FAH Division Meeting: FAH Space Program!

Dear FAH Colleagues,

Thanks so much for making the FAH Division Meeting held Friday 8/14 such an exciting, energized, productive event.  There was a palpable sense of excitement and purpose in the room, created around the issue of making our voice heard loud and clear, particularly in the context of the development of the new College Strategic Plan and most prominently (but not exclusively) concerning OUR NEEDS FOR SPACE--hence my calling for a FAH Space Program! 

But of course we can't wait and just hope that we have a real voice in that plan; we need to make sure that our needs are addressed in the short run as well as the long run.  That's a big part of my job.  Your job is to make me do it!  You made a great start at the meeting by holding the shortest department meetings in history and then reporting back to the group on your needs.  Now I'm getting those needs we listed at the meeting out in front of us all so we can look at them.  I've also emailed department chairs so we can find a time to meet together soon.

(Department Chairs, please let us all know via comments to this blog posting if your departments have changes to make to the notes below, and please let us know as soon as possible which need is most urgent in the eyes of your department.)

Here's the breakdown according to my notes, by department.  Following this list (or in another post if I run out of time), I'll include other notes from the meeting.

FAH Departmental Needs:

ART:  1 doz. computer stations; metalworking area for safe cutting and welding; offices for five faculty; Holden major repair/renovation, including making Holden Auditorium "smart"; more storage space; conference room; structural improvements to tie three Art buildings together.

ENGLISH:  More space!  Smart classrooms! faculty development funds (or new position?) to work with new MAT (Master of Teacher Ed.) Program; eventually a 6th faculty position.

HISTORY/POLITICAL SCIENCE:  Right-sized classrooms!  Smart classrooms!  Support for working with MAT Program.

MODERN LANGUAGES:  More classrooms!  Smart classrooms!  Restore language lab; Gen. Ed. language requirement, with additional position(s) such a change would make necessary; support for working with MAT Program.

MUSIC:  Additional music rehearsal space (immediate: long-delayed conversion of storage space!); renovate Recital Hall and make "smart"; make K16 classroom "smart"; three additional faculty offices; general renovation of entire Music Wing, most urgently new chairs, tables, carpet; campus web-radio station facility (?).

PHILOSOPHY:  Real office for faculty--with a window!  Upgrade 2/3 position to full-time; right-sized classrooms!  Smart classrooms!  support (time & $$) for curriculum development;

THEATRE:  Space beyond Kitt. stage for instruction, rehearsal, performance (Real dance studio, performance/rehearsal studio, design lab/classroom, smart classroom); 2-3 faculty offices; storage spaces; funds & support for post-graduate internship with local professional theatre + Theatre Dept.

WRITING:  NEW FICTION POSITION!  Smart classrooms!  Unified departmental space.

DIVISION-WIDE NEEDS: 
The "Big Fire" (in Casey's words) seems to be the need for classrooms/studios sized according to pedagogical needs and provided with appropriate technology, but not far behind:
Renovation of Jensen public spaces; serious improvement of entire Jensen environment; Arts communal gathering space (with café); PROFESSIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS!  Money for FAH January Retreat.
(I could list other FAH needs such as informations website, crew support, etc., but these are the items from my notes in the meeting.)

These are the needs I recorded from the meeting.  Chairs, please let us know your department's most crucial priority.  I'll add other meeting notes in another post.

Thank you all for good work.  Please, let's not let the momentum slow. 

Submitted by:
Yr hmbl & ever-vigilent Chair,
Graham Paul