President's Report 2/19/03

Greetings everyone. As I write this, snow is falling and the whole area looks ethereal. For the moment I don't have to miss New Hampshire! This report is posted on the faculty assembly website at http://phobos.ramapo.edu/facassem

Academic Meeting Schedule: Please note!! There have been now two revisions of the Academic Meeting Schedule for spring 2003. The latest revision (as of 2/14/03 is posted on the faculty assembly website at http://phobos.ramapo.edu/facassem/schedsp03.html

Strategic Plan: This week's faculty assembly will be focused on the Nov. 2002 Strategic Plan which is posted on the web at http://guide.ramapo.edu/content/StratPlan/index.html We are nearing the end of a two year process of gathering ideas and input from across the campus into the Strategic Plan. 9 task forces, and 6 special ad hoc committees contributed to the original shape of the document which then has been through a series of analyses by various groups across campus. Donna Crawley and Letizia Boone pulled together the first full draft of the document which again was sent out for input and revisions to various groups. The Faculty Advisory Council, among others, met last summer and went through that draft with detailed and concrete suggestions. The current draft was posted in November and input has been sought again through written commentary and through three open hearings.

Our goal is to make sure that the Strategic Plan be the strongest and most appropriate document for the college that it can be. Therefore, your input has been and continues to be critical even at this late stage. The faculty assembly discussion is our next opportunity to raise final concerns or to suggest additional directions. The following week -- on Monday and Tuesday Feb. 24 and 25 -- President Smith and Provost Cody will be holding open hearings from 1-2 (location to be announced) just on the question of the establishment of career deans. Note you can also continue to send (as a number have done) specific suggestions or concerns regarding the Strategic Plan to Letizia Boone at lboone@ramapo.edu or to me at kfowler@ramapo.edu.

The final step in this process will be next Wednesday night Feb. 26 when the Strategic Plan comes to the Board of Trustees full meeting for their review and approval. The Board has agreed to hold a public hearing on the Plan prior to taking the vote on it. The Board's open meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in SC136-138 on Feb. 26.

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New Provost: Our hearty congratulations and gratitude go to the members of the Provost Search Committee who have done a remarkable and very labor-intensive job over the past two years and who have successfully brought us a new provost, Dr. William Sanborn Pfeiffer who will begin work at Ramapo on July 1. The committee, chaired by Amruth Kumar included Joe Dallon, Steve Perry, Rita Tepper, Letizia Gambrell-Boone, Dorothy Echols Tobe, Carol Duncan, Anita Stellenwerf, Richard Morales Wright, Tom Heed, Mitch Khan, Chris Irving, Irene Kuchta, Henry Davis, Bob Becklen, Kay Gura, and Elaine Risch. Bravissimi to all of you! Information about the new Provost can be found at:

http://guide.ramapo.edu/content/provIntern/Status.html At the same time -- and we will return to this more fully and formally at the end of the year! -- let us express our great thanks and appreciation to Dr. Edward Cody who has served as our Interim Provost this year not only doing that job with energy and aplomb, but helping to shape what the new position of Provost will mean.

Ballot Results and Next Steps on Courseload Adjustment: At the end of the last meeting a motion was made and seconded and then sent out to the membership of the faculty assembly for a paper ballot. Here are the results:

Motion voted upon.

"Moved that the leadership of the Ramapo AFT, the Faculty Assembly, and the Academic Review Committee work together to develop a plan to gather and analyze the appropriate information to prepare for the discussion at the May Faculty Assembly meeting on Ed Cody's Course Adjustment proposal and the faculty response to it."

Ballots were counted on 2/13/02 by Barbara Csejka-Trottere and George Gonpu. Kay Fowler and Pat Finney observed the count. The results were:

96 Yes; 9 No; 7 Abstained. The motion carried.

We are now in the process of trying to develop that plan so that the needed work can begin as soon as possible. More details will be available as soon as we have reached an agreed upon plan of action.

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Continued commentary on courseload: I will continue to post any statements sent to me by faculty assembly members regarding the various aspects of the courseload adjustment proposal right up until the May meeting when we are scheduled to revisit Mike Fluhr's motion on the Provost's proposal. Mike Fluhr's motion is as follows:

Moved that the teaching load be reduced from 8 courses to 7 a year, that an all 3-credit curriculum be approved, that graduation credits be reduced from 128 to 120, and that release time be removed from convenors as outlined in Ed Cody's proposal.

That motion; Ed Cody's initial proposal, his revised proposal with appendices, and the courseload commentary page with the comments already posted are all accessible through the faculty assembly page at http://phobos.ramapo.edu/facassem

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Iraq teach-in: As you recall, the faculty assembly sponsored a teach-in during the fall on issues around the possibility of a conflict with Iraq. Kwesi Aggrey forwarded to me a resolution from the Association of American Colleges and Universities calling for just such fora. The resolution is as follows:

RESOLUTION CONCERNING WAR WITH IRAQ:

There are few better examples of democracy in action than an informed citizenry openly exploring and supporting or challenging the most important governmental policies and decisions that affect the nation. In this spirit, the AAC&U Board of Directors recommends that member institutions actively encourage and provide public forums for engaging students, faculty, staff and local community members in learning and debating about the issues and implications of war with Iraq.

