Each Friday this semester, like clockwork, Wendy Hanawalt has sent out an email to Duffy faculty members. The subject line is simply: “Coffee’s on!” With Wendy organizing, faculty members sign up each week to bring in goodies, and the convivial conversation flows as generously as the coffee—before the earliest class and intermittently between morning classes. Everyone who knows Wendy knows that she’s had many great ideas on topics more important than coffee! But that idea for Friday morning coffee has shown all of us one of the extra perks (so to speak) of having such smart and committed staff to work with!
And coffee’s not the only thing that’s been percolating on the Stonehill campus this week. After two years of planning for the Martin Institute’s mission, philosophy, leadership, and programming, a celebratory event on Wednesday evening heralded the launch of interdisciplinary concentrations.
Let me jolt your memories. When the Martin Institute Philosophy was written two years ago, it anticipated a robust commitment to interdisciplinary work—particularly when that work connects to the Institute’s primary areas of focus--public policy and social justice:
Consistent with the College's mission to cultivate leadership, responsible citizenship, and a commitment to social justice, the activities of the Institute center on increasing student awareness of and interest in the public policy/social justice theme for the year. To this end, a close connection exists between the Institute and the curriculum. This linkage is forged through a variety of interdisciplinary teaching and learning opportunities and through pedagogies that connect theory and praxis. A variety of interdisciplinary academic experiences are offered through the Martin Institute, including elective minor concentrations in public policy and social justice that attract students from a range of disciplines; Learning Communities and stand-alone courses addressing public policy and social justice issues related to the annual theme; lectures and debates; Martin Institute fellowships; off-campus student service, internships, and research projects under the auspices of the Institute; and a Martin Institute newsletter or academic journal.
And the kickoff event for these interdisciplinary efforts could not have involved a better speaker than David Kirp. His latest book, The Sandbox Investment, is a model of interdisciplinary inquiry, and even the format for the event—a discussion led by Martin Institute Director Peter Ubertaccio—suggested that inquiry itself was a pervasive theme.
Kirp—who has also written on the marketing of Higher Education (Shakespeare, Einstein and the Bottom Line), on cities and suburbia (Our Town: Race, Housing, and the Soul of Suburbia) and on the appealing concept of community as it is confronted by the decision-making of everyday people (Almost Home: America’s Love-Hate Relationship with Community)—discussed his new book in detail and answered a number of questions from the audience.
The audience was, in fact, rather small. Sure, this is a busy time of the semester. But it was a bit disappointing to have so few people in attendance for a celebration of a curricular innovation that enjoys such widespread support. I urge the faculty to review the brochure Peter has developed about Interdisciplinary Concentrations and to encourage students to pursue such a concentration if their interests and passions are not met by the standard curriculum in a department or if a concentration will broaden their exposure to different ways of seeing a problem, idea, culture, history, concept, or discipline.
Indeed, the most exciting aspect of these concentrations is that they invite students to plug in and to percolate their own ideas—to predict that there are campus resources that will help them to gain multiple perspectives on their fields of interest.
So, when students come looking for something that’s not in the catalog, let’s be sure to give them a consistent message: “Coffee’s On!” We can trust that—with faculty guidance and mentoring—they will be ready to brew their own new interdisciplinary blends from the grounds of the disciplines to which we are all connected.
Best regards,
Katie
Friday, November 30, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Friday, November 23, 2007--Taking Care of Business
Perhaps you thought I took a week off from “Friday Notes” because of Thanksgiving. But while I did certainly enjoy the turkey—and the family and other company that this favorite-of-all-holidays brings—I did not forget that the whole point of “Friday Notes” is pretty much a big “thanks-giving.” So I’m posting late, but on an important topic that I’ve been thinking about quite a lot lately: our Business Administration program and its future.
Indeed, over the last several weeks, I have interviewed many finalists for the five positions the Stonehill Business Department is currently searching to fill. It’s always exciting to interview prospective faculty members, and in this case, there’s quite a lot to be excited about. The Department is seeking AACSB accreditation, and as it moves toward this important milestone, it has used the standards developed by the accrediting organization to rethink its curriculum, to focus the research of faculty already in the department, and to craft the new areas of expertise the department needs. All these efforts express Stonehill’s eagerness to offer a progressive program that both prepares graduates to enter business fields in the rapidly changing global economy and honors Stonehill’s longstanding commitment to integrating liberal and pre-professional education.
I think it’s critical for all Stonehill faculty to know the history of this commitment and to understand why it is important to Stonehill’s future that we spend time, energy, and financial resources to “take care of Business.”
First, we probably need to agree that it’s hard to say in any “purist” way what “kind” of college Stonehill is. Labels like “liberal arts” and “comprehensive” are only useful in certain contexts. We can celebrate that we are a “liberal arts college” while simultaneously recognizing that we include among our top competitors many types of schools: comprehensive colleges, “Master’s Universities,” and other liberal arts colleges.
Since 1949—the second year of Stonehill’s history—we have offered curriculum in one or more Business fields. Like any areas of study, we have seen student interest levels vary over the years; in the 1980s, student interest in Business was so high that the College actually had to put a cap on the number of spaces in the program. Over the last 15 years, we have consistently graduated about 25% of the class each year in Business Administration. And the most recent information (2004-05) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) indicates that 21.6% of all baccalaureate degrees in the U.S. were granted in Business. Given the public understanding of Stonehill’s identity, this should give pause to anyone who assumes that we could make our class each year without a strong Business program.
We have also seen a significant number of students—including humanities, fine arts, science, and social science majors—choosing to minor or double-major in Business fields. And the department does a great job with these students. Indeed, even with their majors, they are the first to celebrate that Stonehill produces a different kind of accountant or marketer or manager—because the faculty truly wants students to have a broad education in the liberal arts as well as a deep knowledge of their major field.
Stonehill has historically offered a unique combination of disciplines for a small college and has—in an unforeseen way—actually anticipated the needs and interests of this generation of students. Currently, there is a high level of interest in practical areas of study, and demographics suggest that this trend will continue and increase in the coming years. First-generation and minority college students, who will grow as a percentage of college–age students over the next decade, report greater-than-average interest in business and other pre-professional fields, and even the most “pure” liberal arts colleges are already finding ways to accommodate these interests. They are adding accounting and finance to their Economics Departments; or they are calling Business by its more old-fashioned title of “Commerce”; or they are linking business study to programs exploring globalization; or they are adding a fifth-year MBA program designed for liberal arts graduates. But they are clearly trying to figure out how they will prepare for what Stonehill has already been doing: integrating business-oriented professional preparation with a solid liberal arts foundation.
Lately, we’ve been using the phrase “liberal arts plus” to acknowledge the creative integration of liberal and professional studies at the College. In recent years, more and more Stonehill departments have sought to promote the relevance of their disciplines in new ways—sometimes by “putting knowledge to work” through practical applications. And studies like the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) show that applied learning really makes a difference. For example, NSSE reports that an internship or field placement is the most powerful form of a culminating senior experience in terms of greater self-reported gains in thinking critically, solving real-world problems and working effectively with others.
So all these interviews with Business candidates (which the department has done an outstanding job to bring about) have allowed me to take the temperature of our program and to imagine its future directions. It will take significant resources to build the program that the faculty are committed to—and whereas the sciences needed facilities to take the next step, Business, at least initially, needs more personnel. I hope that as we complete this hiring, add international emphasis to all the concentrations, and strengthen several features of the Business program, other College departments will see that taking care of Business pays tribute to a historical program at the College and offers a proactive salute to Stonehill's future health.
Best regards,
Katie
Indeed, over the last several weeks, I have interviewed many finalists for the five positions the Stonehill Business Department is currently searching to fill. It’s always exciting to interview prospective faculty members, and in this case, there’s quite a lot to be excited about. The Department is seeking AACSB accreditation, and as it moves toward this important milestone, it has used the standards developed by the accrediting organization to rethink its curriculum, to focus the research of faculty already in the department, and to craft the new areas of expertise the department needs. All these efforts express Stonehill’s eagerness to offer a progressive program that both prepares graduates to enter business fields in the rapidly changing global economy and honors Stonehill’s longstanding commitment to integrating liberal and pre-professional education.
I think it’s critical for all Stonehill faculty to know the history of this commitment and to understand why it is important to Stonehill’s future that we spend time, energy, and financial resources to “take care of Business.”
First, we probably need to agree that it’s hard to say in any “purist” way what “kind” of college Stonehill is. Labels like “liberal arts” and “comprehensive” are only useful in certain contexts. We can celebrate that we are a “liberal arts college” while simultaneously recognizing that we include among our top competitors many types of schools: comprehensive colleges, “Master’s Universities,” and other liberal arts colleges.
Since 1949—the second year of Stonehill’s history—we have offered curriculum in one or more Business fields. Like any areas of study, we have seen student interest levels vary over the years; in the 1980s, student interest in Business was so high that the College actually had to put a cap on the number of spaces in the program. Over the last 15 years, we have consistently graduated about 25% of the class each year in Business Administration. And the most recent information (2004-05) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) indicates that 21.6% of all baccalaureate degrees in the U.S. were granted in Business. Given the public understanding of Stonehill’s identity, this should give pause to anyone who assumes that we could make our class each year without a strong Business program.
We have also seen a significant number of students—including humanities, fine arts, science, and social science majors—choosing to minor or double-major in Business fields. And the department does a great job with these students. Indeed, even with their majors, they are the first to celebrate that Stonehill produces a different kind of accountant or marketer or manager—because the faculty truly wants students to have a broad education in the liberal arts as well as a deep knowledge of their major field.
Stonehill has historically offered a unique combination of disciplines for a small college and has—in an unforeseen way—actually anticipated the needs and interests of this generation of students. Currently, there is a high level of interest in practical areas of study, and demographics suggest that this trend will continue and increase in the coming years. First-generation and minority college students, who will grow as a percentage of college–age students over the next decade, report greater-than-average interest in business and other pre-professional fields, and even the most “pure” liberal arts colleges are already finding ways to accommodate these interests. They are adding accounting and finance to their Economics Departments; or they are calling Business by its more old-fashioned title of “Commerce”; or they are linking business study to programs exploring globalization; or they are adding a fifth-year MBA program designed for liberal arts graduates. But they are clearly trying to figure out how they will prepare for what Stonehill has already been doing: integrating business-oriented professional preparation with a solid liberal arts foundation.
Lately, we’ve been using the phrase “liberal arts plus” to acknowledge the creative integration of liberal and professional studies at the College. In recent years, more and more Stonehill departments have sought to promote the relevance of their disciplines in new ways—sometimes by “putting knowledge to work” through practical applications. And studies like the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) show that applied learning really makes a difference. For example, NSSE reports that an internship or field placement is the most powerful form of a culminating senior experience in terms of greater self-reported gains in thinking critically, solving real-world problems and working effectively with others.
So all these interviews with Business candidates (which the department has done an outstanding job to bring about) have allowed me to take the temperature of our program and to imagine its future directions. It will take significant resources to build the program that the faculty are committed to—and whereas the sciences needed facilities to take the next step, Business, at least initially, needs more personnel. I hope that as we complete this hiring, add international emphasis to all the concentrations, and strengthen several features of the Business program, other College departments will see that taking care of Business pays tribute to a historical program at the College and offers a proactive salute to Stonehill's future health.
Best regards,
Katie
Friday, November 16, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007--Virtuoso Performances
I’m just in the door from the Stonehill Theatre Company Production of Frankenstein Virtuoso. Virtuoso indeed! As always, Patricia Sankus and her team put together a show that transformed the Hemingway Theater, amplified the talents of the student performers, and challenged the audience with a comedy in which the humor actually honored intelligence.I don’t know about the rest of you, but I never attend the STC productions without having thoughts that lean in two directions.
First, I wonder if I might have gotten more out of students in my own teaching. The student performers are nothing short of extraordinary: they rise to whatever material is put before them—and, in doing so, they raise the material to new levels. But students don’t do this without mentoring of an exceptional type. Indeed, I’m sure we all remember the words of one student who nominated Pat Sankus for the Teaching Award a few years ago: “I’ve been pushed, challenged and criticized and I’ve had to stay in the Hemingway Theatre until three in the morning. And I’ve loved every minute of it.” Proof positive that students want to be challenged.
Second, I think about some students I had over the years who might not have been performing well in my classes, but whose talent lit up the stage in the Hemingway Theatre. Attending the student plays is a great reminder about our students’ many dimensions. Student athletes, student artists, student musicians, student actors—they all show us that a great college experience involves developing talents and skills both inside and outside of the classroom.
In the case of theatre, the work of producers, directors, costume designers, set builders, and makeup artists all provide fertile ground for learning: indeed, Pat Sankus, Douglas Coler, Joan Halpert, Kevin Brown, and Joe Rossi are not only preparing actors for plays, they are also teaching all the various “arts” of the theatre. The awards our students win in all areas of design and acting—and the work they go on to do—is testimony to all these teachers.
After the play, I spoke with an alumna, Tina Cersosimo ’05, who sat in the in the row in front of me. I knew Tina as an excellent student, and I enjoyed her STC performances in each of her four years at the College. She is now a teacher on the north shore, and she loves her work. But she and a number of her classmates actually run a small theatre company that performs in the South End: F.U.D.G.E. Theatre Company (“Friends United Developing Genuine Entertainment”).
I visited the company website and was delighted to read their mission: “to provide quality, affordable theatre productions to the people in the greater Boston area, cultivate an appreciation for and understanding of the arts, and provide a learning opportunity for those interested in a genuine theatre experience.” I was also impressed with the overwhelming number of the executive board who graduated from Stonehill College: from President Joe Demita to Kerri Judge, Emily Hayden, Shannon Rosa, Kacee Staiti, James Petty, and Cersosimo herself. They didn’t all graduate with degrees in theatre arts (Psychology, English, and History were also in the mix), but they obviously cultivated a love for the theatre that has not ended with their college experience. Whatever their professional “vocations” they continue to be called to work in the theatre, even when that means long hours beyond their ordinary work days.
It just happened that today also involved the opening of a student-curated exhibit “The Immigrant Experience.” I couldn’t make it to the official opening event, but I walked through the exhibit in the late afternoon and saw the preparations starting for the Artist Panel and the festive reception.
Here is another example of great faculty mentoring that builds student experience in formative ways. Through Professor Carole Calo's “Exhibitions and Collections” course, students have the opportunity to plan and execute an entire exhibit—from choosing the theme and the artists to writing the catalog, preparing the marketing materials, installing the collection, planning the artists’ opening, and hosting the reception. This year’s exhibit taps into an important national conversation about immigration and invites the entire Stonehill community to reflect on their own families and their own immigrant experiences. Congratulations to the students and faculty who created this exhibit!
These events are more than just skillful performances. And they are more than “practice” exercises for the future. They are also examples of the kind of virtuosity we should all encourage in students: a genius for living passionate and full lives that keep multiple talents and enthusiasms alive and well.
Best regards,
Katie
Friday, November 9, 2007
Friday November 9, 2007--The Other Outcomes
For the last few years, we’ve had a great deal of conversation about “outcomes,” particularly focusing on the learning outcomes of our curriculum (the knowledge and skills our students should develop in their four years with us) and on graduate outcomes—the kinds of jobs, graduate schools, and post-graduate service we help students to enter.
Even as we continue our discussions about academic challenge and about Stonehill's course and credit model, I think we’ve made a good first effort of reviewing each academic program and articulating the goals of the curriculum. At the end of this academic year, we will have completed a full cycle of the new academic program reviews. I know we still have work ahead to better capture the graduate outcomes of our students, and this task will require a great deal of collaborative work among the faculty, career services, and alumni affairs—first to articulate what graduate outcomes we want for students, then to refine the systems to assist students in their efforts, and finally to capture and record information about what they actually go on to do.
There is, however, another set of outcomes that I hope we never lose sight of, and these outcomes are related not to what our students become, but to who they become. I know that faculty members and many others on campus work toward educating “the whole person so that each Stonehill graduate thinks, acts, and leads with courage toward the creation of a more just and compassionate world.” This noble statement from our mission should always remain a central part of our focus.
Over the last week or so, a number of campus events and activities have promoted these “other outcomes.” The Department of Sociology and Criminology, for example, hosted the 2007 meeting of the New England Sociological Association. The conference topic, “Civic Engagement: Linking Campus and Community,” seemed made for our campus, where community-based learning has become a feature of many courses and Learning Communities. And the conference did much more than bring major speakers and other academics to campus; it also provided opportunities for our faculty and students to contribute in meaningful ways—moderating panels, presenting papers, and participating in poster sessions. Six Stonehill students presented their original research, one alumna currently in the Ph.D. program at UConn presented a co-authored paper, five Stonehill faculty members attended (three of them moderated panels), and at least eight additional Stonehill students attended the sessions.
For students who intend to earn an advanced degree, inclusion in this kind of professional activity provides a preview of the professional world they seek to enter. It also reminds them that professors have responsibilities beyond those they see in the classroom—responsibilities to their scholarly disciplines and to far-flung collegial networks. And for those who intend to enter the job market, the skills they gain in effective communication and public presentation and are invaluable. The students all remarked on how important it was to have this opportunity.
In the case of this particular conference, the topic also lent itself to considering post-graduate service. The keynote speaker, Dr. Jonathan White of Bridgewater State College, specializes in the critical examination of inequality, poverty, globalization, human rights, and public sociology—all topics of compelling interest for students interested in sociology and criminology and all topics that engage students to get outside their limited experiences and make a difference in the world. Congratulations to the department for bringing this event to Stonehill and for so meaningfully involving your students and alumni!
Two other events highlighted the responsibilities we invite students to accept as members of our community and, when they leave us, as members of the the communities they create and sustain. Dr. Celeste Lay, Assistant Professor of Political Science, spoke in the Martin Institute’s Public Policy and Social Justice Series. Focusing on the re-election of C. Ray Nagin after Hurricane Katrina, Lay explored how voting behavior is influenced by natural disaster. While the specific subject of her research matters to all of us, her presentation also reminded students—in a more general way—that voter behavior matters, and that they should take seriously their responsibility to participate in the political process.
Last week’s Common Sense Lecture—sponsored by the Office of Student Activities—featured Assistant Professor of Mathematics Eugene Quinn on the topic of "Living Green." Gene spoke about the kinds of choices his family has made to become more “green” and about the quantifiable results of their practices. He also challenged students to develop habits that reduce the use of non-renewable resources, to re-use materials that can be reused, and to recycle whatever materials that they can. Again, this event featured an adult mentor who showed—by example—how a single individual can make choices that actually make a difference. This week Prof. Cheryl Schnitzer of the Chemistry Department will reinforce what Gene spoke about last week when she discusses global warming in the Common Sense Lecture Series.
Of course, our curriculum goes a long way in promoting the connection between knowledge and practice, and many faculty members have sought ways to encourage civic engagement within the curriculum. But these co-curricular events (and others like them) also send messages to students about what our community values and about why they should work—with us—to preserve the values we share. When they do, the “other outcomes” of social responsibility that we’ve promoted become part of the fabric of their lives—and these are outcomes worth celebrating.
Best regards,
Katie
Even as we continue our discussions about academic challenge and about Stonehill's course and credit model, I think we’ve made a good first effort of reviewing each academic program and articulating the goals of the curriculum. At the end of this academic year, we will have completed a full cycle of the new academic program reviews. I know we still have work ahead to better capture the graduate outcomes of our students, and this task will require a great deal of collaborative work among the faculty, career services, and alumni affairs—first to articulate what graduate outcomes we want for students, then to refine the systems to assist students in their efforts, and finally to capture and record information about what they actually go on to do.
There is, however, another set of outcomes that I hope we never lose sight of, and these outcomes are related not to what our students become, but to who they become. I know that faculty members and many others on campus work toward educating “the whole person so that each Stonehill graduate thinks, acts, and leads with courage toward the creation of a more just and compassionate world.” This noble statement from our mission should always remain a central part of our focus.
Over the last week or so, a number of campus events and activities have promoted these “other outcomes.” The Department of Sociology and Criminology, for example, hosted the 2007 meeting of the New England Sociological Association. The conference topic, “Civic Engagement: Linking Campus and Community,” seemed made for our campus, where community-based learning has become a feature of many courses and Learning Communities. And the conference did much more than bring major speakers and other academics to campus; it also provided opportunities for our faculty and students to contribute in meaningful ways—moderating panels, presenting papers, and participating in poster sessions. Six Stonehill students presented their original research, one alumna currently in the Ph.D. program at UConn presented a co-authored paper, five Stonehill faculty members attended (three of them moderated panels), and at least eight additional Stonehill students attended the sessions.
For students who intend to earn an advanced degree, inclusion in this kind of professional activity provides a preview of the professional world they seek to enter. It also reminds them that professors have responsibilities beyond those they see in the classroom—responsibilities to their scholarly disciplines and to far-flung collegial networks. And for those who intend to enter the job market, the skills they gain in effective communication and public presentation and are invaluable. The students all remarked on how important it was to have this opportunity.
In the case of this particular conference, the topic also lent itself to considering post-graduate service. The keynote speaker, Dr. Jonathan White of Bridgewater State College, specializes in the critical examination of inequality, poverty, globalization, human rights, and public sociology—all topics of compelling interest for students interested in sociology and criminology and all topics that engage students to get outside their limited experiences and make a difference in the world. Congratulations to the department for bringing this event to Stonehill and for so meaningfully involving your students and alumni!
Two other events highlighted the responsibilities we invite students to accept as members of our community and, when they leave us, as members of the the communities they create and sustain. Dr. Celeste Lay, Assistant Professor of Political Science, spoke in the Martin Institute’s Public Policy and Social Justice Series. Focusing on the re-election of C. Ray Nagin after Hurricane Katrina, Lay explored how voting behavior is influenced by natural disaster. While the specific subject of her research matters to all of us, her presentation also reminded students—in a more general way—that voter behavior matters, and that they should take seriously their responsibility to participate in the political process.
Last week’s Common Sense Lecture—sponsored by the Office of Student Activities—featured Assistant Professor of Mathematics Eugene Quinn on the topic of "Living Green." Gene spoke about the kinds of choices his family has made to become more “green” and about the quantifiable results of their practices. He also challenged students to develop habits that reduce the use of non-renewable resources, to re-use materials that can be reused, and to recycle whatever materials that they can. Again, this event featured an adult mentor who showed—by example—how a single individual can make choices that actually make a difference. This week Prof. Cheryl Schnitzer of the Chemistry Department will reinforce what Gene spoke about last week when she discusses global warming in the Common Sense Lecture Series.
Of course, our curriculum goes a long way in promoting the connection between knowledge and practice, and many faculty members have sought ways to encourage civic engagement within the curriculum. But these co-curricular events (and others like them) also send messages to students about what our community values and about why they should work—with us—to preserve the values we share. When they do, the “other outcomes” of social responsibility that we’ve promoted become part of the fabric of their lives—and these are outcomes worth celebrating.
Best regards,
Katie
Friday, November 2, 2007
Friday, November 2, 2007--"Getting Dirty"
Last Tuesday morning, I headed down to the University Club at Brown University, where Stonehill was hosting a breakfast for Rhode Island high school guidance counselors. Maybe it was the mystique of the University Club or maybe it was that “something” about Stonehill I wrote about last week, or maybe it was the great relationships that Sam Smith. Associate Dean of Admissions, and others on our Admissions team have built in Rhode Island, but we had a wonderful turnout for the event.
