Dean's Message
I am very pleased to report that we recently named Linda Woodbridge, Distinguished Professor of English, the new Josephine Berry Weiss Chair in the Humanities. Linda, who joined Penn State in 1994, is an internationally famous Shakespearean scholar whose most recent book, Vagrancy, Homelessness, and English Renaissance Literature, was published in 2001. Linda formerly chaired the College's Humanities Consortium and was one of the founding members of the Early Modern Initiative, an interdisciplinary core of faculty and graduate students who have been studying aspects of European culture between 1500 and 1700. In 2002, she won the University-wide Atherton Teaching Award, and in 2004, she won the Scholar's Medal in the Arts and Humanities and was named a Distinguished Professor. I know that Linda will bring energy, accomplishment, and distinction to the Weiss Chair.
Another recent development has to do with local demographics: It looks as though there will be at least 1,500 more freshmen on campus this fall compared to last fall. (See table below). Because of the stress that development will put on finding available dorm spaces, you may have read in the Centre Daily Times about incentives being provided to students to live at home rather than in the dorms—or even, in the case of some out-of-state students, to attend a campus other than University Park.
Of course, those additional students provide a significant challenge for our College, too. We provide about half of the student credit hours for freshmen and sophomores at UP, which has translated into a need for thousands of new seats in our courses. During the past several weeks, we have been busy working with department heads to provide more fall and spring semester capacity for the record-breaking number of freshman students who will descend on UP this fall. Our department heads have been scurrying to find capable new instructors and appropriate classrooms to launch new courses. Since the beginning of June, nearly 6,000 new seats have been added in fall and spring Liberal Arts schedules, the majority in the fall, and the number climbs each day.
| New UP Freshmen | New Liberal Arts Freshmen | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 5,320 | 590 |
| 1998 | 5,246 | 530 |
| 1999 | 5,185 | 505 |
| 2000 | 5,774 | 505 |
| 2001 | 6,279 | 562 |
| 2002 | 6,080 | 587 |
| 2003 | 6,156 | 651 |
| 2004 | 6,032 | 577 |
| 2005 | 6,657 | 542 |
| 2006 | 8,200 est. | 700 est. |
Where did all these students come from? Given that UP enrollment last year decreased by several hundred from the year before, the provost and president believed it would be prudent to raise the freshman target enrollment somewhat, to about 7000. So the admissions office made more offers. But then, to everyone's surprise, a much higher proportion of students accepted our offers as compared to previous years. Whether this was because we did a better job of recruiting, or because we had a great football season and hence a lot of free publicity, or because the university's academic reputation is increasing, or because of some other reason or combination of reasons, we do not know. What we do know is that the net size of the freshman class at UP will have increased more than 50 percent since 1997, a decade ago. The increase, if not the extra surge this year, has been a deliberate strategy, offsetting the declining numbers of change-of-assignment students coming to UP from other Penn State campuses at the end of their sophomore year.
Liberal Arts, too, is seeing its own freshman population explosion, with 762 new freshmen currently in "paid accept" status, an increase of more than 40 percent. While we will get some "melt" as the summer progresses, clearly interest in Liberal Arts is very high.
Enrollment management is as much an art as a science, that much is clear. I appreciate the cooperation of our heads, staff, and faculty in making adjustments to this unexpected circumstance.
Meanwhile, I hope you all are having a productive and pleasant summer.
Regards, Susan
swelch@psu.edu
Ice Cream Social
All college faculty and staff are invited to attend an ice cream social honoring our staff. The ice cream social will be held from 2–3 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19, in the lobby and on the steps of Sparks Building. Please join us for a summer treat and an opportunity to visit with your colleagues.
Faculty Honors
Robert Stern, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Pyschology, was recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Electrogastrophy Society. In his honor, the Society has established the Robert M. Stern Young Investigator Award in Electrogastrophy.
