FACULTY MEETING
December 3, 2004
Gannett Auditorium
MINUTES
President Philip A. Glotzbach called the meeting to order at 3:38 p.m.
President Glotzbach asked if there were any objections to the approval of the November 5, 2004 Faculty Meeting minutes; hearing no objections, the minutes were approved.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
President Glotzbach began his report by reminding everyone that they should have received an invitation to attend the Annual Holiday Open House at Scribner House and hopes everyone can attend.
As of the end of October, the market value of Skidmore’s endowment was $182 million. This figure doesn’t reflect an increase in giving as much as better investment results. The Institutional Planning Committee (IPC) has been working since June on a revised version of the Strategic Plan. A copy of the current draft should be available on a webpage in the next week, and IPC welcomes comments.
President Glotzbach commented on the recent announcement regarding the restructuring
of Academic Affairs. He addressed a comment that was made regarding why a search is
not being done for the Vice President for Academic Affairs position. While it makes
logical sense to hold simultaneous searches for the Dean of Special Programs and Dean
of Faculty positions, it would not be advantageous to initiate a third search for
the VPAA position. This also allows Dean Joseph, who has experience and who has some
continuity at Skidmore, to mentor the two new deans.
President Glotzbach has confidence in Dean Joseph, and stated one typically does not
launch a search just because a position has been restructured. This restructuring
will not disrupt the review schedule for the VPAA’s position; Dean Joseph will undergo
a third-year review during the 2005-06 academic year. Restructuring will result in
minor changes to the President’s workload, but his focus will primarily remain the
same. The intended result of this action is to have a Dean of Faculty who can work
directly with the faculty, departments, and programs without the added responsibilities
of the VPAA position. A question was raised as to what impact these changes will have
on money for positions and tenure-track lines. President Glotzbach answered that President’s
Staff is already committed to funding the previously announced lines for next year,
and the Strategic Plan commits to adding a total of fifteen lines, some of which have
already been added. In sum, this restructuring will not force a trade-off for faculty
positions. President Glotzbach thanked the various committees (CAPT, CFG, IPC) who
discussed these changes and helped work through the details.
Last Tuesday the Friends of the President’s (FOP) dinner was held in NYC; about 250 people attended. A number of people spoke, including Tad Kuroda as the Ciancio winner, Matt Cronin ‘06, organizer of the debate team this year, and President Glotzbach. Last year the FOP group raised $10 million for the College, most of which goes to the Annual Fund.
DEAN OF FACULTY’S REPORT
Dean Joseph began by acknowledging the many changes that will be forthcoming. He also stated he will continue to work with the Committee on Appointments, Promotions and Tenure (CAPT), the Committee on Faculty Governance (CFG), and Special Programs in the coming weeks as the searches for the Dean of Special Program and Dean of Faculty progress. Work will also be done to determine the reporting structures of the two dean positions. Re-gearing and changing of positions and responsibilities within the Dean of Faculty’s Office staff will happen as well. Dean Joseph recently returned from a meeting of the Northeast Regional Deans. Northeast Regional Deans is a group of deans from approximately twenty-five schools in this part of the country. The members of the group are dealing with many of the issues Skidmore is addressing; e.g., first-year-experience, how student and academic affairs can work most closely together, the role of athletics, the senior administrative structure, the equivalent to Skidmore’s Dean of Studies position, reporting practices, and assessment practices.
Nine department chair positions are open, and Dean Joseph is in the process of making
appointments. The appointments will be announced in the next month or so. Dean Joseph
will soon make a determination of the distribution of the three new tenure-track lines
with an announcement forthcoming in the next week or so. Dean Joseph is also in the
midst of interviewing tenure-track candidates. He has completed about a dozen interviews
to date, but by end of year will have completed about fifty interviews. Dean Joseph
thanked the chairs and directors for their work in
assembling robust candidate pools and to all faculty members who have been spending
time with the candidates. Dean Joseph spoke about the recent resignation of Jeff Segrave,
Director of Athletics, who will return to full-time teaching. Dean Joseph has asked
him to continue coaching women’s tennis given his tremendous success over the years
in that sport. Jeff’s willingness to contribute to the larger good is legend, and
his success is notable in having skillfully and civilly dealt with difficult issues
and mapped out strategies for the future and the advancement of the
program. Jeff is an international scholar and a wonderful teacher and mentor.
