FACULTY MEETING 

September 3, 1999
GANNETT AUDITORIUM

MINUTES 

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS

Phyllis Roth, Dean of the Faculty, welcomed the faculty, and told them that the administration is working very closely with CFG to assure that faculty meetings run as efficiently as possible. She introduced John Morris, a member of the Board of Trustees for twelve years, who served on the Presidential Search Committee.

John Morris told the faculty that today’s meeting was an important symbolic moment in which the President and the faculty come together in a formal way. The Search Committee was very impressed with Jamie’s clear understanding of Skidmore College, her strong administrative skills, and her deep sense and understanding of the crucial issues that face liberal arts colleges in today’s world. He said that it was a pleasure to participate in this symbolic moment, and he introduced Skidmore’s sixth president to the faculty. 

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

President Studley thanked John for his generous introduction and for the faculty’s warm welcome.

Her observation of Skidmore College is that it is a special and wonderful place, different from other colleges in our peer group. It had a distinctive beginning, is younger and gutsier, has extraordinary academic programs, and is more serious about teaching than most other colleges. Skidmore’s mission throughout its existence has been to prepare students for careers as well as the cultivation of values, and we may be light years ahead in what others strive for. Skidmore is also extraordinary because of its community and diversity.

President Studley feels that Skidmore College has many successes. We have better and better students with whom we can do more and more exciting things, we have extraordinary programs, and we are gaining national attention. President Studley looks forward to building on the College’s successes.

She stated that she is astonished by how little institutional hubris we have, and we should spend more time celebrating our excellence and our strength. Rather than comparing ourselves to other institutions, we should concentrate on meeting our own ambitious goals and high standards and take pride in what we give our students that is lasting, true and special.

President Studley would like to have meetings on a department-by-department basis in order to get to know the faculty as quickly as possible. She will also schedule informal exchanges with the faculty, have student forums and conversations, work with the Trustees, and meet the wider Skidmore community. Planning and priority setting will also be important goals. She will provide a forum for our community to chart our course in the direction of our second major centennial in 2011.

Another project is to build a strong team. A national search will be launched for a Vice President in the Development and Alumni Affairs Department, and she thanked Marny Krause for her leadership over the last several months. Pat Oles will serve as Interim Dean of Student Affairs for two additional years, and Phyllis Roth has decided to step down as Dean of the Faculty and will take a sabbatical next year. President Studley will talk to appropriate faculty committees as well as CAPT and CFG on how to move forward in filling these positions, and she will return to talk about the ideas that are generated.

President Studley feels that the members of the faculty are the heroes in Skidmore’s success story, and she looks forward to working with them to make this the best possible Skidmore. 

DEAN OF THE FACULTY’S REPORT

Dean Roth personally welcomed President Studley, commenting on how quickly she has come to understand Skidmore College and knows that she will direct us in ways that will honor our traditions and reflect our best aspirations.

Dean Roth’s ambitions for next year are to have the assessment plan in a draft form so that it can be written for Middle States next year. The Office of the Dean of Faculty will be talking with the faculty and CAPT about evaluation procedures and how they can be improved. She then welcomed the faculty members who returned from one-year sabbaticals: John Anzalone, David Baum, Una Bray, Grace Burton, Terry Diggory, Gautam Dasgupta, Penny Jolly, Chuck Joseph, Greg Pfitzer, Ron Seyb. Dean Roth also welcomed those who returned from their leave in the spring of 1999: Betty Balevic, Ralph Ciancio, Ruth Copans, Joanne Felt, Tim Koechlin, Susan Lehr, Michael Marx, Roy Meyers, John Nazarenko, Patricia Rubio, and Jan Vinci. Dean Roth also welcomed back Susan Van Hook, Tim Harper, who has rejoined us as Trustee Visiting Scholar in the Department of Management and Business, and Susan Kress, who directed Skidmore’s London program last spring.

Dean Roth asked the faculty to please respond to Liz Bourque or Jeanne Sisson if they can host a delegate during Inauguration.

Susan Bender, Associate Dean, introduced the new faculty members and the Distinguished Visiting Fellow in the Arts and Sciences, Harry van der Hulst.

Jon Ramsey, Dean of Studies, introduced Kara Sheldon, the Director of the International Programs Office, and Anissa Callowhill, the Program Assistant. 

DEAN OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS’ REPORT

Don McCormack introduced David Glaser, Director of Skidmore’s MALS Program. His department had a very busy summer. He had 47 groups on campus this summer and over 4,000 people in residence with 90 faculty teaching a host of programs. He thanked the entire community and his staff for their support. 

DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS’ REPORT

Mary Lou Bates, Director of Admissions, reported that the Class of 2003 consists of 650 men and women. This year’s applicant pool was over 5,400, and the acceptance rate was once more under 50 percent. Over half of the class (57percent) attended public high schools; the remaining 43 percent attended private or parochial schools. Of the Class, 37 percent were accepted on early decision and 41 percent are receiving financial aid from the College, the highest percentage in the history. The percentage of men is the highest in nine years with 43 percent being males. The class includes the highest number and percentage of ALANA students in the College’s history and the highest SATs ever—1215 vs. 1200 last year. 

OLD BUSINESS

The minutes of April 30 and May 19 meetings were approved as written. 

NEW BUSINESS

Tad Kuroda, on behalf of CFG, moved the adoption of the 1999-00 edition of the Faculty Handbook. An e-mail message was sent to all faculty members detailing the proposal along with supporting materials. He asked the faculty to review the changes that have been listed and get back to CFG with questions or comments. He hopes there will be a vote on the motion at the October meeting.

President Studley informed the faculty that Skidmore inadvertently violated the water ban, and the College received a warning. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• President Studley invited all who were present to join her at the traditional reception in honor of new faculty at Scribner House.

A motion was made to adjourn the meeting, it was seconded, and all voted in favor.

Respectfully submitted, 

 

Claire Demarest
Executive Secretary
to the Dean of the Faculty