College of Arts and Sciences Fairfield University
MINUTES OF MEETING, APRIL 28, 2010
There were approximately 78 CAS faculty members present.
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Glenn Sauer at 4:40.
Approval of Minutes of March 25, 2010
MOVED by Betsy Bowen and seconded by Laura McSweeney, that the minutes of the March 25 be approved as submitted.
PASSED 66-0-12.
Revised Governance Document
MOVED by David Sapp and seconded by David McFadden, that the Revised CAS Governance Document be approved.
Steve Bayne noted that one change made to the charge of the Arts and Sciences Planning Committee in section 3.5.1.4 of the draft document is inconsistent with the duties of the College Chairperson as defined in section 3.3.3. According to 3.3.3 it is the college Chairperson's duty to formulate the agenda for College faculty meetings, but a change in the second paragraph of 3.5.1.4 charges the A&S Planning Committee with forming agendas for College faculty meetings.
Steve Bayne also argued against the proposed deletion of the last line of the first paragraph of section 3.5.1.4, which read "All 7 members shall have full voting privileges." He argued that if the faculty members of the A&S Planning Committee are representatives elected by A&S faculty, they should have voting privileges at committee meetings. In light of this, he made the following two motions:
MOVED by Steve Bayne and seconded by Irene Mulvey, that page 16 of the Revised CAS Governance Document be amended in two places, as follows:
(1) 3.5.1.4: First paragraph under Membership: add a final sentence: "All 7 members shall have voting privileges."
(2) 3.5.1.4: Second paragraph, which begins with "The charge of...", in lines 3-4, delete: ", form agendas for the College faculty meetings,".
Discussion ensued. Irene Mulvey and David McFadden spoke in favor of the amendment.
MOVED by Dean Crabtree and seconded by Joseph Dennin, to call the question on the motion to amend. PASSED unanimously.
Motion to amend PASSED unanimously.
MOVED by Nancy Dallavalle and seconded by Al Benney, to call the question on the original motion. PASSED, with 2 nays.
Motion to approve the Revised Governance Document as amended PASSED 63-1 (voters present). Proxies: 2 in favor, 0 opposed: Total: PASSED 65-1.
MOVED by Irene Mulvey that the heartiest thanks be given to all those who worked so hard on these revisions. PASSED by acclamation, with applause.
Election of College Merit Plan Exploratory Committee
Chairman Sauer gave some background: at its meeting of March 25 the CAS faculty voted to form a Merit Plan Exploratory Committee. A call for volunteers went out, and several faculty members put their names forward. Chairman Sauer asked if there were any additional nominations from the floor. Several people were nominated. The final version of ballot was as follows:
Circle ONE from each division. (The Committee will consist of four people: the top vote-getter from each division and the next highest vote-getter overall)
Science and Math: Matt Kubasik, David Winn
Social and Behavioral : Susan Rakowitz
Arts and Humanities: Laura Nash, Dennis Keenan, Ellen Umansky
Ballots were passed out and collected. The following CAS faculty members were elected to the College Merit Plan Exploratory Committee:
Matt Kubasik
Susan Rakowitz
Laura Nash
Dennis Keenan
Comments from the Dean
Dean Crabtree gave an update on recent CAS hires:
Communication:
- Colleen Arendt of Purdue
- Michael Serazio of U. of Pennsylvania
Economics: Ania Askin of U. of Oregon
Modern Languages: Antonio Grau-Sempere of U. of Texas
History: Ali Yaycioglu of Harvard
Philosophy: David Pedudi, SJ, of Duquesne
Dean Crabtree reported that we have proposed searches for Biology, Economics, English, History, and Politics. Hopefully all of these will receive authorization to hire. SVPAA Fitzgerald has been promoting hires despite the University's tightening budget.
Dean Crabtree reported further that we have been courting some Jesuits. We were not able to hire all of the Jesuits we courted this past year, but we now have a monetary gift that will help us hire Jesuits next year.
Dean Crabtree congratulated Brian Walker of Biology, Gisela Gil-Egui and Qin Zhang of Communication, Jocelyn Boryczka of Politics, Terry Ann Jones of Sociology, Angela Biselli and Min Xu of Physics, and Mark Scalese of New Media in VPA for having been awarded tenure and promotion.
Dean Crabtree congratulated Shelley Phelan (BI), Larry Miners (EC), David Sapp (EN), and Linda Henkel (PY) for having been promoted to full professor.