Paul Amato, professor of sociology, will receive the 2006 Distinguished Career Award from the Family Section of the American Sociological Association.
Student Honors
David Hoffman, graduate student in the Department of Psychology, is a recipient of the American Psychological Association's 2006 Decade of Behavior Award for research related to safety.
Amber Boydstun and Heather Ondercin, both graduate students in the Department of Political Science, were awarded grants from the National Science Foundation to support their dissertation research. Both women have been recipients of many awards, including the Miller-LaVigne Graduate Fellowship.
Faculty Grants
Glenn A. Firebaugh, Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Demography, from the National Science Foundation, for "How Much Satisfaction Does Income Buy?"
John H. Kramer, professor of sociology and crime, law, and justice, and Eric Silver, associate professor of crime, law, and justice, and sociology, from the Commission on Crime and Delinquency, for "Evaluating the relationship of risk/needs assessment and programming, parole violations and sanctioning, and their impact on recommitment and criminal recidivism."
Kenneth M. Weiss, Evan Pugh Professor of Biological Anthropology and Genetics, from Columbia University, for "Forward Simulation of the Genetics of Complex Traits."
Baiba Briedis Obituary
We very much regret to report the death of Baiba Briedis, who retired in 2002 as the College's grants and contracts coordinator.
Tom Hale, head of French and Francophone Studies, wrote the following: Please join me in offering condolences to Jeannette Bragger on the death of her partner, Baiba Briedis. Baiba died June 3 after a two-month illness. Jeannette has asked that anyone who wants to make a donation in memory of Baiba should choose an organization concerned with the safety and welfare of animals and wildlife, one of her life-long interests.
We knew Baiba not only because of her relationship with our colleague and former French department head, Jeannette, but also because of her award-winning service for many years as the grants officer in the Liberal Arts Research and Graduate Studies Office and assistant to the Dean. (Baiba held this position from 1987 until her retirement in 2002, after beginning her employment with the College in 1979.) She was a sympathetic listener who had an advanced degree in French and who understood the concerns of humanists. She was also extremely perceptive-and direct-when spotting weaknesses in a grant proposal. Most of all, she had a keen understanding of the world of grants.
We're sorry that the well-earned retirement that Jeannette and Baiba were enjoying together in Providence had to end so early for Baiba. Her memory will remain alive among those of us who knew her.
Faculty Election Results
Barrett Lee, Department of Sociology; Laura Knoppers, Department of English, Cathleen Moore, Department of Psychology; and Linda Woodbridge, Department of English; were elected to represent the College in the Faculty Advisory Committee. These faculty represent your views; please let them know of your concerns.
New Faculty Luncheon
New tenure-line faculty are invited to a luncheon on Wednesday, August 30, at noon at The Nittany Lion Inn, the Penn State Room. A brief program will focus on College expectations and resources.
Faculty Funding Opportunities
Institute for the Arts and Humanities: grants, residencies, and other funding opportunities 2006–07.
The Institute for the Arts and Humanities offers a wide range of funding opportunities. For complete information and application guidelines, please visit the IAH website and click on "Grants, Residencies, and Other Funding Opportunities." www.research.psu.edu/iah
Team Teaching Across the Disciplines
This program provides opportunities to bring interdisciplinarity into upper-level undergraduate and graduate classrooms through collaborative teaching. Funding will cover expenses directly related to faculty team teaching, including use of multi-media resources; guest speakers; faculty/student travel to museums, to performances, or for learning-related projects in other locations; and course buy-out for one faculty member to facilitate team teaching. Supported by a Challenge Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Maximum grant award: $7,500
Application deadline: October 3, 2006 (for courses offered in Fall 2007 or Spring 2008)
Individual Faculty Grants
This program helps to fund the research and creative projects of individual faculty members in and across the arts and humanities at Penn State. Awards support materials, travel for research/creative activity, costs related to publication, wages for research assistance, and release time.
