Faculty Meeting Minutes

September 9, 2022
Filene Auditorium/Zoom

Michael Orr, Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs, called the meeting to order at 3:34 p.m.  After welcoming everyone to the first Faculty Meeting of the new academic year, DOF/VPAA Orr expressed regret that it had been necessary to move the location of the meeting to Filene Auditorium on such short notice. DOF/VPAA Orr then reminded everyone of the procedures to be followed during the hybrid meeting, noting that there were no items to be voted on and requesting that those faculty members attending via Zoom use the raise hand function if they wished to speak.  He then reminded everyone that there would be an in-person reception at Scribner House following the Faculty Meeting, the first such reception at Scribner House since 2019.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

DOF/VPAA Orr asked if there were any corrections to, or comments regarding, the minutes of the Faculty Meeting held May 18, 2022.  Hearing none, he announced the minutes were approved.

OLD BUSINESS

There was no old business.

NEW BUSINESS

Affirmation of the College’s Diversity and Inclusion Statement

Joshua Woodfork, Vice President for Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity, called on Janet Casey, Associate Dean of the Faculty, and Associate Professor Lia Ball, as Co-Chair of the Committee on Intercultural and Global Understanding, to read the College’s Diversity and Inclusion Statement (http://www.skidmore.edu/diversity/about.php).  VP Woodfork provided some background about the development of the statement, noting that it is considered a living document, and asked the faculty to signal their acclamation of the Diversity and Inclusion Statement by snapping their fingers.

VP Woodfork then announced that this year’s In It 7 will be held September 28 through September 30, and highlighted a few of the events, including a facilitated conversation between President Conner and University of Maryland Baltimore County President Emeritus Freeman A. Hrabowski, III; a film screening of My Name is Pauli Murray; a workshop on cultivating inclusion in the workplace; a panel co-sponsored by the Career Development Center, Health Professions Advisory Committee, Alumni Relations and Campus Events, and student club Equity in Healthcare Disparities Awareness, that introduces careers that address healthcare disparities; a panel on confronting anti-Semitism; a presentation by Professor Pushi Prasad on the results of her research on identity tensions in liberal arts colleges; and a workshop addressing microaggressions.  The full schedule of events will be available on the In It 7 website in the near future.

Faculty Executive Committee

On behalf of the Faculty Executive Committee (FEC), Associate Professor Xiaoshuo Hou introduced the following Motion (see attached):

MOTION:  The Faculty Executive Committee moves that the 2022-2023 Faculty Handbook be adopted.  The following link takes you to the 2022-2023 Faculty Handbook (showing tracked changes) as well as handbooks from previous years: http://www.skidmore.edu/dof-vpaa/faculty-handbooks.php

Professor Hou reminded everyone that the updated version of the Faculty Handbook includes all the changes approved by the faculty during the last academic year as well as some housekeeping changes. There being no discussion, the Motion will lie over until the next meeting.

REPORTS

On behalf of FEC, Professor Hou presented the Committee of Committee’s Spring 2022 report (see attached).  There were no comments or questions raised in response to the report.

INTRODUCTION OF NEW FACULTY

DOF/VPAA Orr introduced the new faculty members for this academic year (see attached for complete list). A welcoming round of applause was given for the new faculty. 

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

President Conner began his report by thanking the staff for all their work in pivoting to set up the technology for today’s faculty meeting.  He welcomed everyone to the new academic year and indicated that, as those who attended Convocation had already heard, he feels very optimistic about the year ahead.  He then acknowledged the great work of those in Student Affairs and the many others on campus that had helped to bring 2,500 students back to campus so successfully. President Conner then indicated that gatherings like today’s faculty meeting are a good sign for where we are and where we are going, and then invited everyone to the reception at Scribner House following the faculty meeting.

President Conner commented that he is looking forward to continuing to get to know the members of the Skidmore community better.  To that end, he will be hosting a series of evening dinners at Scribner House with full-time faculty and will be scheduling other events with part-time faculty as well.

President Conner then welcomed Jacquie Conrad as the new Vice President for Communications and Marketing and Julie Delay as the new Director of Human Resources.  A welcoming round of applause was given.

Thereupon, MaryLou Bates, Vice President for Admissions and Financial Aid, provided an update on the Class of 2026:

• The class totals 785, with 756 on campus and 29 in London.
• The class is 59 larger than last year and 85 over the original target; this is a result of higher spring  yield and lower summer melt than anticipated.
• The original budget for financial aid was exceeded by $1 million, but that increase is more than covered by the net tuition revenue from the additional students.
• The class was chosen from a record 13,100 applicants.
• The class comes from 31 states and 31 countries outside the United States.
• 57 percent of the class attended public or charter schools; 43 percent attended private or parochial schools.
• 25 students took a gap year between high school and arriving at Skidmore.
• 61 percent of the class are female with 39 percent male (VP Bates noted that although there are students who do not identify as either male or female, Federal government regulations require that we report male and female numbers only).
• 50 percent of the class applied and were accepted through Early Decision.
• 25 percent of the class have self-identified as domestic students of color.
• 9 percent of the class are international, with citizenship from 27 different countries.
• 8 percent of the class are dual citizens.
• 11 percent are first generation students.

