College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Meeting
April 27, 2005
The
meeting was called to order at 3:40pm
1. Chair
of the College Robbin Crabtree welcomed everyone and
congratulated everyone on a great year.
2. Approval of the minutes of the 3/16/05
CAS meeting.
A
comment regarding the finances of the CAE was credited to G. Lang and it should
have been J. Dennin.
motion to approve by B. Boquet,
second by R. Salafia.
Vote: 24-0-4, motion carries
3. Presentation by Dean Timothy Law Snyder
and Discussion
A. Today we gather to celebrate the
extraordinary quality and output of our faculty. Thirteen new books along with a large
mix of research publications and scholarly works were produced over the last
year, many of which are on display here today.
B.
In our continuing quest to meet the
Number One goal outlined in our College Long-range Academic Plan, we again
expanded our faculty this year. We
have hired 13 new faculty, all top selections by our search committees,
departments, and myself, except one.
This continues a strong tradition of obtaining our best candidates. Two more searches are still
ongoing. This year, we achieved
significant success in diversifying our faculty, responding well to the virtues
of diversity and the needs and challenges associated with it that I outlined in
my fall faculty address. The search
committees and departments should be proud of their vision, their dedication,
and the care that was associated with each of these searches. Next year, because of several retirements
presently in the works, we will again have a large number of hires.
C. Merit concerns
We
still have a number of concerns regarding merit to work out. Questions have been asked about how
departments will map their evaluation and recommendations onto the pay
structure; the number of size of additional merit levels; and the process for
distributing merit across a particular department. The College Merit Committee will meet
again (see the report sent out by the Dean this past week), along with the chairs
and program directors. I am asking
departments to have a plan in place by May 31st and they should give
me a rough outline by May 10th.
Departments having reason to require extensions for a few days may take
them, but I do not want a huge pile to come in on the 28th of May
L.
Miners: Thirteen new Tenure Track
Faculty?
Dean
Snyder: Some tenure track assistant,
some not. Two tenured senior hires.
[Kraig, I do not recall indicating anybody was Òout of rangeÓ—perhaps
that was a comment from the floor?
(I do not think any of last springÕs hires were out of range, anyway.)
D.
Keenan: Will the you and the merit
committee be discussing the number of extra merit
levels?
Dean
Snyder: Yes
R. Salafia: Is one
level acceptable?
Dean
Snyder: No, I am using 5 during
this yearÕs reviews. I am using a
model where each level gets the same amount of money per person, but the number
getting each successively higher level gets smaller.
C. Naser: is there
going to be a College-wide plan?
Dean
Snyder: Not specified, it is open
for discussion and consideration in reference to the College merit committee,
recommendations from the AVP, and the guiding principles document. There will be departmental plans.
M.
Patton: Why May 31st? This date is close to and the May 10th
preliminary date is in the middle of finals and we are all very busy.
Dean
Snyder: I have mentioned this
deadline many times to department chairs, throughout the year, as well as in my
fall speech to the College Faculty.
We need to move on.
R.
Crabtree: Departments will have the
opportunity to review and rewrite; the documents can and will likely be
changed.
J. Dennin: This
year, you will have 5 levels of extra merit with $500/level?
Dean
Snyder: Yes.
J. Dennin: Each
person getting 2,500 will likely hurt 3 people and lead to their getting below
COLA. Is this not punitive for
people? Why not compute $ after
determining levels?
Dean
Snyder: The levels differ by $500
this year and may be different in years to come. I want a large enough difference between
levels to wash out arbitrary distinctions.
J. Dennin: I
believe doing it your way is exactly backwards from the way it should be done.
K.
Steffen: Can you just request more
money for the pool?
Dean
Snyder: I tried but was not allowed
to this year.
A.
King: Departments can do some
things now but we need guidance/parameters on many things like an appeals
process, should we include relative or absolute extra merit levels, etc.
Dean
Snyder: I can accept either or all;
I just need, at this point, departmental plans to consider.
A.
King: But we are being asked to
compare apples to oranges, blue to yellow, fish to birds? How are we to know?
A.
Anderson: Have you or any other
administrator admitted to the demoralizing waste of time merit has become?
Dean
Snyder: I have said we have wasted
time well beyond what seemed necessary, and many in the College have expressed
similar views.
A.
King: We need constraints, is it a
zero sum game in the college, in departments? We need constraints.
Dean
Snyder: We want independent
approaches and want to honor the diverse viewpoints, goals, and distinctions
associated with individual departments. The Dean and chairs can sort and reflect
upon what is best for a particular department.