Maximum grant award: $4,000
Application deadlines: October 16, 2006 (for the period January–June); March 1, 2007 (for the period July–December)
Public Humanities Scholars
This program, jointly sponsored by the Institute for the Arts and Humanities and the Pennsylvania Humanities Council (PHC), brings innovative arts and humanities programs to mid-central Pennsylvania. The IAH and PHC match interested nonprofit organizations with Penn State faculty who then work together to plan and present high-quality programs in their communities. Public Humanities Scholars consists of a one-day residency by a member of the Penn State faculty. One day is defined as eight hours of total collaboration, which may consist of a combination of contact time and preliminary light research. Participating scholars receive a $500 honorarium and the reimbursement of travel expenses. Public Humanities Scholars is generously funded by a Challenge Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to the IAH.
Application deadline: late October 2006 (date to be announced for projects in Spring 2007)
For more information and to download the application form, please visit www.pahumanities.org/projects/scholars.php
Resident Scholars and Artists
This program, jointly sponsored with the College of Arts and Architecture and the College of the Liberal Arts, provides up to eight faculty members per year with one semester of release time from teaching, a $1,000 grant for research expenses and/or materials, and the use of an office in Ihlseng Cottage.
Application deadline: November 1, 2006 (for residencies in Fall 2007 or Spring 2008)
Interdisciplinary Groups
Funding for interdisciplinary groups covers expenses directly related to group programming such as travel, lodging, and honoraria for invited speakers, performers, or artists; costs of publicity; research assistance to help with programming; costs related to publication ensuing from symposia or lecture series; and costs of exhibition or performance. Group programs may be funded for one or two academic years.
Maximum amount per group per year: $7,500
Application deadline: November 15, 2006 (for one- or two-year projects beginning in Fall 2007)
Bridging the Classroom
Supported by a Challenge Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, this program is designed to build bridges both between courses as well as between the classroom and public events. The purpose of this initiative is both to connect work in different classrooms to one another and to support the realization of an idea or a project that emerges from this collaboration. Projects should result in a performance, exhibition, or other outcome open to the public.
Maximum grant award: $4,500
Application deadlines: November 30, 2006 (for projects beginning in Spring 2007) ; March 15, 2007 (for projects beginning in Fall 2007 or Spring 2008)
Short-Term Distinguished Visiting Fellowships in the Arts and Humanities
The Institute for the Arts and Humanities is pleased to announce the establishment of a new short-term Distinguished Visiting Fellowship program, beginning in Spring 2006. A "short-term" fellowship is defined as an intense residency period at the University Park campus, usually ranging between three and seven working days, during which the visiting scholar and/or artist is fully engaged in a series of educational, scholarly, and creative activities. The residency must include a number of activities, including at least one public event (e.g., a lecture, performance, exhibition, etc.) and at least one activity aimed specifically at students (e.g. a workshop, presentation in a class, master class, etc.). Visiting fellows must be distinguished figures in the arts and/or humanities whose residency will generate interest across multiple disciplines.
Maximum grant award: $7,500
Nomination deadline: February 1, 2007 (for short-term residencies in the 2007–2008)
Graduate Student Summer Residencies ( for students in the College of Arts and Architecture and in the College of the Liberal Arts)
This competitive program provides up to eight advanced graduate students with a $3,000 stipend and the use of an office in Ihlseng Cottage during the summer term, enabling them to spend focused time working on their theses, dissertations or final creative projects. Graduate officers may nominate up to two students per department or program.
Application deadline: February 12, 2007 (for Summer 2007)
Humanities Initiative Dissertation Fellowships (for students in the College of the Liberal Arts)
The arrival of Humanities Initiative funds has made it possible for the College of the Liberal Arts, in cooperation with its affiliated Centers and Institutes, to expand support for dissertation writers. The Institute for the Arts and Humanities invites applications from graduate students in the College of the Liberal Arts whose dissertations are directly related to the humanities and/or to the intersections between the humanities and the arts. While the semester release is administered by the College of the Liberal Arts, the IAH will augment these awards by providing its Dissertation Fellows with a $500 research fund. In addition, office space at Ihlseng Cottage might be available to some Fellows.
