Minutes of the 9/18/08 Meeting of the College of Arts & Sciences

 

No votes including proxies were taken.

 

Call to order: Prof. DeWitt called the meeting to order at 4:05 pm.

 

1.     Approval of the minutes of 4/22/08: Prof. Humphrey, seconded by Prof. Weiss, moved to approve the minutes of 4/22/08. The motion passed without opposition.

 

2.     Election of Chair and Secretary of the College for 2008-2009

 

Prof. Rakowitz, seconded by Prof. Naser, nominated Prof. Sauer for Chair.

Sauer, seconded by Prof. Dallavalle, nominated Rakowitz for Secretary.

Both nominees were unopposed and elected by acclamation.

 

3.     Introduction of new faculty

Sauer thanked the faculty for their confidence in electing him. He then asked each new member of the College faculty to stand and be recognized. A handout offering a brief description of each new faculty member had been distributed at the beginning of the meeting.

 

4.     Proposal for two changes to the CAS Governance Document

 

DeWitt, seconded by Prof. Lane, moved:

That the existing language in the CAS governance document:

 

3.5.1.4 Arts and Sciences Planning Committee

Five members of the Arts and Sciences faculty, including at least one each from the Humanities, the Natural Sciences/Mathematics, and the Social Sciences. In addition, the Dean of the college shall serve ex officio.

 

Be replaced by:

 

Six members of the College faculty, including the Chair and Secretary ex officio, and at least one each from the Humanities, the Natural Sciences/Mathematics, and the Behavioral and Social Sciences. At least one member should have substantial involvement in interdisciplinary programs (for example, has served, within the past three years, as a director of an interdisciplinary program or on one or more interdisciplinary program steering committees). No more than two members shall be from any one department; ideally the membership should be drawn from 6 different departments. In addition, the Dean of the College shall serve ex officio. All 7 members shall have full voting privileges.

 

There was no discussion. The motion passed with 1 opposed and 3 abstentions.

 

Prof. McSweeney, seconded by Lane, moved:

That the existing language in the CAS governance document:

 

3.5.1.2 Health Sciences Committee

The Health Sciences Committee is a standing committee appointed by the Dean.

 

Be replaced by:

 

3.5.1.2 Health Professions Committee

The Health Professions Committee is a standing committee appointed by the Dean.

 

There was no discussion. The motion passed with 2 opposed.

 

5.     Remarks from the Dean on the priorities for the College

 

Sauer introduced Dean Crabtree. She has a B.A. from UCSB, M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. Her degrees are all in Communication, with supporting programs in languages and linguistics, film studies, journalism, and Latin American studies. She served on the faculties of DePauw University, New Mexico State University (where she was first tenured), and St. Louis University in Madrid, Spain, before coming to Fairfield University in the Fall of 2001 as Chair of the Communication Department. She was promoted to Full Professor in 2004. At Fairfield, she has served on the steering committees of the Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Peace and Justice, and Women's Studies programs. She has also been on the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, the Arts & Sciences Curriculum Committee, the U.S. and World Diversity Committees, the Research Committee, the Committee on Committees, and as membership co-chair of the Faculty Welfare Committee. From 2003 to 2006 she was Chair of the College faculty and she was the Founding Director of the Office of Service Learning (2006-2008). In 2007, she was selected Alpha Sigma Nu Teacher of the Year.

 

She is a scholar in the critical/qualitative social science traditions with an active research agenda in the areas of: the social roles and impact of mass media with particular emphasis on media systems and texts in developing countries and related to the processes of globalization; intercultural communication issues in educational and health contexts; and communication pedagogy, including critical/feminist perspectives and service learning. She has conducted research in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Cuba, Brazil, Kenya, India, Spain and bi-nationally in the US-Mexico borderlands region. She has published over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles, chapters in edited collections, and instructional publications and given over 100 scholarly presentations. Her edited volume on feminist pedagogy is forthcoming in 2009 from Johns Hopkins University Press. In addition to scholarly pursuits, she has worked extensively with non-profit agencies and NGOs as a consultant, volunteer, board member, and doing collaborative research.

 

Crabtree thanked Sauer and offered a special welcome to our new colleagues. She noted how exciting it is that the institution is growing and changing in significant ways. Because she was on sabbatical when she was named to this position, she had several months for planning and reflection. She feels that her calling to be Dean is grounded in her faculty identity and scholarly interests and she is honored to have this position.

 

Turning to goals for the College, Crabtree began with some comments on responding to the NEASC report. We have periodic program review, but that needs to become more systematic. We are way behind, but making progress on the assessment of student learning. With regard to annual faculty performance reviews, the Faculty Salary Committee will be working this year on university wide structures to make such reviews more efficient. She plans on letting that work take place at the university level instead of expending energy on it within the College. Prof. Greenberg asked whether she takes the same position as the former Dean, namely that there should be no additional merit unless sustained is at or above the cost of living. Crabtree said that yes, she agreed with that position in principle. Returning to issues raised by NEASC, she noted that advising has been flagged in 2 consecutive reviews, and that it now needs to connect to the living and learning initiatives. She said that Dean Boquet is leading conversations about advising informed by the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). She then noted that governance was raised as an issue by NEASC and the Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC). She plans to work with the College officers and other faculty to review the College Governance Document.

