Well, I re-started the "New" FAH Blog as a conduit for information about what I'm doing as FAH Chair and then--of course--added nothing. Okay, here goes:
What I Did On My Summer Vacation by Graham Paul
Mid-May: After reviewing files and ARSEs at hand, I meet with Paula to advise her as she makes decisions on merit raises and salary inequities (she asked all division chairs to do this). Not very much in the way of big bucks to work with, but something. Presumably, this task will become routine, so make sure you put all your many achievements in your ARSEs (if you know what I mean).
Soon after Commencement, I join many of you for a workshop for department chairs. We discuss leadership philosophy and qualities, the many tasks of the department chair, assessment, adjunct issues, division ideas, legal issues, department chair compensation, etc. A good day.
End of May: Warren Gaughan and I travel to lovely Boston, MA (rain & gray weather, but not bad) for a jam-packed three-day Workshop for Department and Division Chairs (hosted by the CIC) at the lovely Cambridge Hyatt Regency. An amazing amount of information, conversation, and stimulation (of the intellectual kind only, of course). Terrific presentations. I scribble furiously, and I eventually transcribe about half of those scribbles into a document-in-progress which can be found HERE. I can't tell you department chairs and potential chairs (and potential division chairs hey-hey!) how beneficial these annual workshops can be. I strongly, strongly urge you to go to the next one. Paula will pay, and it doesn't come out of your personal faculty development kitty. For someone like me, who still considers administration something of a foreign country, it was quite a trip. Three of the thousands of thoughts I came away with: 1) It is wonderfully illuminating to learn to "think like a dean", if only a little bit, and can take you a long way toward getting the resources a department may need; 2) it's vitally important that faculty receive all the information they need to improve their programs; and 3) don't ever lose sight of the main thing in making decisions: It's what's best for the students that counts; and 3) Warren and I and a couple of other folks we've met have an amazing night of theatre when we attend Jerry Springer: The Opera.
Sometime in June: I get more deeply involved in the issues around who and what Bryson Gym will be for when it finally re-opens (if ever). A couple of meetings reveal that Outdoor Leadership needs the space desperately, as does Wellness for their classes, and of course the Old Farmers Ball (contra dancing), but We Can All Get Along. Some of us get excited about possible inexpensive renovations beyond what's planned to make the space suitable for performances, rehearsals, and maybe offices--as well as classes (I know, this sounds like Theatre business exclusively, but more FAH departments could find a use for it, too, perhaps). However, visions come crashing down in the face of some building code questions. What Will Happen? We still don't know. Stay tuned.
May-June-July: I read again and with care lots and lots of Annual Reports and Self Evaluations, as well as cv's, and draft lots and lots of responses, which I eventually send to you and to your file (still finishing up two, truth be told). I try to make the responses substantial--moreso that in the future, perhaps--because this is the first time in a long time you've gotten some kind of written responses. I'm hugely impressed by the amount of work that you all do. Just amazing and humbling. (Of course, I'm still lacking a very few of these exciting documents: You Know Who You Are.) And be ready: the new deadline for Annual Reports & Self Evaluations is January 15! I hope the new, streamlined format Ben Feinberg and I developed makes them easier to write.
Also in this time, I give Paula my own self-evaluation as FAH Chair and goals for the future. Thanks to those of you who responded to the questionnaire about my, ahem, performance. After I look over the goals I listed for the coming year (and perhaps thin them out a bit), I'll post it on the FAH Faculty Website.
In June, I meet with the former president of the board of ArtSpace, the charter school just down the road. Looks like I might possibly be on their board of advisors, and serve as a kind of liaison between ArtSpace and WWC (or at least FAH). We'll see.
At the end of June, I join some of you for breakfast with a bunch of traveling high school guidance counselors. Interesting conversations! I'll have lots more to say about recruiting strong students soon. Speaking of which...
July: I join many of you at the Admission Open House, talk to several students and their parents. Many students are rising seniors in high school, and one student (at least) is a rising junior! Bears out what I learned at the CIC workshop: We need to start working with students earlier than we might think if we want them to come to Wilson.
Later in July, I meet with Paul Braese, head of FMTS, to try to understand what keeps projects like the Music Department's request that a storage area be turned into a band practice room, what keeps these projects in limbo for as long as ten years(!!!). I learn a good deal but there's still a good deal of mystery. We clearly need to develop a clear, simple way for projects to be proposed and then approved by PAC and then started and completed within our lifetimes! I will keep pushing with the projects that I'm aware of (two for Art, one for Music, maybe one for Theatre; other chairs, talk to me), and I'll keep pushing for a more efficient system.
During the month, I also put together the FAH Faculty Website (see the link above and also on the side of this blog), which I intend to serve as an information and resource conduit for all of you and a way for me to keep track of all the projects and issues that I need to work on.
And during this month, I also learn that Luis Arévalo will not be returning in the fall. I wish him the best of luck, and also wish the members of our Modern Languages Department encouragement--and my assistance--as they deal with the sudden situation. Luis will be missed. Thank goodness for Alberto!
At the end of July I participate in a walk-through of Mitchell, the stone duplex behind the Amphitheatre, half of which will become offices for some Writing faculty who got kicked out of Sunderland basement--and perhaps others). The other half of Mitchell is slated to become more space for academics after this year. At last.
Later that day, Paula's Executive Committee which is made up of Paula, Carol, and Ben/Paul/Graham/Chris as division chairs, has a half-day retreat at which we discuss broad visions for academics at WWC, our goals for the coming year, and numerous more specific issues. We talk about the need for all of us to clarify and articulate what "liberal arts" means at Warren Wilson. What do we want it to mean? What is strong and distinctive about what we do? What needs to be made stronger?
As division chairs, we all pretty well agreed that last year we were spending much of our time developing the new academic structure and figuring out what we were trying to accomplish; this year, more of our time needs to be spend working with and supporting departments and department chairs. For my own part, I feel that I clearly need to work with all departments more--but especially those in the humanities, who got less of my time last year that the fine arts departments. To that end, I have moved my office from Kittredge Music Wing to the [very happening] second floor of Jensen. Hopefully, familiarity won't breed contempt. And don't worry, arts folks: I'll still be in Kittredge a good deal of the time, as well as in your hair.
On the last night of July, I attended John Crutchfield's performance of his The Songs of Robert at the BeBe Theatre, a fundraiser to help pay for him to take it to the New York Fringe Festival, where he has been invited. A great night.
August: Here we are. I find myself having attended two meetings about efforts to digitize and make accessible course evaluations and eventually much of our personnel files--how to do it, how to make sure nothing gets lost, how to preserve confidentiality, and how to make sure that files are complete in one form or another--especially important when we come up for extended contract reviews, of course.
I also find myself moving into a new office, preparing syllabi for two new courses, and preparing to direct A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with Steve Williams.
And I make plans for our FAH Division meeting on Friday, Aug. 14 in Kittredge Music Wing. I'll work on an agenda as well as on some kind of refreshments. I'll communicate again with some agenda ideas, but please email me with what you think should be on that agenda. It's a time to get focused and excited rather than meeting'd out, so let's have a lively, productive and not-too-long meeting.
Don't know if you made it this far, but if you did: Thanks. Subsequent posts will be shorter!
Cheers,
Yr Hmbl & Ob't FAH Servant,
Graham
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