Dean Joseph read a few paragraphs from an internal document composed by the 1982 Summer
Study Group on Curriculum and Calendar which was addressed to the Committee on Educational
Policy and Planning. The relevant section is entitled “The Common Course” which pertained
to the creation of Skidmore’s Liberal Studies program. The Liberal Studies Program
placed a truly unique stamp on Skidmore and genuinely led to an educational transformation
that will continue to guide Skidmore in the years ahead. At Skidmore, there continues
to be, as former colleague Dave Burrows once said, “A basic and compelling rage to
know.” The faculty reception following this meeting is for the celebration of the
accomplishments of the Liberal Studies Program. Dean Joseph asked Michael Arnush,
on behalf of CEPP, to read a Resolution into the record (see Attachment A). A special thanks and round of applause was given to Joanna Zangrando, Director
of the Liberal Studies Program, and Michael Marx, Coordinator of Liberal Studies I.
President Glotzbach then introduced Michael West as Vice President for Business and
Administration and also added
his thanks and appreciation to Jeff Segrave.
REPORTS
There were no reports.
OLD BUSINESS
MOTION:
Professor John Anzalone, on behalf of the Committee on Faculty Governance (CFG), opened the floor for discussion of a motion previously introduced and discussed at last month’s meeting, specifically Motion 3 having been recommitted to this meeting for clarification of faculty trustee observer positions (see Attachment B).
MOTION 3: There was no discussion; the motion was put to a vote and passed with all in favor. Professor Anzalone made an announcement regarding candidates for committee service. There is one more candidate needed for the CAPT, Committee on Educational Policies and Planning (CEPP), and the Institutional Policies and Planning Committee (IPPC). The slots must be filled by Monday (December 6). Of the candidates willing to serve so far, six departments out of twenty-one are represented. Professor Anzalone stated the faculty should do better to help.
MOTION:
Associate Professor Michael Arnush, on behalf of the CEPP opened the floor for discussion
of the following motion: CEPP moves that the faculty terminate the affiliation with
Regent's College in London for the First-Year Experience. Rationale: This motion comes
to CEPP from Cori Filson, Director of International Programs. This motion was introduced
at the last meeting. (See
Attachment C.) Discussion proceeded; the motion was put to a vote and passed with all in favor.
MOTION:
Associate Professor Michael Arnush, on behalf of the CEPP opened the floor for discussion
the following motion: CEPP moves that the faculty establish an affiliation with the
Institute for the
International Education of Studies (IES) in London for the First-Year Experience.
Rationale: This motion comes to CEPP from Cori Filson, Director of International Programs.
This motion was
introduced at the last meeting. (See Attachment D.) Discussion proceeded; a friendly amendment was accepted by the committee to correct
a typographical error in the first sentence (change International Education of Studies
to International Education of Students), the motion was put to a vote and passed with
all in favor.
NEW BUSINESS
MOTION:
Associate Professor Michael Arnush, on behalf of the CEPP introduced the following motion: CEPP moves that the faculty approve the 4+1 Articulation Agreement with the Graduate College of Union University, thus permitting Skidmore students to complete an MBA degree with one year of matriculation at Union University: This motion comes to CEPP from Associate Professor James Kennelly, Chair, Department of Management and Business and the department itself. (See Attachment E.) Coming from the Committee, the motion required no second and will lie over until the next meeting.
OTHER BUSINESS
President Glotzbach thanked Michael Arnush for taking on the responsibility of Director of the First Year Experience.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Michael Arnush, announced that he was resigning as chair of CEPP in order to take the position of director of the First Year Experience Program. He also announced a two-day workshop that will be occurring on January 17 and January 18. More information regarding seminars, proposal requirements, and deadlines will going out to the faculty by email within the next week or so.
President Glotzbach thanked everyone for their hard work during the fall semester.
President Glotzbach, on behalf of Dining Services, invited everyone to attend the Faculty Reception honoring the Liberal Studies Program to be held at the Surrey Williamson Inn.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Colleen M. Kelly
Executive Secretary
Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty