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________________________________________________________ January/February 2003 LA Times |
| 110 Sparks Building | 814-865-7691 | Fax: 814-863-2085 | Website: http://www.la.psu.edu |
Faculty News|College News|Staff News
Dean's Message
_____________________________________________________________________
Beginning the New Year….
I hope all of you had a pleasant and restful holiday, and that your new year is starting well.
I appreciate the responses to our brief survey in the last LA Times. About fifty people took time to write with their opinions. Not surprisingly, opinion was divided, though most people did feel that increased use of electronic circulation would be appropriate. Staff and faculty differed in what they found most useful; both groups generally said they read the dean’s comments, but faculty found the calendar and faculty awards sections more useful than did staff, and staff, not surprisingly, found the staff news section more useful. A number of people mentioned that they probably would not read something where they had to go to the Internet to find it, but others thought that we should not keep printing the full paper edition.
As a consequence of these comments and our own thinking about how we can most effectively and efficiently communicate with faculty and staff, we are going to make some changes. We are planning a shorter e-zine with the major stories in an e-mail with links to other features such as the calendar. Those who can’t find the time to go to the internet can browse the e-mail, going to the Internet only for an article that looks particularly interesting to them. Look for the e-zine format in the next issue of the LA Times.
●●●●●●
This is the time of the year when faculty and graduate student recruitment is on the minds of many faculty and staff, and most departments are busy selecting and interviewing promising candidates. Faculty recruitment is one of the most important activities of the year, an activity which, along with promotion and tenure and faculty retention, determine the quality of our faculty and thus the extent of the contributions we make to our disciplines and our students. The progress our departments have made during the past decade is heavily tied to the quality of faculty recruitment.
As you probably know, we have focused during this past decade on a balanced recruitment strategy, bringing to our departments a mix of senior and junior faculty. Since 1992, we have recruited 126 faculty who joined us at the rank of associate professor or professor. Of those 126, 101 are still here. At the assistant professor level, we have recruited 178 new colleagues, of whom thirty-three have been tenured and seventy remain on the tenure track.
Given the ratio of senior faculty appointments to junior faculty ones, and the much higher turnover of the junior faculty, it is not surprising that, since 1992, our faculty ranks have grayed somewhat and our tenure ratio has grown. The table on the next page compares some characteristics of our faculty then and now (1993 is the baseline instead of 1992, since we do not have easily-analyzed faculty data files for years before 1993).
Our current strategic plan calls for a continuation of a mixed senior and junior hiring strategy. This year, many departments are looking for new junior colleagues, although we also have important senior searches that are ongoing.
Liberal Arts
Tenure Track Faculty Demographics
|
|
1993-4 |
2002-3 |
|
Tenured |
74 |
81 |
|
Younger than 45 |
40 |
35 |
|
Older than 54 |
29 |
30 |
|
(Older than 64) |
7 |
4 |
|
Women |
26 |
37 |
|
African American |
3 |
8 |
|
Latino |
2 |
3 |
|
Asian |
5 |
5 |
|
Assistant professor |
27 |
19 |
|
Professor |
39 |
44 |
The above numbers are listed as percentages.
It is important to us to continue to make strategic senior appointments, while at the same time replenishing and augmenting our junior ranks. Junior faculty bring to their departments fresh perspectives and new energy, certainly prized characteristics. Many of our new junior appointees have had one or two years’experience elsewhere, reducing the adjustment necessary to start new teaching and research programs.
During the next two months, I look forward to many departmental recruitment successes which will be reflected in the continuing progress of our College.
Susan Welch
|
FACULTY NEWS |
New Faculty Members
We are pleased to welcome two new faculty members this semester. The September 2002 issue of the LA Times reported a brief biography of Robert Caserio, who has just arrived to assume the position of professor and head of English. Dennis Schmidt, professor of philosophy, has also just joined us from his position as professor of philosophy at Villanova. Dennis is a specialist in continental philosophy, especially post-Kantian thought. His latest book, Lyrical and Ethical Subjects, was published by SUNY Press in 2002. He is also the author of On Germans and Other Greeks (Indiana, 2001) and The Ubiquity of the Finite (MIT Press, 1988), as well as numerous articles and essays.
Faculty Honors
The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity by Philip Jenkins, Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies and History, won this year’s Association of Theological Booksellers Theologos Award for the best academic book. ATB membership is made up of seminary, college, and university bookstores.
Earl Merritt, coordinator of multicultural equity programs, is a co-recipient of the 2003 AAHE (American Association of Higher Education) Black Caucus Exemplary Public Service Award. Earl served on the Executive Board of the AAHE Black Caucus from 1995 through 2001 and was chair of the workshops and seminar subcommittee. The award is for unswerving dedication and service to the Black Caucus and the higher education profession.
Africana Research Center Awards
Africana Research Center grant competitions are held once during each semester. Proposals for the spring 2003 award period should be submitted by February 15, 2003. The Africana Research Center welcomes and encourages faculty and student involvement. Please contact us for more information.
Liberal Arts projects for the fall 2002 competition include:
Patricia Koch, associate professor of biobehavioral health, health education and women’s studies; Phyllis Mansfield, professor of women’s studies and health education; and Linda Burton, professor of human development and sociology, for “Menstrual Patterns and Related Health Concerns of African-American Women of Lower Socioeconomic Status: A Pilot Study.”
Laurence Prescott, associate professor of Spanish and African and African American studies, for the “Bio-bibliography of Afro-Colombian Writers: Works and Criticism.”
Elaine Richardson, assistant professor of English and applied linguistics, for “African Americans Mentoring for Cultural Literacy.”
Linda Selzer, assistant professor of English and American studies, and Elaine Richardson, assistant professor of English and applied linguistics, for “2003 African American Read-In Project (University Park).”
Faculty Grants
Lee Ann Newsom, associate professor of anthropology, from the National Geographic Society for “Investigations of Household and Communal Deposits at Tibes, Puerto Rico.”
D. Wayne Osgood, professor of crime, law, and justice and sociology, from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for “On Your Own Without a Net: The Transition to Adulthood for Vulnerable Populations.”
Academic Integrity Issues
Academic integrity is an important issue for all of us. Here are some tips for instructors dealing with academic dishonesty.
Academic dishonesty encompasses a wide range of activities, whether intentional or unintentional, that include, but are not limited to:
·
all forms of fraud
You must give
students due process in suspected cases of academic dishonesty. In
other words, you must clearly inform students of the problem, and
allow them the opportunity to either accept or deny responsibility
for the charges no matter how strong the cases against them. If at any time
during a case you are not sure what to do, contact Jennifer Morris
in 104 Sparks at 863-5538.
Spring Commencement
Mark your calendar for spring semester commencement on Saturday, May
17, at 12:00 p.m. in the Bryce Jordan Center. The commencement
speaker will soon be announced.
COLLEGE NEWS
I want to extend my appreciation to all faculty and staff who
contributed to our College United Way Campaign. Special thanks go
out to our many United Way volunteers who helped promote the United
Way appeal in their respective departments, supported their
community at the Day of Caring event, and contributed to the success
of our luncheon, bake sale, and tailgate fundraisers.
I am pleased to announce that Liberal Arts faculty and staff
contributed a total of $41,310. This represents a new College United
Way giving record, and is the third highest giving total of the
eleven colleges. Because of the generosity of faculty and staff, we
exceeded our United Way goal by more than seventeen percent.
Again, many thanks for your support of this year's United Way
Campaign. With your help, we made a difference! Susan Welch An employee special assistance fund has been
established. This fund is designed to provide financial support for
faculty and staff facing a wide range of personal or family
hardships. Through an initial private gift of $2 million, the fund
has been created as an endowment with its annual yield used to
support employees in need. The University hopes that establishment
of this fund will encourage employees and members of the Penn State
community to make further contributions to help build the endowment. The new fund will provide financial support for
temporary circumstances. The scope of employee hardships that this
fund is designed to help overcome is not limited. However, with
limited funds available, the level of support available for certain
requests may be modest in relation to overall need. Expenditures from the fund will be made by the
associate vice president for human resources. It is anticipated that
individuals requesting assistance from this fund will have sought
help from other sources external to the University, if appropriate,
before seeking assistance from this fund.
The Comparative Literature Luncheon is a weekly informal lunchtime
gathering with a short (twenty-minute) presentation by a visitor or
a local speaker on a topic related to any humanities discipline. We
meet Mondays in 102 Kern at about 12:15 p.m. You can bring
your lunch or buy a lunch tray in Kern Cafeteria (next door) and
bring it into 102. Coffee and tea are provided in 102 (no charge).
The speaker will begin at about 12:40 p.m. Mon 1/20—Thomas Beebee, professor of
comparative literature, “Golden Flying Saucers: Ernesto Cardenal
and Millennial Ufology,” 102 Kern, 12:40 p.m., Comparative Literature Luncheon
Series. Tues 1/21—David Baker, associate
director, Social Science Research Institute, and professor of
education and sociology; Clancy Blair, assistant professor,
human development and family studies; David Gamson, assistant
professor, educational theory and policy; and Steve Thorne,
senior lecturer and associate director, The Center for Language
Acquisition, “Are Schooled Populations Smarter? Neuro-development,
Institutionalization of Schooling, and the Demography of IQ Growth
1900-2000,” 406 Oswald Tower, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.,
Population Research Institute Brown Bag Series. Thurs 1/23—Rayne Sperling, assistant
professor of education, “Self-Regulation and Education,” Child Study Center, University Support Building
1, 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. with reception to
follow, Child Study Center Speaker Series. Mon 1/27—John Moore, associate professor
of English and comparative literature, “A Lament for Humanities
001,” 102 Kern, 12:40 p.m., Comparative Literature Luncheon Series. Tues 1/28—Barbara S. Okun, Center for
Demography and Ecology, University of Wisconsin at Madison
(sabbatical) and senior lecturer, Hebrew University of Jerusalem,
“Insight into Ethnic Flux: Marriage Patterns Among Jews of Mixed
Ancestry in Israel,” 406 Oswald Tower, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00
p.m., Population Research Institute Brown Bag Series. Thurs 1/30—Charles Yood, graduate
student in history/science, medicine and technology in culture,
“Man vs. Machine: ‘Giant Brains,’ Computer Automation and Fears of
Technological Unemployment, 1945-1965,” 102 Weaver, 4:00 p.m.,
Science, Medicine, and Technology in Culture Lecture Series. Thurs-Fri 1/30-2/1—New York City networking
breakfast and job shadowing with alumni, sponsored by Women’s
Studies Program and Professional Women’s Network of New York.
Details TBA. Contact Women’s Studies for more information. Mon 2/3—Julia Kasdorf, associate
professor of English, topic TBA, 102 Kern, 12:40 p.m., Comparative
Literature Luncheon Series. Fri 2/14—Penelope Deutscher, associate
professor of philosophy at Northwestern University, “Embodied
Time: Simone de Beauvoir on Embodiment, Ethics, and Aging,” 7
Sparks, 4:00 p.m. Fri 2/14—Lisa Trivedi, assistant
professor of history at Hamilton College, Gender History Workshop:
“Making Women Invisible: The Nationalist Politics of Dress in
Colonial India, 1920-1935,” 102 Weaver Building, 4:00 p.m. Contact women’s
studies for more information. Sun 2/16—Diane Perpich, associate
professor of philosophy at Vanderbilt University, “After Time
and the Other: Livinas’s Turn to Language,” 124 Sparks, 11:00 a.m. Sun 2/16—John Drabinski, assistant
professor of philosophy at Grand Valley State University,
“Levinas and the Aesthetics of Loss,” 124 Sparks, 2:00 p.m. Mon 2/17—Dennis Beach, assistant
professor of philosophy at Saint John’s University, Collegeville,
“History and the Other: Dussel’s Challenge to Levinas,” 124
Sparks, 10:00 a.m. Mon 2/17—Janet Lyon, professor of
English and women’s studies, “About Faces and Disability,”
Foster Auditorium, 101 Pattee Library, 6:30 p.m., Rock Ethics
Institute Disability Studies Lecture Series. Thurs 2/20—Randall E. Newnham, associate
professor of political science at Penn State Berks-Lehigh Valley
College, “Deutsche Mark Diplomacy: Positive Economic Sanctions in
German-Russian Relations,” 340 Burrowes Building,
Thurs 2/20—Clancy Blair, assistant
professor of human development and family studies, “Integrating
the Biological and the Social in the Study of Developing
Self-Regulation,” Child Study Center, University Support
Building 1, 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. with reception to follow, Child
Study Center Speaker Series. Fri
2/28—Book Discussion: Fateful Shapes of Human Freedom: John
William Miller and the Crisis of Modernity by
Vincent Colapietro, professor of philosophy. Panelists are
John Smith, emeritus professor of philosophy, Yale University,
and Douglas Anderson, associate professor of
philosophy. Moderator is Lara Trout, graduate assistant in
philosophy, 4:00 p.m., location TBA.