Approved by the AAC&U Board of Directors, in consultation with those attending the 89th annual meeting of AAC&U, January 2003.

Association of American Colleges and Universities

1818 R Street, NW

Washington, DC 20009

202.387.3760

www.aacu.org

<http://www.aacu.org/membership>

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Academic Integrity: Martha Ecker, Associate Provost, asks that we remind our students to complete the academic integrity survey which is currently on the web at http://guide.ramapo.edu/content/don_mccabe.html

Library news: The George T. Potter Library Faculty are pleased to announce the following enhancements for research:

* Off-campus access to all of our databases. Click on "Electronic Resources" on the Library's homepage http://www.ramapo.edu/content/campus.resources/potter/ and then the off-campus access message at the top of the database screen. Your Ramapo e-mail name and password provide entry.

* Full-text access to journal articles from select databases ("Check Availability") or our home page ("Check Journal Availability").

* Our new WESTLAW CAMPUS database containing the NJ Administrative Code, The Federal Register, all state statutes, federal statutes, and case law. We are no longer receiving paper copies of these publications.. The database also includes journals and law reviews, American Law Reports, and American Jurisprudence 2d.

* The new Hispanic Studies websites link from our homepage http://www.ramapo.edu/content/campus.resources/potter/ under "Find Websites by Subject." These should be useful for language, culture, and history.

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Fall Schedule of classes: Note Linda Padley has sent out a calendar for preparing the Fall class schedule. Schools need to have completed their process by Feb. 28.

Outstanding agenda items: Please note that there are a number of items under review by the various task forces at work and by the ARC. In order to be prepared as these items come up in the remaining few meetings of this semester, I urge people to read the material already posted on the faculty assembly website on the proposals for a foreign language requirement, the proposal for a Spanish major, the report on student evaluation forms, all presently before the Academic Review Committee. Other upcoming reports include the recommendations of the International Education Task Force, the Teacher Education Task Force, the Graduate Program Task Force, the Grading Task Force, and others.

Special Event 5-7 February 19 Warner Wada, CA whose photographic resume includes three decades of documenting the urban landscape, presents Warner Wada: Recent Work , a photographic exploration of urban scenes in the Pascal Gallery at Ramapo College of New Jersey opening Wednesday, February 19. An opening reception is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. and Warner will be offering an artist’s talk beginning at 6 p.m. The exhibit runs through March 21. Congratulations Warner! For more information see: http://www.ramapo.edu/news/pressreleases/2003/01_31_2003.html

President Smith’s State of the College Address: February 26 3 p.m., Friends Hall. Given the recent announcements of budget cuts from the state this State of the College Address should be a particularly vital one for us to attend.

Gates to faculty lots: I am told that the gates will be finished shortly on the faculty lots -- the weather permitting. If you haven't got your Prox-Plus card yet -- get it from Security. Also note -- shortly we will be facing a blockage of the center of the campus which could last up to two years. There will be a temporary traffic light at the back entrance to the campus.

African Ancestry Month (February) and Women's Herstory Month (March): Check the campus calendar at http://guide.ramapo.edu for the many fine events planned for these two months.

Berrie Award for Making a Difference: If you would like to nominate someone (must be a New Jersey Resident) for the Berrie Award for making a difference you must do so before Feb. 21, 2003. Guidelines and forms can be found at http://www.ramapo.edu/berriecenter/makingadifference/

Upcoming Student Play: Top Girls, Directed by Maria Vail Guevara. March 6-8, 12-14, 8 p.m. March 15, 2 p.m. at the Sharp Theater. Don't miss it.

COPLAC Conference at Ramapo: June 20-23. This is the first time that COPLAC (the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges) members will be coming to Ramapo College for the annual conference. Watch for further details. The organization has commited $7500 to help Ramapo with the costs associated with mounting the conference. The theme of the conference is "Global/Civic Expectations."

Sino-American Leadership Initiative: AASCU (American Association of State Colleges and Universities) and the Chinese Education Association for International Exchange have selected Ramapo to participate in the 2003-2004 Sino-American Leadership Initiative. This will involve having Chinese partner campus representatives come to the US (first to Washington and then to Ramapo and other US partner campuses) and having Ramapo faculty travel to China. Congratulations to all involved. More details will be available later.

Faculty Fellows Internship Program: AACU (American Assocation of College and Universities) is offering a Faculty Fellows Internship Program. Deadline for application is Mar 30 for Fall semester, July 31 for spring semester. I will give a copy of the brochure to Phil McLewin to post in the Faculty Resource Center. For further information contact:

Faculty Fellows Internship Program, Institute for Experiential Learning, 1776 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Suite 201, Washington, DC 20036 Telephone 800-435-0770 Fax 202-833-8581 or info@ielnet.org. Website: www.ielnet.org

CASE U.S. Professor of the Year Program: Council for Advancement and Support of Education is accepting nominations for U. S. Professor of the Year. Deadline April 25. Visit www.case.org/poy for more information.

Upcoming Conferences/Institutes; International Conference on Faculty Learning Communities and New FLC Developer's Institute June 19-22nd. Call for proposals due Feb. 28; registration due March 28. See http://www.iats.com