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07-01-23 to Faculty and Staff
Dear Colleagues:
Please allow me to wish you a Happy New Year and welcome to the spring semester – although the opening week was not very spring-like. I trust that your received timely updates to inform you about whether Texas A&M University was open or closed. We will be taking a look at the ways we keep faculty, staff, and students informed in these unusual circumstances.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
College of Liberal Arts exceeds capital campaign goal: As 2006 ended, the University successfully closed its $1 billion capital campaign. Significantly, the College of Liberal Arts exceeded its campaign goal of $35 million by raising over $41 million. Exceptional hard work by John Knudsen, the College’s senior development officer, and Larry Walker, our recently hired second development officer made this achievement possible. The dedicated work by Jennifer Newsom, who coordinates development events and activities, and Leanne South, who coordinates development communications, also contributed much to our success. When I visited with donors, my discussions about the many achievements of Liberal Arts faculty, staff, and students generated great interest and made for compelling stories to advance our development efforts. Thanks to everyone for enabling the College to reach this milestone. We will be making a detailed report on the campaign to the Executive Council and the Liberal Arts Council early this spring.
Asian Studies minor approved: The interdisciplinary minor in Asian Studies has been approved and will be available to students beginning in the 2007 fall semester. Dudley Poston, professor of sociology and George T. & Gladys H. Abell Professor in Liberal Arts, will serve as coordinator for this minor.APPOINTMENTS-
- Jimmie Killingsworth, professor of English, has been appointed head of the Department of English, effective Sept. 1, 2007.
- Joseph R. Jewell, associate professor of sociology, has been appointed interim director of the newly reconstituted Race and Ethnic Studies Institute, effective Jan. 1, 2007.
- Stephen Daniel, professor of philosophy, has been appointed to the Murray & Celeste Fasken Chair in Distinguished Teaching in the Liberal Arts.
ISSUES
I will be visiting with departmental faculties in February to discuss College initiatives and to listen to matters of interest to faculty. In my September letter to faculty and staff (http://clla.tamu.edu/publications/deanreports/deansemailstofacstaff/060828facultystaffltr), I highlighted a few major items on the College’s agenda that will continue to draw our attention this semester. Let me give a brief update on a few of those items.
Undergraduate education measures added to Indicators of Success: The Executive Council, the Liberal Arts Council, and the Undergraduate Instruction Committee contributed to the addition of undergraduate education measures to the College’s Indicators of Success. A new listing of these indicators and the Indicators of Success program in which departments report achievements can be found on the College’s web site at http://clla.tamu.edu/forms/departmentalforms/. In my meetings with departments this spring I will discuss these indicators and how they are used to make allocations to departments. University Studies degree: With the advice and support of the Undergraduate Instruction Committee, the College is moving forward with a proposal to offer a Bachelor of Arts degree in University Studies. This degree will have an interdisciplinary focus on race, gender, and ethnicity and will require students to also take two minors, one of which must one will be in another college. Following official approval by the Undergraduate Instruction Committee, this degree will be reviewed by the Liberal Arts Council and discussed in the Executive Committee before advancing to the Faculty Senate for final approval. (1) Vision 2020 Assessment and (2) Infrastructure Support for Social and Behavioral Sciences and Humanities Research: The College’s Vision 2020 Committee and our assessment of the infrastructure support for social and behavioral sciences and humanities research is moving along. I expect reports from faculty and staff working on these initiatives later this spring. I continue to believe that both reports will shape our thinking for the next 5 to 8 years. Given that the University is undergoing a change in the presidency, the timing of these reports could not be more critical. Professor Margaret Ezell, chair of the Vision 2020 committee, and Executive Associate Dean Ben M. Crouch, coordinator of the infrastructure project, deserve our sincere thanks for their leadership of the dedicated committees working on these two projects. Interdisciplinary Programs: Finally, let me note that interdisciplinary programs continue to make progress. The following interdisciplinary programs have submitted by-laws: Women’s Studies, Film Studies, International Studies and Journalism Studies. Other interdisciplinary programs are also making progress in developing by-laws. These programs will continue building scholarly communities of interested faculty that support interdisciplinary scholarship and teaching in their respective areas. Moreover, in cooperation with various departments, Women’s Studies, Africana Studies, and Journalism Studies have undertaken interdisciplinary faculty searches in partnership with departments to add faculty. These searches have attracted outstanding candidates. W e look forward to welcoming new faculty hired from these and other searches in the fall.CONGRATULATIONS
- Margaret Ezell, professor of English and John Paul Abbott Professor in Liberal Arts, has been promoted to Distinguished Professor, effective Sept. 1, 2007.
- Linda Putnam, professor of communication and George T. & Gladys H. Abell Professor in Liberal Arts, has been appointed a Regents Professor.
- Jerome Loving, professor of English, has been awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Fellowship for 2007-2008.
- Frederica Ciccolella, assistant professor of classics and Italian, is spending the 2006-2007 academic year in Italy as a Villa I Tatti Fellow.
Thanks to each of you for your dedication and hard work this past fall, and best wishes for the coming spring semester. As you plan your personal calendar, please review some of the conferences, speakers, and events listed at the end of this letter that are sponsored by programs in the College.
Thank you.
Charles A. JohnsonDean
Professor of Political Science
LIBERAL ARTS EVENTS - SPRING 2007
More information found at http://giving.tamu.edu/libarts/content/newsandevents/eventcalendar.phpWed., 01/24 Anna Carney Faculty Recital
Mon., 01/29 “Seven Weeks in Shakespeare’s Life” lecture
“How Do We Keep Knowing?” Lecture Series
Thurs., 02/01 Slam Poet Performance, Javon Johnson
Tues., 02/06 Glasscock Book Prize Lecture (outside reader)
Wed., 02/07 Susanne M. Glasscock Book Prize for Interdisciplinary Humanities Scholarship Award and Lecture
Fri. – Sat., 02/23-24 Immigration and National Identity: Lessons for/from Political Theory
Tues., 02/20 Liberal Arts Career Fair
Thurs., 02/22 Richie Barshay and Trio performance
Wed., 02/28 Liberal Arts Staff Development Forum – Dress for Success
Thurs., 03/01 Glasscock History Lecture
Thurs.-Sun., 03/01-04 “Two Rooms,” student-directed play
Mon., 03/05 Digital Humanities Lecture
Thurs., 03/08 Digital Humanities Lecture
Tues., 03/20 “How Do We Keep Knowing?” Lecture Series
Wed.-Sat., 03/21-24 The 20th and 21st Century French and Francophone Studies International Colloquium
Fri., 03/23 Wayang Shadow Puppet Performance
Tues., 04/10 Brazos Valley Reads
¡Justicia en Juárez! Gender Violence, Maquiladoras and Border Issues
Thurs., 04/12 Min Xiao Fen performance
Thurs.-Sun., 04/12-15 “Kindertransport” performances
Fri., 04/13 Department of Communication Honors Reception
Wed.-Fri., 04/18-20 “Kindertransport” performances
Thurs., 04/19 Small Ensembles Concert
Tues., 04/24 Small Ensembles Concert
Digital Humanities Lecture: Tamara Sumner
“How Do We Keep Knowing?” Lecture Series
Thurs., 04/26 Issac Busto Faculty Recital
Fri., 04/27 Spring Liberal Arts Development Council meeting
