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Susquehanna University Annual Report 2003 | |
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President's Letter
ARCHIVES
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The Faculty Common Denominator
A Commitment to Undergraduate Teaching
When Tressler Professor of Accounting and Faculty Marshall Jerrell Habegger lowered the ceremonial mace to open the 2003-04 academic year for new students, faculty were also welcoming new members into their own ranks. An award-winning pianist, who had just the night before entertained on campus, had also recently performed at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall. Business colleagues were welcoming a former vice president of priceline.com. Scientists were gaining a physicist who investigates long-period variables in nearby galaxies -- and who also happens to be a competitive ballroom dancer. Seventeen newcomers joined a full-time faculty of more than 100 -- each different in their scholarly or creative pursuits, but alike in their willingness to share those pursuits with undergraduates. And that is the distinction that earned them the invitation to join the Susquehanna community. Growth and Opportunities Every choice on the hiring of a new faculty member is one of crucial importance, says Warren Funk, who recently concluded eight years as the university's academic vice president with plans to return to teaching. "You're hiring someone who could easily be a contributor and shaper and a presence at this university for three and a half decades." Funk has seen the faculty grow to 118 full-time positions today from 94 full-time in 1994-95, adding the equivalent of 2 1/2 to 3 positions annually. The additions have helped keep pace with the needs of a student body that has increased to 1,895 today from 1,443 in 1994-95. Coupled with expected normal turnover in the faculty -- replacing veteran members who retired and others who left the university - the growth has also fueled new opportunities: the chance to add depth to existing programs and broaden the curriculum with new ones.
Recent years have seen additions of faculty to support a rapidly growing major in creative writing and a new anthropology minor. This year's additions include a new terrestrial plant ecologist in biology, an assistant professor with experience in both technical theatre and dramatic literature, and an expert in entrepreneurship for the university's Sigmund Weis School of Business. Credentials and Experience Adding entrepreneurship courses will benefit students throughout the university who want to gain insight into starting and running their own businesses, says Dean Jim Brock. "We're educating students who not only will create their own future, but also will in turn provide employment opportunities for others," he explains. "And that fledgling entrepreneur might also be a music major or a physics major." Assistant Professor of Management Leann Mischel, who holds a doctorate from the University of Illinois and has extensive industry experience including the former vice presidency of AdvantaBank and priceline.com, fills the position. Her appointment is the equivalent of a home run for the business school in a recruiting market where competition is especially keen for Ph.D.s and women. Rising Faculty Qualifications The percentage of faculty with doctorates at Susquehanna has increased to 92 percent from 84 percent in 1994-95. Beyond academic qualifications and the commitment to undergraduate teaching, faculty members have also brought considerable records of scholarly research, creative activity, and performance. All help raise Susquehanna's visibility and support a growing reputation in keeping with the university's recent reclassification as a national liberal arts college. "We're interested deeply in attracting people to Susquehanna who understand our approach to learning and teaching in the broadest sense -- not simply in the classroom but across the institution," says Funk.
"In almost all cases, the best teachers are those who are actively involved in their disciplines," stresses Terry Winegar, dean of Susquehanna's School of Natural and Social Sciences. "Keeping current often means interacting with people who are generating the work that is going to show up in textbooks," he says. "Active faculty often have a greater level of enthusiasm and excitement and ability to engage interest in their disciplines. And that translates very well to students." And, says marketing major Ted Patterson '05, a student member of the board of directors, "Nobody wants to learn from someone who has stopped learning." Teaching Tools and Methods Today's Susquehanna faculty, many of whom have come of age in the electronic era, arrive informed by the latest research in effective student learning, where hands-on and group work are the norm. Susquehanna's 17 "smart" classrooms offer new technology for multimedia faculty and student presentations. BlackBoard, a Web-based course management software tool, helps faculty communicate with students in new ways. "Faculty arrive expecting these tools will be here and they are prepared to use them," says Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of History Linda McMillin.
Electronic tools also promote important connections to a larger scholarly community. "Faculty are coming with a strong sense of their own research agenda and then infusing students into that and helping students make that large connection," says McMillin, pointing to the university's strong tradition of student-faculty collaborative research. Thirteen Susquehanna students - ten in biology, two in biochemistry and one in chemistry -- presented research at the prestigious National Conference on Undergraduate Research in 2003. Other students presented at regional and national conferences in individual disciplines. Ryan Bell '05, who works with Assistant Professor of Biology Matt Persons, recently topped competitors including graduate students to earn the "best student research poster" award at the American Arachnological Society meeting. Curriculum Builders Recent additions to the faculty are joining their more experienced colleagues to shape not only the curriculum but also co-curricular experiences. Several relatively new faculty have contributed to recent significant changes in the university's Core curriculum and first-year offerings, including a new writing and thinking course based on the Harvard expository writing model, and a pilot enhancement to Susquehanna's "University Experience" course. There are also added venues for study abroad thanks to such faculty as Associate Professor of History George Wei, who has fostered connections with Shanghai University in China, and Assistant Professor of Sociology Dave Ramsaran, who is developing a new travel/study program in Trinidad. Recruiting Challenges While efforts to offer competitive salary and benefits have bolstered Susquehanna's recruiting position, significant challenges remain to attracting members of minority groups. Minorities currently comprise about 10 percent of Susquehanna faculty and eight percent of the student body. Creating a diverse community is one of four priorities in a strategic plan expected to be approved by the board of directors this fall. A proposed Presidential Task Force on Diversity is one of the initiatives being considered.
The relative distance of the campus from urban areas offers advantages and disadvantages. In an era when two-professional families are common, the region provides limited choices for faculty with a spouse or partner seeking employment. To help maximize opportunities, the Office of Academic Affairs has begun to share information about available positions and needs with nearby institutions. Wisdom, Experience, and Knowledge Susquehanna has recently revamped the orientation process to welcome new faculty and help counteract the potential loss of wisdom, experience, and knowledge as senior faculty retire. Mentoring teams pairing one or two newcomers with a senior member and one or two second-year faculty have replaced a one-to-one model. A series of informal sessions covers topics such as grants and financial support for professional activity and the evaluation process. New faculty can also draw on resources through the university's Center for Teaching and Learning, directed by Degenstein Professor of History Donald Housley. "And department heads and other faculty are also continually teaching new teachers their values," he says. "Ultimately all the pieces need to work together to intentionally create opportunities to help faculty develop their own careers of teaching, scholarship and service," stresses Funk. "That way they can actively contribute in new direction for Susquehanna." |