I spoke briefly about Stonehill’s academic program and some of our current initiatives, and Maryjean Viano Crowe, Chair of the Fine Arts Department, made a superb presentation about one of the Learning Communities she has taught in, about her short-term courses in Paris, and about taking seven students last year to a conference on “Defining Culture Through Dress” at Hofstra University where their work was widely acclaimed. The counselors commented afterwards that it was “refreshing” to have a faculty member speak at such an event—that they got a different kind of “inside” view from Maryjean that extended the vision they can get from our colleagues in admissions. Together, these views gave them a far more complete picture of a college that they might want to recommend to students. And it’s hard to overestimate the influence of guidance counselors on prospective students.
Events like that remind me of how hard it is to keep an eye on the big picture of even one’s own college. Sam, Maryjean, and I each touched on many of the important qualities of the experience students have when they choose us: a challenging and diverse curriculum, a creative faculty who are willing to take chances and who are nimble in responding to opportunities that enrich both student experience and their own professional growth, and a focus on successful learning outcomes and post-graduate planning.
Maryjean spoke about how she had taken students to Paris before, but how she hadn’t imagined that she would ever partner with Biology professors and take students camping in a west Texas desert habitat to produce art that engaged with the environment. She exuded enthusiasm for the remarkable results of that trip, but she also recalled that her tent blew down in a windstorm and that the faculty had to set a good example about conservation of water and thus went days without showers; indeed, she said, “I have never been so dirty.”
We’re all finding out how much “getting dirty”—figuratively, least—is required when we try new ways of doing things. And we’re doing new things with students in every stage of their academic lives.
This past week, advisors met with their first-year students, and from the reports I’ve heard, most students are making a great transition to college and giving high marks to the advising they’ve received. A few faculty members who had told me that they had students who struggled with the adjustment at the start of the year were thrilled to connect with the students and to hear that they have integrated themselves and found ways to become involved. Their peer mentors have been instrumental, often connecting one-on-one with a student if the faculty advisor felt that peer support was most needed. Such advising takes time and can pull faculty away from advising in the major, but most people I’ve spoken with feel that we are moving in the right direction by focusing new energy on first-year students.
Our sophomores participated in course selection for Learning Communities in advance of the general course selection process, and I want to commend Registrar John Pestana, John’s staff, and Dean Joe Favazza for making that messy process as clean as anyone could dream. At the end of the LC registration, 86% of students received their fist choice LC, 12% received their second choice, and 2% received their third choice. This is a great success! Still, one challenge in this area involves the funding necessary to help needy students to participate in the travel learning communities. Although we have $40,000 in the budget this year to offset this need, the programs costs are rising rapidly, participation is increasing with new travel LCs emerging each year, and the budgeted amount is not enough to help students as significantly as we would like.
As you know, juniors are electing to go abroad or to take part in one of our full-time domestic “away” experiences in high numbers, and this past week, Erika Schluntz and Alice Cronin hosted the director of the Granada program on campus for a lively lunch with about 20 students who had either been to Granada or who plan to attend in the future. And while this is just one of many available programs, the students are articulate in saying just how transformative such experiences are. Our challenges ahead include the weak dollar, which has made many of our traditional programs in Europe hit unacceptable price points for students and families. Indeed, the International Programs office now spends considerable time looking for more affordable programs to augment our strong list of historical relationships.
And of course the Senior Transitions project is placing new emphasis on how students make post-graduate plans and how the entire college can collaborate for their success. I look forward to conversations with the faculty and with Career Services to share what the senior administration learned through this effort and to look for feedback that will influence future plans in this area.
All these efforts can get messy: they may involve differences of opinion about the processes and even about the goals we have set. As we continue find new ways of improving that “big picture” of Stonehill College—and communicating it to prospective students—I appreciate your willingness to roll up your sleeves in a productive way and even to get a bit dirty in order to make fresh starts on important college priorities.