STAFF NEWS Congratulations to this year’s staff award winners! The
Alumni Society Outstanding Staff Award winner is Chris Gamble, assistant
director for alumni relations. Other winners are Nicole Duffala, economics;
Sheri Miller, sociology and crime, law, and justice; Cindy Bierly, languages
and literatures; and Robin Robinson, undergraduate studies. Pat Ellenberger,
who recently retired from her administrative assistant position in English,
won the Staff Mentoring Award. The winners will be honored at a reception on
February 5, 2003, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Nittany Lion Inn,
Ballroom C. This year’s awards committee included Becky Bressler, Paul Clark,
Wendy Deibler, Bob Igo, Louisa Shawver, Linda Spangler, and Sandy Wingard. Cynthia Carlson, staff assistant V, sociology and
crime, law, and justice Lisa Deyo, project associate (financial resource
analyst), sociology, PA Commission on Sentencing
Brent Hurley, academic counselor, undergraduate studies Dustin Rhoads, project associate (community
justice planning specialist), sociology, PA Commission on Sentencing Christopher Thomas, staff assistant VI, French and
Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese Donna Harpster, administrative assistant II,
English Christine Hughes, senior advisor, undergraduate
studies Kimberly Keller,
administrative assistant III, English Jeffrey Gugino,
academic counselor, undergraduate studies
Baiba Briedis, assistant to the dean for strategic and interdisciplinary
research, research and graduate studies
Patricia A. Ellenberger, administrative assistant III, English
Regina Brannen, staff assistant V, English
Stacy Davidson, African and African American studies, labor studies and
industrial relations, and women’s studies Melissa Frank-Alston, academic counselor,
undergraduate studies Pamela Luttman, research support technician III,
psychology, FAST Track Leigh Ayn McNelis, staff assistant V, sociology
and crime, law, and justice
Megan O’Neill,
staff assistant IV, languages and literatures
LA Times
is compiled by Louise Sharrar, Dean’s Office, 110 Sparks, 865-769. LA Times
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U. Ed. LBA 03-151
What To Do If You Suspect Academic
Dishonesty
What NOT To Do In Suspected Academic
Dishonesty Cases
United Way
Employee Assistance Program
The Employee Assistance Program has been an underused resource. As
of January 1, 2003, ValueOptions will be Penn State’s Employee
Assistance Program (EAP) provider. An informational session will be
offered for college staff and faculty members in February. A
ValueOptions representative will be present to answer all questions
concerning the new provider and explain EAP benefits. Please watch
for future announcements. If you should have any questions regarding
EAP, please contact Dick Leah in the Human Resources Office at
863-8426.
Employee Assistance Fund
College Lectures and Symposia
Comparative Literature
Luncheon
LA Calendar
12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., Department of Germanic and Slavic
Languages and Literatures Brown Bag Luncheon Lecture Series.
Staff Honored
New
Colleagues
Promotions
Transfers
Retirements
Departures