CIVILITY RULES AT FACULTY CONVOCATION
Posted on September 2, 2010
Civility was the watchword at
the Fall 2010 Faculty Convocation, where the newly elected president of the
local Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties
(APSCUF) pledged to act in accordance with Cal U's core values. "Civility requires that we
express ourselves in ways that demonstrate a respect towards others," said Dr.
Michael Slavin, chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance. "I promise to
behave with civility, and I thank you for your trust." Citing the high cost - both
financial and personal - of faculty grievances, Slavin announced a plan to
examine the evaluation process. By taking a proactive approach, he said, the
association and the University may find a way to better resolve their
differences. Citing a prediction by University
President Angelo Armenti, Jr., Slavin noted that a third party will address
issues related to the new parking plan, which went into effect Aug. 30. Two
hearings on the matter have been scheduled this fall. After being introduced by
Provost Geraldine Jones, President Armenti reviewed a handout showing that 147
faculty members have not registered for parking. Of the 124 faculty who
purchased parking permits, 96 were given spaces in their preferred parking area.
An additional 91 faculty have registered and are on a waiting list. "Spaces will become available,
and the faculty has always had first preference," President Armenti said. "If
you have not registered for parking, please do so." Despite the region's economic
challenges, enrollment at Cal U continues to grow. Figures from the first day
of classes show the head count up by 365, or 4 percent, compared to first-day
totals in 2009. Over the past six years, Cal U's total full-time equivalent
(FTE) enrollment has increased by 43 percent. "We continue to be attracting
bright, young students looking to move onto higher education, and you (faculty)
play a very significant role in this," the President said. About 1,600 students attended
orientation Aug. 26-29, President Armenti reported. In addition to learning about
University traditions and the Cal U for Life program, one orientation session
focused on Cal U Fusion, a
campus-wide mobile technology initiative that has begun to explore innovative
ways to use handheld devices as tools for teaching and learning. Cal U Fusion will be the topic of Mission Day on Oct. 6. "Mobile technology is
definitely going to transform higher education," said President Armenti, as he
demonstrated a number of applications that might be used in the classroom. "With Cal U Fusion we intend to bring 21st-century technology
onto our campus and into our classrooms. Our students deserve nothing less - and
participation by you, the faculty, is essential for this to succeed." During her welcoming remarks,
Provost Jones noted the retirement of five longtime faculty members who
combined to give 150 years of service to Cal U students. The provost recognized
retirees Edward Brown, Debra Clingerman, John Shimkanin, William Yahner and
John Vargo. Jones also named the current
faculty members receiving promotions and introduced six new tenure-track
faculty - Drs. Jason Kight, Cynthia Persinger, Anthony Rodi, Melissa Sovak,
Christina Toras and Julie Warnick. This year's Frederick Douglass
Scholar is Michelle Torregano.