Dean Crabtree announced that the Departmental Award for Assessment and Integration will be given in September.
Dean Crabtree praised the many research and publication accomplishments of the CAS faculty, and urged everyone to look at the books and articles on display at the back table.
Dean Crabtree announced the winner of the 2009-2010 Distinguished Teaching Award: Dr. Shannon Harding of the Department of Psychology.
Of Dr. Harding, Dean Crabtree stated:
"Extraordinary teaching begins with the expertise a faculty member brings into the classroom. Passion for the discipline generally and the course subject specifically is deepened by a professor's commitment to her own research and when students become colleagues in the process of rigorous inquiry. Such a teacher recognizes an opportunity to teach in every setting – whether in the classroom and laboratory, when supervising student research, in one-on-one advising, through mentoring colleagues in effective pedagogy, by promoting a culture of good teaching at the institution, or bringing the educational resources of the institution out into the community for the benefit of school teachers and children. Since she came to Fairfield in 2002, Professor Shannon Harding has demonstrated truly distinguished teaching and an unwavering commitment to student learning in all of these settings.
Among her numerous contributions, Professor Harding has been instrumental in advancing faculty-supervised research as an integral part of our students' academic and professional development. This has entailed hundreds of hours guiding students through intricate laboratory and surgical techniques, as well as advocacy to gain recognition for all faculty who mentor students in this intensive way. Beyond campus, Professor Harding and her students promote science among elementary and middle school students in Bridgeport. For her own teaching accomplishments and the many ways in which she models our Ignatian pedagogical ideals, Fairfield University's College of Arts and Sciences recognizes Professor Shannon Harding with the 2010 Distinguished Teaching Award."
Dr. Harding received a standing ovation from the College Faculty.
Dean Crabtree gave the titles of books published and book manuscripts accepted for publication by the CAS faculty this academic year, and congratulated the authors. See Appendix A for these books and authors.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:15 for a lively reception.
Respectfully submitted,
Bill Abbott
Appendix A
FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY
BOOKS PUBLISHED IN 2009-2010
BY FACULTY IN THE
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Robbin D. Crabtree, Co-Editor
Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
Professor of Communication
David Alan Sapp, Co-Editor
Professor of English
Feminist Pedagogy
Looking Back to Move Forward
John Hopkins University Press, 2009
David L. Downie, Co-Author
Associate Professor of Politics
Director of the Program of the Environment
Global Environmental Politics
Westview Press, 2010
David L. Downie, Co-Editor
Associate Professor of Politics
Director of the Program of the Environment
The Global Environment Institutions, Law, and Policy
CQ Press, 2011
Joy Gordon, Author
Professor of Philosophy
Invisible War
The United States and the Iraq Sanctions
Harvard University Press, 2010
Terry-Ann Jones, Co-Editor
Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology
Eric Mielants, Co-Editor
Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology
Mass Migration in the World-System
Past, Present, and Future
Paradigm Publishers, 2010
Terry-Ann Jones, Co-Editor
Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology
Eric Mielants, Co-Editor
Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology
Migrating Identities and Perspectives
Latin America and the Caribbean In Local and Global Contexts
Human Architecture Journal of the Sociology of Self-Knowledge
Volume VII, Issue 4, Fall 2010
Paul Lakeland, Author
Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J. Chair
Professor of Catholic Studies
Director of the Center for Catholic Studies
Church
Engaging Theology: Catholic Perspectives
Liturgical Press, 2009
Paul Lakeland, Editor
Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J. Chair
Professor of Catholic Studies and Religious Studies
Yves Congar: Selected Writings
Selected with an Introduction by Paul Lakeland
Modern Spiritual Masters Series
Orbis Books, 2010
Danke Li, Author
Associate Professor of History
Co-Director of Women Studies
Echoes of Chongqing
Women in Wartime China
University of Illinois Press, 2010
Nels Pearson, Co-Editor
Assistant Professor of English
Detective Fiction in a Postcolonial and
Transnational World
Ashgate Publishing Company, 2009
Michael P. Pagano, Author
Assistant Professor of Communication
Authoring Patient Records
An Interactive Guide
Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2011
Michael White, Author
Professor of English
Beautiful Assassin
Harper Collins Publisher, 2010
Margaret Wills, Editor
Associate Professor of Communication
Communicating Spirituality
In Health Care
Hampton Press, Inc, 2009