Address of the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs
Opening Faculty Meeting, August 30, 2007
WELCOME BACK. It is hard to believe that an entire academic year has passed since I began my duties as your Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. What an exciting year it has been…and…there is much more excitement to come.
President Schmotter – It is an honor and privilege to represent and lead a faculty that is renowned for its academic and community accomplishments, dedicated to providing the highest quality education to its students, open and welcome to innovation and change, and ready to accept new challenges. I am extremely proud of the leadership and commitment this faculty has show in instituting the vision of the strategic plan that, as you so ably pointed out, provides the map for WestConn to become Connecticut’s first and foremost “public-private” university. I want to extend a personal thank you to our staff and directors who have worked this summer to prepare for our next academic year.
Thanks to our faculty and the support of you and your administrators, it would take far longer than the time I have available to list the wealth of accomplishments made during the 2006-2007 academic year. Having said this, I want to highlight a few of these achievements in the areas of continuing growth in faculty excellence, faculty recognition, enhancing the student experience, making WestConn a leader in the field of global education, and community involvement.
Accreditation, as we are all aware, is a measure of a university’s academic excellence. A year ago, I pledged my support to assist our faculty in securing NCATE and AACSB accreditation. We are moving forward with NCATE. While much remains to be done, we will be ready for the NCATE team’s visit in Fall 2009. The dean and faculty of the Ancell School of Business have developed a comprehensive plan to move the AACSB accreditation forward. This plan has my full support and confidence.
The time for the Fifth Year NEASC accreditation review is fast approaching. Dean Hawkes and Dean Durnin will spearhead a team of faculty and administrators to prepare for NEASC visit. NEASC has assigned Dr. Robert Froh, Associate Director at NEASC, as our consultant. A September visit is planned to meet with our West Conn team.
This past year we conducted a number of programs recognizing our faculty’s accomplishments and promotions. It is an important start, but not an end point. Our faculty’s accomplishments honor our university. Dr. Gyure and Dr. Qi are two examples. Dr. Ruth Gyure won the WCSU CSUS Trustee Teaching Award as well as the CSUS Trustee Teaching Award. Dr. Shouhua Qi won the WCSU CSUS Trustee Research Award.
Our students are our constituents. How we serve them is a key measure of our success as an education institution. We all have a responsibility to do everything within our power to make certain a student who matriculates also graduates.
Good advisement begins at the beginning. For the first time this year, all newly admitted freshmen were assigned an advisor upon admission and received notification of this choice at student orientation.
Dr. Bill Petkanas, serving as Director of CELT and Director of Faculty Advising, headed a team of five (5) faculty, each representing one of our schools, worked up close and personal with students during and after orientation to make certain they had the best advisement possible in their choice of courses. Using these experiences as a base, Dr. Petkanas and his team have been charged with developing a process that will result in a comprehensive advising experience during a student’s time at WestConn.
Two weeks ago, my husband and I attended a wonderful performance of “Romeo and Juliet: A Rock and Roll Love Story” by members of the WestConn Theater Department at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. Nothing illustrates better WestConn’s growing role on a global stage.
This past year, I helped develop a written comprehensive process that will enhance the ability of our students and faculty to plan and implement programs of international opportunity. I am pleased to inform the faculty that Dean. Morton of the Ancell School of Business is chairing a search committee for an International Program Coordinator, a full-time management position. This person will be charged with three key tasks—increase the number of international students studying at WestConn, increase the number of WestConn students studying abroad, and assist the faculty in creating international study experiences for their students as well as themselves.
This past year our students and faculty traveled to China, Puerto Rico, Scotland, Spain, Vietnam, Brazil, Cambodia, Bangladesh. I want this list to grow. Plans already are underway to add India and Switzerland. Mr. Feng Li, a Ph.D. candidate from Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China has been granted a full scholarship from the China Scholarship Council to do one year of research at WestConn under the supervision of Dr. Zuohong Pan. Please welcome him.
President Schmotter already has mentioned the national recognition our “Building the Bridge” has achieved locally, regionally, and nationally and the importance of the comprehensive articulation agreements we have reached with four (4) regional community colleges. Thanks again to the spirit of cooperation exhibited by our faculty, WestConn is a true leader in its community.
A partnership forged between the Danbury Women’s Center and WestConn and the approval by the BOT of our partnership with Central to offer our students the 092 certificate are further proof WestConn’s community commitment.
Again, my thanks to our faculty for making the above accomplishments happen. My task now is to ask for your support during this academic year to enhance our past accomplishments and create new, innovative ideas to achieve the following three strategic goals during the next twelve months:
- Help our students achieve their potential through a commitment to taking the time to know your student advisees and continually striving to enhance their in class experience
- Strengthen existing academic programs and develop new programs that answer the needs of today’s community
- Provide the encouragement and create opportunities that will challenge you to greater professional advancement within your discipline, in the classroom, and in the community and ask your assistance in attracting new faculty who are as commitment to the same high standards as you are.
We can achieve these goals and more by working together. This past spring a group of administrators, directors, faculty, and staff met with me to discuss our strategic planning goals and how to best meet them. I plan to continue this process during the coming academic year.
Last year I pledged to visit “each and every department to discuss with you the issues and opportunities about which you think I need to be aware.” I am making a similar pledge again this academic year. Expect me to come knocking.
Over this past year as you have become acquainted with me, you have witnessed my dedication and commitment to making this institution, its students, and its faculty the best possible. Expect the same intensity in the academic year ahead.
I want to end as I began. Welcome Back. Welcome back to a year of promise, innovation, challenges, and accomplishments.
Working together there is little we cannot accomplish.
Our prospects are exciting…and….I have every reason to believe they should be.
Have a great year!