Application deadline: early March 2007 (date to be announced); (for release in Fall 2007 or Spring 2008)
Summary of deadlines:
October 3, 2006: Team Teaching Across the Disciplines (for courses offered in Fall 2007 or Spring 2008)
October 16, 2006: Individual Faculty Grants (for funding between January–June 2007)
Late October 2006: Public Humanities Scholars (for projects in Spring 2007)
(date TBA)
November 1, 2006: Resident Scholars and Artists (for residencies in Fall 2007 or Spring 2008)
November 15, 2006: Interdisciplinary Groups (for one- or two-year projects beginning in Fall 2007)
November 30, 2006: Bridging the Classroom (for projects beginning in Spring 2007)
February 1, 2007: Short-Term Distinguished Visiting Fellowships in the Arts and Humanities (for residencies in the 2007–08 academic year, Fall or Spring)
February 12, 2007: Graduate Student Summer Residencies (for Summer 2007)
Early March 2007: Humanities Initiative Dissertation Semester Release (for release in Fall 2007 or Spring 2008)
(date TBA)
March 1, 2007: Individual Faculty Grants (for funding between July–December 2007)
March 15, 2007: Bridging the Classroom (for projects beginning in Fall 2007 or Spring 2008)
Summer IAH Seminar for High School Teachers
The IAH will offer a summer seminar for high school teachers: Exploring Place Through Writing and Photography: Building Visual and Written Literacy in the High School Classroom (Act 48 Seminar). The instructors will be Robert E. Burkholder, associate professor of English and Susanne Hackett, master's candidate in art education. More information can be found at http://www.outreach.psu.edu/pst/ExploringPlace or by contacting Sue Reighard, administrative assistant, smr6@psu.edu, or Susanne Hackett, seh156@psu.edu.
Staff News
New Colleagues
Jeremy Armstrong, research technician, psychology
Departures
Anne Clarke, research support technician III, psychology
Darla Houseman, staff assistant VI, political science
Bonnie Marshall, coordinator of volunteer engagement, alumni relations and development
Theresa Heaton, staff assistant VI, undergraduate studies
Retirements
Nancy Cole, staff assistant V, economics
Julia Franklin, staff assistant VI, English
The WebEvents Calendar features lectures, talks, and conferences sponsored by units within the College of the Liberal Arts and by the College. If you have something that you would like posted to the calendar for your department, please send entry submissions to Carol Sonenklar at cas499@psu.edu.
If you need to obtain or exchange parking permits, please come to Room 111 Sparks Building, Monday through Friday, from 9 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. only. Please remember to bring your license plate number(s) with you when you register for your permit. Once you have a permit, please be sure you report new or changed license plate numbers to Michelle Aitkin at mla12@psu.edu or 865-7691. As a reminder, if you are leaving the College, you will need to return your parking permit to 111 Sparks Building.
LA Times is compiled by Carol Sonenklar, Alumni Relations and Development Office, 13 Sparks, 865-8085.
Past LA Times issues are also available on the Web here.
This publication is available in alternative media on request.
Penn State encourages qualified persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please consult the Liberal Arts dean's office at 814-865-7691 in advance of your participation or visit.
The Pennsylvania State University is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission, and employment without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. It is the policy of the University to maintain an academic and work environment free of discrimination, including harassment. The Pennsylvania State University prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status. Discrimination or harassment against faculty, staff, or students will not be tolerated at The Pennsylvania State University. Direct all inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policy to the Affirmative Action Director, The Pennsylvania State University, 328 Boucke Building, University Park, PA 16802-5901; Tel 814-865-4700/V, 814-863-1150/TTY
U.Ed. LBA 07-03