Best regards,
Katie
I spoke briefly about Stonehill’s academic program and some of our current initiatives, and Maryjean Viano Crowe, Chair of the Fine Arts Department, made a superb presentation about one of the Learning Communities she has taught in, about her short-term courses in Paris, and about taking seven students last year to a conference on “Defining Culture Through Dress” at Hofstra University where their work was widely acclaimed. The counselors commented afterwards that it was “refreshing” to have a faculty member speak at such an event—that they got a different kind of “inside” view from Maryjean that extended the vision they can get from our colleagues in admissions. Together, these views gave them a far more complete picture of a college that they might want to recommend to students. And it’s hard to overestimate the influence of guidance counselors on prospective students.
Events like that remind me of how hard it is to keep an eye on the big picture of even one’s own college. Sam, Maryjean, and I each touched on many of the important qualities of the experience students have when they choose us: a challenging and diverse curriculum, a creative faculty who are willing to take chances and who are nimble in responding to opportunities that enrich both student experience and their own professional growth, and a focus on successful learning outcomes and post-graduate planning.
Maryjean spoke about how she had taken students to Paris before, but how she hadn’t imagined that she would ever partner with Biology professors and take students camping in a west Texas desert habitat to produce art that engaged with the environment. She exuded enthusiasm for the remarkable results of that trip, but she also recalled that her tent blew down in a windstorm and that the faculty had to set a good example about conservation of water and thus went days without showers; indeed, she said, “I have never been so dirty.”
We’re all finding out how much “getting dirty”—figuratively, least—is required when we try new ways of doing things. And we’re doing new things with students in every stage of their academic lives.
This past week, advisors met with their first-year students, and from the reports I’ve heard, most students are making a great transition to college and giving high marks to the advising they’ve received. A few faculty members who had told me that they had students who struggled with the adjustment at the start of the year were thrilled to connect with the students and to hear that they have integrated themselves and found ways to become involved. Their peer mentors have been instrumental, often connecting one-on-one with a student if the faculty advisor felt that peer support was most needed. Such advising takes time and can pull faculty away from advising in the major, but most people I’ve spoken with feel that we are moving in the right direction by focusing new energy on first-year students.
Our sophomores participated in course selection for Learning Communities in advance of the general course selection process, and I want to commend Registrar John Pestana, John’s staff, and Dean Joe Favazza for making that messy process as clean as anyone could dream. At the end of the LC registration, 86% of students received their fist choice LC, 12% received their second choice, and 2% received their third choice. This is a great success! Still, one challenge in this area involves the funding necessary to help needy students to participate in the travel learning communities. Although we have $40,000 in the budget this year to offset this need, the programs costs are rising rapidly, participation is increasing with new travel LCs emerging each year, and the budgeted amount is not enough to help students as significantly as we would like.
As you know, juniors are electing to go abroad or to take part in one of our full-time domestic “away” experiences in high numbers, and this past week, Erika Schluntz and Alice Cronin hosted the director of the Granada program on campus for a lively lunch with about 20 students who had either been to Granada or who plan to attend in the future. And while this is just one of many available programs, the students are articulate in saying just how transformative such experiences are. Our challenges ahead include the weak dollar, which has made many of our traditional programs in Europe hit unacceptable price points for students and families. Indeed, the International Programs office now spends considerable time looking for more affordable programs to augment our strong list of historical relationships.
And of course the Senior Transitions project is placing new emphasis on how students make post-graduate plans and how the entire college can collaborate for their success. I look forward to conversations with the faculty and with Career Services to share what the senior administration learned through this effort and to look for feedback that will influence future plans in this area.
All these efforts can get messy: they may involve differences of opinion about the processes and even about the goals we have set. As we continue find new ways of improving that “big picture” of Stonehill College—and communicating it to prospective students—I appreciate your willingness to roll up your sleeves in a productive way and even to get a bit dirty in order to make fresh starts on important college priorities.
Best regards,
Katie
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