Faculty Meeting Minutes
September 7, 2001

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

A motion to approve the May 15, 2001 faculty meeting minutes was made. The motion was seconded, and it passed with all voting in favor.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

President Studley presented to the faculty a progression of numbers each with explanation. In summary they were:

1 - Today is the first faculty meeting of the year.

2 - There are two strands of Skidmore’s defining character:

• •  liberal arts as preparation for life, and
  •  the marriage of the life of the mind with the life of action and accomplishment,

which connect education at Skidmore with students’ personal and professional career goals.

10 - The number of seats at the “singles” table in the Faculty/Staff Club is ten.

19 - There were 19 summa cum laude graduates in the Class of 2001 and there will probably be more in the Class of 2005

42 - Skidmore is ranked 42nd in U.S. News and World Report. Skidmore was ranked 47th last year.

53 - There were at least 53 classes in which reference was made to Kary Mulllis’ presentation at Opening Convocation. Although there were many different reactions to the Dr. Mullis’ presentation, President Studley was glad to see convocation as a subject of discussion debated on campus.

146 - The number of faculty members who participated in planning roundtables last year. IPC is currently reviewing a draft strategic planning document that will be circulated at the end of the month for community discussion. Administrators, faculty and all-college committees will be asked to develop more specific goals, projects, targets and costs.

156 - The July 31 value of our endowment is $156 million. The College is readying for another campaign based on the goals set through the strategic planning process.

 

DEAN OF THE FACULTY’S REPORT

Dean John Berman welcomed the faculty to the new academic year. Dean Berman said he would describe Skidmore as a community of learners and the faculty as the heart of the institution who are passionate about sharing their scholarship with students. Skidmore's real strength is that it is a community. He would like to see faculty/student interaction and scholarship maximized.

The new plan will propose enhancing faculty/student interactions, and Dean Berman envisions increased opportunity for capstone courses, independent studies, collaborative research, field trips, etc. He also envisions loosening our conception of what constitutes a course. He plans to explore, for example, the possibility of more one-credit modules, one-week blocks, or series of week-end blocks. He would like to see advising relationships between faculty and students broadened and the curriculum further enriched through creative uses of technology.
How would we accomplish this? In the draft plan now at IPC, the very first concept is enhancing academic excellence by increasing both the numbers of faculty and support for faculty development.

Other issues Dean Berman will be working on include: a) working with the CAPT on addressing procedures for promotion to full professor; b) increasing assessment efforts with resources provided by the Christian Johnson Endeavor grant that Skidmore recently received; c) developing strategies with an ad hoc committee and Diversity and Affirmative Action Committee to attract and retain more faculty from underrepresented groups; and d) working with an ad hoc committee and CEPP to review the role of athletics at Skidmore.

One of his goals will be to attempt to focus faculty voice and to find ways of using faculty time more effectively to further the mission of the College. One venue for that is faculty meetings. He would like to try a process where each of the issues we study comes to a faculty meeting at various stages of its discussion.

 

REPORTS

Charlie Stainback, Dayton Director of the Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, reported that there have been twelve exhibitions in the ten months the Tang has been open, and a number of these are touring nationally. The Tang is quickly becoming a unique museum, has received great publicity, and is raising money for the College. He encouraged the faculty to become better acquainted with the Tang and bring their ideas for exhibitions forward. The next exhibition, "Paradise Now: Picturing Genetic Revolution," begins September 20.
Penny Jolly said she is working on a college-wide symposium during senior week on the subject of "hair" and asked the faculty to think about ideas.

Donald McCormack, Dean of Special Programs, reported that the summer programs were very successful, especially the Harlem Boys Choir. He informed the faculty that Alan Goldberg pledged money for the establishment of the "Choir Academy of Harlem" endowed scholarship fund which will enable a member of the choir to attend Skidmore College.

President Studley reviewed the fundraising results for 2001 with the faculty (see Attachment A), thanking the faculty for the important role they play in securing foundation and alumni support.

 

INTRODUCTIONS

Dean Berman introduced the new full-time faculty members. (See Attachment B.) In addition, he introduced Cori Filson, the International Programs Director in the Office of the Dean of Students.

Karl Broekhuizen introduced Karen Sternberg, the new Director of Financial Services and Associate Treasurer.

Dean Pat Oles introduced Dr. Glen Egelman, Director of Health Services, and Ann Marie Przywara '96, Assistant Director of Residential Life.

President Studley introduced Keith Kirshner, President of Student Government Association; Kate Nedelman, Vice President for Residential Affairs; and Douglas Humphrey, Vice President for Academic Affairs. Dr. Marion Terenzio was also introduced. She is Professor of Arts and Psychology and Acting Vice President for Campus Life at the Sage Colleges. She will be an American Council of Education (ACE) Fellow at Skidmore this year. As part of the ACE Fellowship program, Dr. Terenzio will spend half her time "shadowing" and meeting with President Studley and other senior officers at Skidmore and assisting with selected initiatives and special projects. Also introduced was Skidmore's Chaplain, Reverend Eric Two Wolfs Payne.

 

NEW BUSINESS

Mark Huibregtse, Chair of CFG, presented two motions that will lie over to the October faculty meeting.

Motion 1. The Committee on Faculty Governance moves that the description of the Faculty Development Committee (Part Two, II. F. 10., page 214) be revised as follows (additions are shown in bold; deletions are italicized and underlined.)

10. Faculty Development Committee (FDC) – Elected

Function: To advise the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty on faculty development policies; . . .; to select the annual Edwin Moseley Faculty Research Lecturer and the recipient of the Ralph A. Ciancio Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Membership: Four faculty members with tenure, one each from the areas of the humanities, the natural sciences, the pre-professional programs, and the social sciences, each member to be elected for a two-year term; the Assistant to the Dean of the Faculty for Faculty Development and Sponsored Researcha representative of the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the faculty, non-voting.

Motion 2. Contingent upon the adoption of the first motion, CFG moves the adoption of the 2001-02 Faculty Handbook. (See Attachment C for the complete list of changes.)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

John Anzalone, Chair of CAPT, announced that CAPT’s code and calendar for this coming academic year were ready and would be sent to the faculty via email.

President Studley, on behalf of herself and her husband, Gary Smith, invited faculty and staff to the reception at Scribner House immediately following the meeting to welcome Skidmore's newest faculty and staff members.

The meeting adjourned at 5:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Claire Demarest
Executive Secretary
Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty