College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Meeting
Alumni House
November 10, 2017
3:30 p.m. to 5:20 p.m.
1.
Announcements
from
the Chair
The Chair welcomed everyone to today’s
College of Arts and Sciences Meeting.
2. Approval of the CAS Faculty Meeting Minutes on October 24, 2017 (Weiss/McClure). The minutes were approved with 13 abstentions.
3.
Faculty
Research
Minutes
Shannon
Gerry:
My
research focuses on the swimming and feeding behaviors of fishes. My
main focus has been a population of bluegill sunfish that differ in
their body shape based on habitat. Due to body shape, they swim and feed
differently. Most recently, I have been studying two fish from LI Sound
that hibernate when water temperature drop below 10 degrees. Therefore,
we are looking at the effects of temperature on muscle physiology and
locomotion.
Margaret McClure:
At the moment, I
have two lines of research. I have an appointment in the
Psychiatry Department at Mt. Sinai Medical School in Manhattan, and my
research there focuses on recovery for individuals with serious mental
illnesses such as schizophrenia. My current grant is a
double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of an agent that targets
the attentional network paired with cognitive remediation therapy, as
psychosocial intervention, with improvements in cognition and real-world
functional skills as the outcome measures. Here on campus, my
research lab looks at intimate partner violence in college dating
relationships. I am looking at distal risk factors such as
childhood trauma, anxious attachment, trait anxiety, and depression, and
proximal risk factors such as misperceiving the affect and intentions of
others, as well as poor emotion regulation.
Brian
Torff:
As Professor of Music at Fairfield University, I am currently
teaching The Music of Black Americans, Critical Issues in American Popular
Music: Blues to Hip Hop and directing the Jazz Ensemble. My new album, Post
Authentic
World, is a work of eleven original songs scored for New Duke, a
horn band that I lead. I composed a new Alma
Mater for Fairfield University that debuted at President Nemec’s
recent inauguration. Further, I composed music and will perform with my
band on the national CBS-TV special, Christmas at Fairfield University
which will be broadcast on midnight, Dec. 24, 2017…set your record
buttons.
I am lecturing tomorrow for Alumni College with the theme
being Essential American Songs: From Slave Shouts to Grandmaster Flash.
I am slated to teach History of Jazz in Provence for Study Abroad in June
of 2018, and hope to show how an American art form has profoundly
influenced French culture. My recording with the ground-breaking jazz
artist Mary Lou Williams, entitled Live at the Cookery was
recently named one of the ten essential Jazz albums by Jazz at Lincoln
Center.
It is the sound of a consummate artist, Ms. Williams in her
late 60’s at the peak of her abilities and a twenty-one-year-old kid from
Chicago who is hanging on for dear life.
I was lucky to be there.
Thank you.
4.
Dean’s
Remarks
When the NEASC
review committee was on campus, the committee made recommendations.
One thing that is important for the College of Arts and Sciences
is assessment. Most
departments do not have external accrediting bodies. The Dean will be
thinking on how we will do assessments within departments.
Another takeaway was concern over diversity with faculty
hiring. As we are in the
process of hiring faculty, and starting new processes for line requests, I
want to remind you that diversity is important.
Our students deserve a diverse faculty.
The Dean announced the Dean’s Seminar on Higher Education as
a way to begin a conversation within the college about national trends in
higher education and arts and sciences.
This seminar will happen once or twice a semester.
The first meeting of the seminar will happen on Wednesday,
November 29th at 3:30 pm in CNS 8.
The topic of conversation will be Academic Freedom.
The Dean will select four or five articles to help with a common
conversation.
With generous funding from the Humanities Institute and the
Dolan School of Business, Christian Madsbjerg will speak at Fairfield
University on November 14th.
The title of his
lecture is “Sensemaking:
The
Power of Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm.” The lecture will take
place at 7 p.m. in Fairfield University’s Dolan School of Business
Dining Room.
The Dean acknowledged that Core Revision has been discussed
at Fairfield for a long time. It
is really important because it gives a chance for Faculty to think about
what students will get out of their education at Fairfield.
The Dean commended the committee for their work on the revisions.
The Dean sees this as the beginning of a process not the end of
the process. The College can,
if it chooses, have a separate CAS core in addition to the university
core, similar to the Dolan School of Business Core.
