topics at the center of public conversation and debate.

Read the story
App State honors 4 staff members for excellence
App State honors 4 staff members for excellence
Feb. 12, 2021

Four App State staff members — Alice Fisher, Dr. Alex F. Howard, Amy Odom ’03 and Crystal Weisner ’14 — were recognized with 2020 Staff Excellence Awards during the university’s Spring 2021 Faculty and Staff Meeting. The awards recognize staff members’ exemplary service, commitment, collegiality and leadership to the university community.

Read the story
Excellence in teaching recognized

Seven App State faculty were recognized for excellence in teaching during the spring 2020 semester and acknowledged at the university’s virtual Spring 2021 Faculty and Staff Meeting:

  • Dr. Jennifer Snodgrass received the 2020 University of North Carolina Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award.
  • Dr. Lindsay Masland was conferred the 2020 Appalachian State University Excellence in Teaching Award.
  • Each of the following five faculty members received a 2020 Appalachian State University School/College Award:
    • Dr. Sarah Carmichael.
    • Dr. Mary Ballard.
    • Scott Wynne.
    • Dr. Cameron Lippard.
    • Dr. Alan Needle.

Learn more about the faculty winners.

About the Department of Philosophy and Religion

The Department of Philosophy and Religion invites students to explore the world, examine beliefs, understand a diversity of worldviews, and challenge the ideas and values that instruct our lives. The department offers a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and a Bachelor of Arts in religious studies, as well as a minor in both of these areas. Learn more at https://philrel.appstate.edu.

About the College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Appalachian State University is home to 17 academic departments, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities and the social, mathematical and natural sciences. CAS aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and unique location. The college’s values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of its students as global citizens. More than 6,400 student majors are enrolled in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing App State’s general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges. Learn more at https://cas.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.

Grant-supported App State project explores relationship between religious studies and public issues
Grant-supported App State project explores relationship between religious studies and public issues
Jan. 13, 2021

Three religious studies faculty members at App State are engaged in a grant-funded project to envision a public-focused future for religious studies teaching and scholarship — one that explores the relationship of religion to topics at the center of public conversation and debate.

Read the story
App State honors 4 staff members for excellence
App State honors 4 staff members for excellence
Feb. 12, 2021

Four App State staff members — Alice Fisher, Dr. Alex F. Howard, Amy Odom ’03 and Crystal Weisner ’14 — were recognized with 2020 Staff Excellence Awards during the university’s Spring 2021 Faculty and Staff Meeting. The awards recognize staff members’ exemplary service, commitment, collegiality and leadership to the university community.

Read the story
Excellence in teaching recognized

Seven App State faculty were recognized for excellence in teaching during the spring 2020 semester and acknowledged at the university’s virtual Spring 2021 Faculty and Staff Meeting:

  • Dr. Jennifer Snodgrass received the 2020 University of North Carolina Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award.
  • Dr. Lindsay Masland was conferred the 2020 Appalachian State University Excellence in Teaching Award.
  • Each of the following five faculty members received a 2020 Appalachian State University School/College Award:
    • Dr. Sarah Carmichael.
    • Dr. Mary Ballard.
    • Scott Wynne.
    • Dr. Cameron Lippard.
    • Dr. Alan Needle.

Learn more about the faculty winners.

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

Share

Topics

  • Awards and Honors
  • Faculty and Staff

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

Archives

Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

The migration of materials from other sites is still incomplete, so if you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Additional feature stories may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Photo galleries and videos published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian

Share

Topics

  • Awards and Honors
  • Faculty and Staff

Other Recent Posts

  • With expansion almost complete, App State’s Child Development Center nearly doubles in capacity
    With expansion almost complete, App State’s Child Development Center nearly doubles in capacity
  • 2022 Alumni Awards: John Thomas Roos ’84 — Outstanding Service Award
    2022 Alumni Awards: John Thomas Roos ’84 — Outstanding Service Award
  • 2022 Alumni Awards: Douglas Middleton Jr. ’15 ’18 — Young Alumni Award
    2022 Alumni Awards: Douglas Middleton Jr. ’15 ’18 — Young Alumni Award
  • 2022 Alumni Awards: Mark E. Ricks ’84 — Distinguished Alumni Award
    2022 Alumni Awards: Mark E. Ricks ’84 — Distinguished Alumni Award
  • 2022 Alumni Awards: June Wilson Hege ’65 — Outstanding Service Award
    2022 Alumni Awards: June Wilson Hege ’65 — Outstanding Service Award
  • Campus emergency siren test to be conducted Aug. 3
    Campus emergency siren test to be conducted Aug. 3
  • 5 faculty teams awarded 2022 Chancellor’s Innovation grants for projects at App State
    5 faculty teams awarded 2022 Chancellor’s Innovation grants for projects at App State
  • App State alumna Juliet Irving ’19: A multimedia designer in the performance world
    App State alumna Juliet Irving ’19: A multimedia designer in the performance world
  • Appalachian Energy Summit reports $1.6 billion in avoided energy costs statewide
    Appalachian Energy Summit reports $1.6 billion in avoided energy costs statewide
  • App State’s Team Sunergy qualifies for American Solar Challenge with solid performance at Formula Sun Grand Prix
    App State’s Team Sunergy qualifies for American Solar Challenge with solid performance at Formula Sun Grand Prix
  • Reich College of Education staff coach Northwestern NC’s new teachers
    Reich College of Education staff coach Northwestern NC’s new teachers
  • 50 years of giving: App State families change lives, build legacies
    50 years of giving: App State families change lives, build legacies

Archives

Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

The migration of materials from other sites is still incomplete, so if you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Additional feature stories may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Photo galleries and videos published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Galleries
  • In the Media
  • Grants
  • Speakers
  • All Posts
  • Topics
  • For the media
  • COVID updates
  • Contact

Appalachian State University

Copyright 2022 Appalachian State University. All rights reserved.

University Communications
ASU Box 32153
Boone, NC 28608
828-262-6156
ucomm@appstate.edu

Abouts

Disclaimer | EO Policy | Accessibility | Website manager: montaldipa (beltmr) .. | Website Feedback

Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram LinkedIn Snapchat