J. Dennin: Is
extra merit based on the number who get it? Clear set of criteria? (a bar to be
passed, no matter how many pass it?)
a Percentage?
Dean
Snyder: Sustained Merit is a
discrete bar. Additional Merit is
based upon comparison between individuals at differing levels.
(some magic pixie dust descended upon the room and the merit
discussion stopped) !!! : ) !!!
4. L. Miners gave a brief presentation on
the Center for Academic Excellence including information on an upcoming
multiculturalism lunch, Faculty Learning Committees, and upcoming summer
conferences, and/or summer workshops being offered.
5. Irene Mulvey reminded everyone to please
come and celebrate at the annual faculty reception for retiring faculty.
6. Noting that he does not get an
opportunity to teach as much as he would like, Dean Snyder gave a short speech
regarding fermented fruity beverages and then presented the annual Arts and
Sciences Distinguished Teaching award to Art Anderson. Here is the text of the DeanÕs message
about Art:
Jesuit
pedagogy emanates from dedication to a liberal arts education, commitment to a
core curriculum, and leadership in developing courses that expand the horizons
of students and society. It requires rigor, integrity, and an appreciation of
the student as an individual. It elicits respect from students of diverse
backgrounds and experiences. For thirty-seven years, Professor Art Anderson has
exemplified Fairfield UniversityÕs commitment to undergraduate teaching. His
teachings in diversity and other critical sociological areas embody his
Òmissionary work,Ó touching the lives of thousands of Fairfield students, along
with scores more in the many communities who have joined him in learning. The
College of Arts and Sciences is pleased to honor Professor Arthur
Anderson—a role model for life-long learning for students and faculty
colleagues alike—with its 2005 Distinguished Teaching Award. With its
2005 Distinguished Teaching Award, Fairfield UniversityÕs College of Arts and
Sciences honors Professor Arthur Anderson Date April 27,2005
G. Move to Adjourn: N. Dallavalle, 2nd D. Keenan
H. Addendum: Here is a listing of the books published
by A&S Faculty over the past year.
There were also many, many research papers and presentations
representing other scholarly output like art exhibitions.
FAIRFIELD
UNIVERSITY
BOOKS
PUBLISHED IN 2004-05
BY FACULTY IN
THE
COLLEGE OF
ARTS AND SCIENCES
Rochelle Almeida, Ph.D., Author
Visiting Instructor of English
The Politics
of Mourning
Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2004
Matthew P. Coleman, Ph.D., Author
Professor of Mathematics
An
Introduction to Partial Differential Equations with MATLAB
Chapman & Hall/CRC, 2005
Elizabeth A. Dreyer, Ph.D., Co-Editor
Professor of Religious Studies
Minding the
Spirit
Co-Editor Mark S. Burrows
The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005
Elizabeth A. Dreyer, Ph.D., Author
Professor of Religious Studies
Passionate
Spirituality
Paulist Press, 2005
Robert M. Fedorchek, Ph.D., Translator
Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures
Don çlvaro, or
the Force of Fate (1835)
The Catholic University of America Press, 2005
Dennis Keenan, Ph.D., Editor
Professor of Philosophy
Hegel and
Contemporary Continental Philosophy
SUNY Press, 2004
Paul Lakeland, Ph.D., Co-Editor
Professor of Religious Studies
Constructive
Theology
Co-Editor Serene Jones
Fortress Press, 2005
Martha Schmoyer LoMonaco, Ph.D., Author
Professor of Visual and Performing Arts
Summer Stock!
An American
Theatrical Phenomenon
Palgrave MacMillan, 2004
Lisa H. Newton, Ph.D., Author
Professor of Philosophy
Business
Ethics and the Natural Environment
Blackwell Publishing, 2005
Lisa H. Newton, Ph.D., Co-Author
Professor of Philosophy
Watersheds 4
Co-Authored with Adjunct Professor(s)
Joanne Choly and Catherine
K. Dillingham
Thomson Wadsworth, 2004
Nicholas Rinaldi, Ph.D.,
Author
Professor of English
Between Two
Rivers
Harper Collins, 2004
Marie-Agnes Sourieau,
Ph.D., Co-Editor
Associate Professor of Modern Languages and
Literatures
Ecrire en pays assiŽgŽ
(Ha•ti Writing Under Siege)
Co-Editor Kathleen M. Balutansky
Rodopi B.V., Amsterdam-New York,
NY, 2004
Ellen Umansky, Ph.D.,
Author
Professor of Religious Studies
From Christian Science to Jewish Science
Oxford University Press, 2005