 

The next set of issues has to do with implementing the university Strategic Plan within the College. Crabtree mentioned that she was involved in cross-divisional conversations about living and learning (Goal 2), and that, related to Goal 3, we need to move to more commonality among the graduate programs in the College, and perhaps consider new governance structures to deal with graduate programs. She then shifted focus to Goal 1, integration of the core. We need to formalize and consolidate the alliance between the College and the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE). Prof. Nantz has led some great work so far on integrative pedagogy. Now we need to look for funding opportunities and move core integration into the departments. Already there have been a CAS chairs retreat, some department meetings, and workshops including conversations about integrating the core into majors and minors. Crabtree hopes for funding for intensive summer workshops across and within departments. She also wants to analyze data on existing integrative efforts, i.e., some of the assessment work done by the directors of interdisciplinary programs. She plans to align the budget to core integration work in the College by funding faculty development for integrative and innovative pedagogy; the Humanities Institute can play a significant role.

 

At the same time, directing and supporting the work of the College Board of Advisors remains a priority. Crabtree's vision for the Board is that they will strengthen and enrich the work of the College as the oldest, largest, and most diverse school at Fairfield, as the guardian of Fairfield's Jesuit and liberal arts traditions, as the home of the core curriculum, and as a community celebrating collaboration, excellence, and innovation in teaching research and service. At the moment, their 3 initial projects (with Religious Studies, Biology, and Visual and Performing Arts) are winding down. The new emphasis is on building endowment, i.e., unrestricted funding for College goals including pedagogical innovations, faculty research, endowed professorships, and supporting students in issues of global citizenship. One of 4 funding priorities for building the College endowment is to enhance the quantity, quality, and visibility of faculty accomplishments: research, creative work, and other professional contributions made by the faculty in the College. A look at what the College has invested in faculty research from 2006 to 2008 in terms of start up costs, professional travel, Humanities Institute funding for faculty research, additional grants and stipends, and cost-sharing on research grants, adds up to about $1.3 million. Crabtree has spoken to V.P. Lucas about the increasing needs for funds for faculty travel and the increased costs of hiring, and has already gotten involved with grant applications worth about $1 million, especially for funding women in science. These numbers point to the need for endowment funds in the College. Intellectually, the Board's current themes are global citizenship and the environment. The plan is for the faculty member who is on the Board to make regular reports to the faculty on Board activities.

 

At this point, Crabtree introduced CAS personnel: Jean Daniele (Assistant to the Dean), Susan Peterson and Dawn Quintilliani (Assistant Deans), Beth Boquet (Associate Dean, working on core integration and advising), Brandi Hayden (Assistant to Quintilliani and the new Associate Dean), Jean Siconolfi (Assistant to Boquet and Peterson). Another Associate Dean will be appointed from the faculty and will work on as yet undetermined projects. The office suite is scheduled for renovation in the Summer of 2009.

 

Crabtree concluded with some thoughts about challenges and opportunities. Her office conducts 30-40 pretenure reviews each year, along with 8-12 Rank and Tenure cases, and 8-12 searches in the College. She wants to develop a mentoring culture for all faculty, and to that end, is working on chair development, and plans on having a meeting for all pretenure faculty. Other challenges and opportunities are the proliferation of great ideas in the context of rising costs and tough economic times, and the increasing diversity of students and faculty.

 

With regard to the latter point, she offered some data on the Class of 2012. There were 8734 applications, 58.4% of which were accepted. 903 enrolled for a yield of 17.7%. The SAT range for the middle 50% is 1120-1300. 175 (19%) are AHANA students, 12 are from the Bridgeport scholarship program, 8 are international, 21% are first generation college students, and, in terms of socioeconomic diversity, 13% are eligible for Pell Grants. Our assumptions about who our students and faculty are may need to be updated and we need to develop greater pedagogical diversity.

 

Among the implications of the growing diversity of faculty and students is that advising and mentoring should be 360 degree processes. Junior faculty are more likely to be trained in pedagogies that they could teach senior faculty. Furthermore, diversity doesn't just mean changing demographics, it means changing the institutional culture. Becoming a diverse institution entails: a commitment to self and institutional analysis and change; the development of inclusive structures, both formal and informal; building a community based on trust, mutual respect and caring; and partnering with the larger community on anti-oppression and justice work. In other words, diversity isn't just relevant to the students' education.

 

Finally, Crabtree explained that despite her atheism, she has faith– faith in the faculty of the College, the heart and soul of this institution, with whom she has worked and socialized; faith in the students; and a deep and abiding faith in the transformative role of education and its importance in the survival of democracy. She sees an alignment of the Ignatian values with her personal and professional values in terms of academic rigor, cura personalis, reflection, engagement with the world, and a passion for justice. That's all part of what drew her to a Jesuit institution. As we celebrate a new academic year and each other and our new colleagues, we need to remind ourselves of how lucky we are to do work that we're passionate about and that can make a big difference. These comments were met with a round of applause and no questions.

 

6.     Adjournment to reception and general revelry. The meeting was adjourned at 5:07.

                                                                       

Respectfully submitted,

                                                                        Susan Rakowitz