There are things we need to think about.
What will CAS majors need to be well-rounded citizens of the
world? The Interim Dean of
the Dolan School of Business acknowledges that one year of a foreign
language is important for their students and will not change their current
requirements for such. There
may be courses that were lost and will need to be put in a secondary core.
We can’t begin a discussion on this secondary core until we make
a decision on the Core that is presented today.
5.
Core
Revision
Prof. Shannon Harding mentioned that the Core Revision
Committee has continued to meet with the Department of Modern Languages
and Literature (MLL) and the Department of Visual and Performing Arts
(VPA) and the Director of the Humanities.
The revised proposal strives to achieve a common core for
undergraduate students across the University.
Prof. Harding made the
following motion, which was seconded by Prof. Bowen.
Motion: The
Faculty
of the College of Arts and Sciences endorses “The Magis Core Curriculum” and recommends that the undergraduate core
curriculum be revised accordingly.
The
Magis Core Curriculum
Mission
Magis
is a Latin word that means “more” or “better.”
In The Spiritual
Exercises, St. Ignatius writes: “Our one desire and choice
should be what is more
conducive to the end for which we are created.”
Magis
denotes the cultivation of a disposition that acknowledges the
generosity of God and embodies it in our generosity to others.
The word and the disposition it represents are related to the
phrase Ad majorem Dei gloriam,
“for the greater glory of God.” The
Magis Core Curriculum is
deeply rooted in the Jesuit Catholic tradition and aims to provide an
educational context for discerning the common good and for transforming
students and faculty into men and women for others.
As
Fairfield University’s Mission of
the Core (1999) states: “While these values are given particular
shape and texture in the Christian story that indelibly marks the
history and identity of Fairfield University, they are universal ideals,
which as the University Mission Statement suggests, are ‘the obligation
of all educated, mature human beings.’”
The Magis Core
Curriculum supports and reflects the University’s Mission, educating the
whole person and offering on-going opportunities for transformation.
The Magis Core
Curriculum weaves three “signature elements” throughout the
disciplinary-based core courses: an Interdisciplinary element, a Social
Justice element, and a Writing Intensive element.
ORIENTATION
•
English (Composition and Rhetoric)
(1 course)
•
Religious Studies
(1 course)
•
Philosophy
(1 course)
•
History
(1 course)
•
Mathematics
(1 course)
•
Modern/Classical Language (1
course)
1
additional course in either Mathematics or Modern/Classical
Language
EXPLORATION
•
Humanities
Religious
Studies
/ Philosophy / History (2 courses in 2 different
departments)
English
(Literature,
including selected courses in English translation) (1 course)
Visual
and Performing Arts (1
course)
•
Natural Sciences
Biology
/ Chemistry / Physics (2
courses)
•
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Sociology
and
Anthropology
/ Psychology / Economics / Politics / Communication
(2 courses)
Signature
Elements
·
Interdisciplinary
element (1 course): either
a
team-taught course, or a
cluster course, or an
individually taught course (with at least one instructor in the College
of Arts and Sciences). (All courses within the Orientation and
Exploration areas.)
·
Social
Justice element (3 courses):
one course providing an orientation to social justice, and two
additional social justice courses that addresses race, class, and
gender. (All courses within the Orientation and Exploration areas.)
·
Writing
Intensive element (3 courses): two
courses
(within the Orientation and Exploration areas) plus one additional
course fulfilled within either
the Orientation and Exploration areas (Writing Across the Curriculum) or
within a Major (Writing in the Disciplines).
Prof. Johnson thanked the committee for their hard work.
She made the following friendly amendment:
EXPLORATION
•
Humanities
Religious
Studies
/ Philosophy / History (2
courses in 2 different
departments)
English
or
MLL or /Classics (1
course)
Visual
and Performing Arts (1
course)
The Modern Languages and Literature (MLL) Department is a
Humanities Department. Faculty
in MLL teach literature courses in the target language.
The amendment was seconded by Prof. McFadden.
Prof. Bucki asked for clarification about where the amendment
would be placed in the motion.
Professors Thiel and Pearson
spoke in favor of the amendment.
Prof. Keenan asked if this would affect VPA courses that are
cross-listed in other Departments.
Prof.
McFadden
called the question. Seconded
by
Prof. Umansky. The vote to
call the question passed with one no vote.
The
amendment
passed overwhelmingly.
Prof. Xiao made an amendment
to the motion. She wanted
to require two semesters of the same modern or classical languages at
any level with no place-outs. This
was seconded by Prof. McFadden.
Prof. Baginski asked if a
student comes in with AP credit, how would this affect their language
placement? Prof. Johnson
responded that AP credits would place them in a certain level of a
language and will not place a student out of a language.
Prof. Harding spoke against the motion, since this would
increase the number of courses in the core curriculum to 16 courses or
reduce the mathematics requirement.
Prof. Harding stated that the
task force recommended a year of a foreign language at any level.
This did not work for the School of Engineering and as a
result, the School of Engineering came up with a compromise, which is
engineering students can take computer programming.
In the proposed Core Curriculum, every student will still have
exposure to a modern/classical language.
Prof.
Mulvey
spoke against the amended motion. We
are trying to reduce the core and the Mathematics Department is
accepting the reductions to the core.
Prof. Thiel spoke against the
amended motion. We charged
the committee to develop a common university core.
All of our disciplines are taking a hit and the Core Committee
negotiated a compromise that was brilliant.
Prof. Carolan spoke in favor of the amended motion.
She felt that only requiring one semester of a foreign language
was insufficient.
Prof. Rakowitz called the
question. Prof. Bowen
seconded. The question was
called.
Vote
on
the amendment: (18 in
favor, 78 opposed, 3 abstentions). The
amendment failed.
Prof. Dallavalle suggested the
following revision, which was seconded by Prof. Baginski:
In
The Spiritual Exercises, St.
Ignatius writes: “Our
one
desire and choice should be what is more
[Magis] conducive to the end for which we are created.”
Magis
denotes the cultivation of a disposition that acknowledges the
generosity of God and embodies it in our generosity to others. The Magis
Core Curriculum is deeply rooted in the Jesuit Catholic tradition and
aims to provide an educational context for discerning the common good
and for transforming students and faculty into men and women for others.
As
Fairfield University’s Mission of
the Core (1999) states: “While these values are given particular
shape and texture in the Christian story that indelibly marks the
history and identity of Fairfield University, they are universal ideals,
which as the University Mission Statement suggests, are ‘the obligation
of all educated, mature human beings.’”
The Magis Core
Curriculum supports and reflects the University’s Mission, educating the
whole person and offering on-going opportunities for transformation.
The Magis Core
Curriculum weaves three “signature elements” throughout the
disciplinary-based core courses: an Interdisciplinary element, a Social
Justice element, and a Writing Intensive element.
Prof.
Lakeland
called the question, which was seconded by Prof. Epstein.
The question was called with one person voting against and one
abstention.
Prof. Umansky asked if we
voted on this now, would this preclude further discussion on the mission
statement later on? Prof. Harding mentioned that the Mission statement
came from the motion that was passed by the UCC.
The
vote
on the amendment to the mission statement was (90 = in favor; 1 =
against, 5= abstentions). The
amendment passed.
Prof Epstein asked if courses
in psychology and anthropology will still count toward the natural
science core. Prof. Harding
stated that the courses may have to be cross listed.
Prof.
Boquet
mentioned that the Core Revision Committee wanted to see the Jesuit
mission stated in the core curriculum.
The
Core Revision committee wanted to name the core curriculum.
Prof.
Biardi
proposed an amendment: change
the word mission to rationale. Seconded
by Prof. Fernandez.
Prof.
Davis
spoke against the amendment. She
also
mentioned that the Committee put a lot of effort in preparing the
motions and that we should move away from word smithing at this time.
Prof
Salafia
stated that we are voting on the core curriculum.
We can discuss the mission statement at a later time.
Prof.
Rosavich wanted to come back to the word “MAGIS” at a later time.
Prof.
Thiel
called the question, which was seconded by Prof. McClure seconded.
The question was called.
The
vote on the proposed amendment by Prof. Biardi was (2 = in favor, 77 =
against, 12 abstentions). The
motion failed.
Prof.
Bowen
spoke in favor of the amended Core Curriculum as it will move us to a
shared core across the University.
Prof. Bowen called the
question on the amended motion, which was seconded by Prof. Tullis.