VP Bates concluded by stating that the students are eager, positive, and thrilled to be here.

President Conner thanked VP Bates and her staff  for having done such an amazing job in bringing in the class this year.  While a larger-than-expected class puts a lot of pressure on staff and faculty, the curriculum, advising, residential space, etc., the administration is aware of this and is making a number of adjustments. Nevertheless, a large-than-expected incoming class is a challenge that the vast majority of liberal arts colleges would welcome.  The record-setting numbers we have seen over the last several years speak very well for what we are doing here at Skidmore.

President Conner then addressed the current COVID situation.  We are now 30 months into the COVID pandemic, and the COVID Logistics Working Group remains as vigilant as ever.  Skidmore will continue to follow CDC guidelines and is committed to ensuring clear communication, prioritizing the health and safety of the community, and safely delivering the Skidmore education.  President Conner then read a text he received from a parent praising Skidmore and his daughter’s professors after she came down with COVID during the first week of classes.

President Conner next addressed the unionization initiative among some non-tenure-track faculty and the impending election.  He expressed the College’s continuing support for our non-tenure-track faculty and noted steps it has taken, including the positive outcomes of the compensation study undertaken last year. The question, he stated, is  whether a union would be in the best interest of non-tenure-track faculty, and emphasized that that is a question for the non-tenure-track faculty to determine for themselves.  A two-week election period will begin on September 12 with ballots being mailed out to all eligible voters. President Conner affirmed once again that the College will abide by and support the outcome of the vote.  There are multiple perspectives on the formation of the union, and lots of FAQs have been posted on the Dean of the Faculty’s webpage and the Faculty Forward webpage, both of which he urged faculty to read.  President Conner stated that he is less concerned about the outcome of the vote and more concerned about how we get there; the administration will continue to encourage discussion, education, communication, understanding, and patience during this process, and he emphasized that he is proud of how well our entire community has conducted this process so far.

Thereafter, President Conner provided an update on the details and time frame for the three vice presidential searches being conducted this year:

• The search for the new Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs, which commenced in May, is moving forward. The search committee, chaired by President Conner, consists of 11 members (including 4 faculty members), and is working with Storbeck Search.  Storbeck has worked throughout the summer building interest in the opening and talking with prospective candidates; the search committee has had multiple meetings since August, including a session on inclusive hiring practices and an open forum for our entire community, and will soon be looking at semi-finalists to interview.  President Conner anticipates the search will be concluded by the winter holiday.
• The search for a new Vice President for Admissions and Financial Aid will begin shortly. The College will partner with WittKieffer, a noted national higher education search firm in admissions and enrollment; the search committee will consist of 5 members to include President Conner as chair, a student, a faculty member, a staff member, and a cabinet member. A Willingness to Serve will be issued in the coming days. President Conner anticipates that the search will conclude within 3 to 9 months.
• The search for a new Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer will begin soon. For this search, the College will again partner with Storbeck Search. The search committee, to be chaired by President Conner, will consist of a student, a staff member, two faculty members, and a cabinet member.  A Willingness to Serve will be issued in the coming days. President Conner stated that, in accordance with best practices, the search will conclude within 3 to 9 months.

In addition to these three searches, President Conner indicated that he will also conduct a search for an Interim Vice President for Finance and Administration to take over for Vice President Donna Ng, following her departure at the end of this month.  For this search, the College has partnered with AGB Search, a firm specializing in interim executive-level appointments, and has been looking for a seasoned veteran specializing in higher education finance who can keep things moving forward.  President Conner said that he hoped to announce an appointment within the next week.  He thanked FEC and ATC for their consultative and shared governance collaboration in all 4 of these searches.

While these searches present an exciting opportunity to bring in three new leaders, President Conner stated that we certainly will miss the three colleagues who have contributed so much to Skidmore and have been so supportive of his work.  There will be many occasions to celebrate DOF/VPAA Orr, VP Ng, and VP Bates this academic year, and he invited those present to join him in a round of applause.

President Conner then turned to the Campus Master Plan that had been approved in May after 1 ½ years of work.  He urged everyone to review the final version of the Campus Master Plan on the website and noted that Ayers Saint Gross would be offering several online presentations in the next few weeks to summarize the plan for those that may have missed in it in May.  Although the Campus Master Plan establishes the principles and potential projects for the future, it does not indicate the priorities or provide a plan for funding.  Nevertheless, some of the projects are already underway, such as the new Greenberg Child Care Center and improvements to the main entrance on North Broadway.

Next, President Conner announced that this year’s Strategic Action Agenda, which sets forth the College’s five main priorities, will be coming out in the next several weeks.  “A Community of Trust,” the Racial Justice Initiative,  will once again be one of the priorities.  The website for the Racial Justice Initiative has been updated and revised, and now summarizes the major projects that have been accomplished over the last two years.  This year, one of the foci of the SAA will be support for freedom of expression, diversity of opinion, and multiple perspectives, all of which are hallmarks of a liberal education.  President Conner is excited about the projects to help move this initiative forward, and In It 7 is key to that work.

In concluding his report, President Conner reminded everyone that this year marks one of our three centennials (1903, 1911, and 1922).  The 1922 Centennial commemorates the year when Skidmore College became a 4-year fully-accredited college in the State of New York. President Conner commented that we have a noble and inspiring history that is certainly worth celebrating. He hopes that we will have a lot of fun thinking about what it means to be at 100 years and that the Centennial celebrations will overlap with his previously-announced Visions and Values project – when we will be considering what is special about our College, what is unique, and what is most important to preserve.  

Due to the time, President Conner encouraged anyone with any questions to reach out to him individually. A question arose why there had not been time allotted on the Faculty Meeting agenda for a discussion of the upcoming unionization vote and what the rationale had been for scheduling the vote so early in the semester.  DOF/VPAA Orr responded that the agenda for the faculty meeting was already full and that the administration had made its position clear on the unionization process. He also explained that the timing of the election was the result of negotiations with the union representatives and the National Labor Relations Board.

DEAN OF THE FACULTY AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS’ REPORT

DOF/VPAA Orr began his remarks by thanking everyone for all of the work that had gone into launching the semester, especially with so many students present on campus. He noted the work of advising and preregistration over the summer and particularly thanked staff members in Academic Affairs for their contributions to the launch of the semester—including those in Academic Advising, the Registrar’s Office, FYE, OP, within academic departments and programs, academic administrative assistants and other staff members, Academic Safety, the Scribner Library, and the Tang Teaching Museum. He also thanked those beyond Academic Affairs and across the college as a whole— LEDS and IT, Student Affairs, Campus Safety, Facilities, and Dining.

He then briefly noted the College’s COVID preparations and reminded faculty members that in August he had sent around updated guidelines for faculty. He pointed out that most of the arrangements that were in place at the end of last semester apply now and that the updated guidelines have been posted on theSpring. DOF/VPAA Orr indicated that if any adjustments are needed, especially if the local transmission levels rise to high, we will be sure to communicate any changes in policies or procedures promptly. If faculty members have specific questions about classroom arrangements or other teaching-related concerns, they should reach out to Pat Fehling in the DOF Office.

Thereupon, DOF/VPAA Orr announced the tenure and promotion decisions that were approved by the Board of Trustees during their May 2022 meeting:

• Associate Professor Gwen D’Arcangelis, Gender Studies Program, granted tenure;
• Associate Professor Kelly Melekis, Department of Social Work, granted tenure;
• Assistant Professor K. Aurelia Ball, Department of Chemistry, granted tenure and promotion to Associate Professor;
• Assistant Professor Joseph Cermatori, Department of English, granted tenure and promotion to Associate Professor;
• Assistant Professor Nicholas Junkerman, Department of English, granted tenure and promotion to Associate Professor;
• Assistant Professor Lucy Spardy Oremland, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, granted tenure and promotion to Associate Professor;
• Assistant Professor Christine Reilly, Department of Computer Science, granted tenure and promotion to Associate Professor;
• Assistant Professor Smriti Tiwari, Department of Economics, granted tenure and promotion to Associate Professor;
• Assistant Professor Dominqiue Vuvan, Department of Psychology, granted tenure and promotion to Associate Professor;
• Assistant Professor Erica Wojcik, Department of Psychology, granted tenure and promotion to Associate Professor;
• Associate Professor Beck Krefting, Department of American Studies, promoted to Professor;
• Teaching Professor Olivia Dunn, Department of English, promoted to Senior Teaching Professor;
• Teaching Professor Csilla Szabo, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, promoted to Senior Teaching Professor; and
• Teaching Professor Becky Trousil, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, promoted to Senior Teaching Professor.

A congratulatory round of applause was given.

DOF/VPAA Orr concluded his remarks by providing an update on the outcome of the work of the Faculty Advisory Committee on Hiring last year. Due to the two-year hiring freeze, there was a significant backlog of hiring requests. DOF/VPAA Orr reported that, although not every request could be approved, more than 20 tenure-track searches had been approved. Although a few of those searches will be deferred until next year, this year will be a very significant year of hiring. He also anticipates that this year we will return to the usual timeline for submitting hiring requests so that searches can be approved in a more timely manner than has occurred for the past two years

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,