The vote was 58 in favor and 4 opposed. The question was
called.
The amended core curriculum is
The
Magis Core Curriculum
Mission
In
The Spiritual Exercises, St.
Ignatius writes: “Our
one
desire and choice should be what is more
[Magis] conducive to the end for which we are created.”
Magis
denotes the cultivation of a disposition that acknowledges the
generosity of God and embodies it in our generosity to others. The Magis
Core Curriculum is deeply rooted in the Jesuit Catholic tradition and
aims to provide an educational context for discerning the common good
and for transforming students and faculty into men and women for others.
As
Fairfield University’s Mission of
the Core (1999) states: “While these values are given particular
shape and texture in the Christian story that indelibly marks the
history and identity of Fairfield University, they are universal ideals,
which as the University Mission Statement suggests, are ‘the obligation
of all educated, mature human beings.’”
The Magis Core
Curriculum supports and reflects the University’s Mission, educating the
whole person and offering on-going opportunities for transformation.
The Magis Core
Curriculum weaves three “signature elements” throughout the
disciplinary-based core courses: an Interdisciplinary element, a Social
Justice element, and a Writing Intensive element.
ORIENTATION
•
English (Composition and Rhetoric)
(1 course)
•
Religious Studies
(1 course)
•
Philosophy
(1 course)
•
History
(1 course)
•
Mathematics
(1 course)
•
Modern/Classical Language (1
course)
1
additional course in either Mathematics or Modern/Classical
Language
EXPLORATION
•
Humanities
Religious
Studies
/ Philosophy / History (2 courses in 2 different
departments)
English
or
MLL or /Classics (1
course
in Literature)
Visual
and Performing Arts (1
course)
•
Natural Sciences
Biology
/ Chemistry / Physics (2
courses)
•
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Sociology
and
Anthropology
/ Psychology / Economics / Politics / Communication
(2 courses)
Signature
Elements
·
Interdisciplinary
element (1 course): either
a
team-taught course, or a
cluster course, or an
individually taught course (with at least one instructor in the College
of Arts and Sciences). (All courses within the Orientation and
Exploration areas.)
·
Social
Justice element (3 courses):
one course providing an orientation to social justice, and two
additional social justice courses that addresses race, class, and
gender. (All courses within the Orientation and Exploration areas.)
·
Writing
Intensive element (3 courses): two
courses
(within the Orientation and Exploration areas) plus one additional
course fulfilled within either
the Orientation and Exploration areas (Writing Across the Curriculum) or
within a Major (Writing in the Disciplines).
Prof.
Crawford
moved to use paper ballots and this was seconded by Prof. Johnson.
The vote was (35 = in favor, 24 = opposed).
The use of paper ballots was passed.
The
amended
core curriculum passed: 85
in favor, 17 opposed, 2 abstentions.
Prof. Harding made the following motion.
Seconded by Prof. Abbott.
Motion: The
Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences recommends the following
administrative structure for the Magis
Core Curriculum:
Faculty
Administrative Structure
The
Dean
of the College of Arts and Sciences will appoint a full-time faculty
member in the College of Arts and Sciences to be the Director of the Magis
Core Curriculum.
There
will
be a Director for each Signature Element in the Magis Core Curriculum: Director of the Interdisciplinary element,
Director of Social Justice element, and Director of the Writing Intensive
element. These three Directors will be full-time faculty members in the
College of Arts and Sciences, appointed by the Dean of the College, in
consultation with the Director of the Magis
Core Curriculum.
In
the
event that any one of the four Directors steps down, the Dean will appoint
a replacement.
The
Director
of the Magis Core Curriculum,
the three Directors of the Signature Elements and the College Dean (or the
Dean’s designee) will constitute the Magis Core Curriculum Committee.
The Director of the Magis
Core Curriculum shall:
·
Oversee all aspects of the
implementation of the Magis Core
Curriculum;
·
Oversee the ongoing execution of
the Magis Core Curriculum,
recommending changes and revisions to the faculty for approval when
appropriate;
·
Convene and chair meetings of the
Magis Core Curriculum Committee
at least twice a semester;
·
Report to the College Faculty
annually;
·
Report to the General Faculty
annually;
·
Report to the Undergraduate
Curriculum Committee annually.
The Director of each Signature Element shall:
·
Be available as a resource to
faculty teaching courses that satisfy that particular signature element in
order to enhance and improve the integration of the signature element into
courses;
·
Be available as a resource for
faculty who would like to propose a course to satisfy that particular
signature element;
·
Monitor availability of courses
to satisfy that signature element;
·
Attend meetings of the Magis Core Curriculum Committee.
The Magis
Core Curriculum Committee shall:
·
Meet, at least twice each
semester, to discuss the ongoing operation of all aspects of the Magis
Core Curriculum;
·
Draft a course approval process,
including the ability to appeal a decision, to be submitted to the UCC for
approval.
Prof. Rosavich moved to adjourn. (8 = in favor.
47 = against). Motion
to adjourn fails.
At this point in the meeting, Prof. LoMonaco departed and Prof. McClure Chaired the meeting.
Prof. Lakeland amended the motion to replace the words
full-time faculty member with “tenured faculty member.”
This was seconded by Prof. Mulvey.
Prof. Harding wanted to keep the wording
as is.
Prof. Huber asked if the words “tenured faculty member” could
be replaced with “tenured or tenure-track faculty members.”
Prof. Bowen, spoke against the motion since it disenfranchises
the person we just hired to lead core writing.
Prof. Lakeland withdrew his
amendment and Prof. Mulvey withdrew her second.
Prof. Bowen made a
motion to replace the words full-time with tenured or tenure track.
Seconded by Prof. Boquet.
The question
was called and was passed with 4 no votes and two abstentions.
Prof. Schwab asked about assessing the core in three and five
years. The assessment of the
core curriculum was addressed in the proposal.
Prof. Epstein asked if this motion has to go back to the
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. Prof.
Harding stated that her understanding is that it will go to the
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, then the Educational Planning
Committee, then the Academic Council and then the General Faculty.
The amended motion is
Motion: The
Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences recommends the following
administrative structure for the Magis
Core Curriculum:
Faculty
Administrative Structure
The
Dean
of the College of Arts and Sciences will appoint a tenured or tenure-track
faculty member in the College of Arts and Sciences to be the Director of
the Magis Core Curriculum.
There
will
be a Director for each Signature Element in the Magis Core Curriculum: Director of the Interdisciplinary element,
Director of Social Justice element, and Director of the Writing Intensive
element. These three Directors will be tenured or tenure-track faculty
members in the College of Arts and Sciences, appointed by the Dean of the
College, in consultation with the Director of the Magis
Core Curriculum.
In
the
event that any one of the four Directors steps down, the Dean will appoint
a replacement.
The
Director
of the Magis Core Curriculum,
the three Directors of the Signature Elements and the College Dean (or the
Dean’s designee) will constitute the Magis Core Curriculum Committee.
The Director of the Magis
Core Curriculum shall:
·
Oversee all aspects of the
implementation of the Magis Core
Curriculum;
·
Oversee the ongoing execution of
the Magis Core Curriculum,
recommending changes and revisions to the faculty for approval when
appropriate;
·
Convene and chair meetings of the
Magis Core Curriculum Committee
at least twice a semester;
·
Report to the College Faculty
annually;
·
Report to the General Faculty
annually;
·
Report to the Undergraduate
Curriculum Committee annually.
The Director of each Signature Element shall:
·
Be available as a resource to
faculty teaching courses that satisfy that particular signature element in
order to enhance and improve the integration of the signature element into
courses;
·
Be available as a resource for
faculty who would like to propose a course to satisfy that particular
signature element;
·
Monitor availability of courses
to satisfy that signature element;
·
Attend meetings of the Magis Core Curriculum Committee.
The Magis
Core Curriculum Committee shall:
·
Meet, at least twice each
semester, to discuss the ongoing operation of all aspects of the Magis
Core Curriculum;
·
Draft a course approval process,
including the ability to appeal a decision, to be submitted to the UCC for
approval.
Vote on Amended
motion: (79 = in favor,
3 = opposed, 2
= abstentions).
Prof. Epstein thanked the core
curriculum for their hard work.
6.
Adjournment
Prof.
Harding made a motion to adjourn. Seconded
by Prof. Miecznikowski
Respectfully Submitted,
John R. Miecznikowski
Secretary of the College of Arts and Sciences.