July 2007 Archives

Late last week I took part, along with many members of the university administrative team, in an off-site retreat.  One issue that came up during those discussions has been in my thoughts this weekend:  class scheduling.

Many times I have heard, from various people both on and off campus, that classes at the university are scheduled basically to suit the desires of faculty.  In other words, people say that faculty only want to teach mid-to-late morning and early afternoon.  I've always argued that, in my previous experiences where I was required to schedule extensively, I found that faculty wanted to teach primarily at times they felt were most likely to attract students.  As chair of a department on the Hattiesburg campus, many faculty wanted to teach between 9 and 1. But when I chaired the Arts & Sciences division at the Coast, I could not convince our faculty to teach ANY classes during those times!  They all wanted to teach in late afternoon or evening hours.

In our college, we plan to conduct research to find out what times students WANT to take classes, and then make a concerted effort to teach more classes at the times that work best for students. I suspect our faculty will gladly adjust their teaching schedules if we find a real need to do so.

With all of the travelling I've been doing lately, I finally broke down and decided to get a mobile PC device so that I can get email and receive important files while on the road.  As is typical for me, I did a great deal of research on the front end, and knew pretty much what I wanted before I ever walked into the store of my wireless provider.

Even with all of the background information, the choices were still somewhat overwhelming. I selected a device that seemed to meet my needs, and then spent most of the next five hours trying in vain to set up all of the functions.  After work today I'll have to head back out to the store so their technician can help me get it all working. With so many new choices in technology, I guess it is very difficult for even the most tech-savvy of us to keep up!

Friday morning I headed to Destin to join a group of our staff and alumni who were finalizing plans for a great event--a reception for members of our legal alumni society, Juris Sodalitas. The reception was for university alums who ultimately went on to pursue legal careers.

I was pleased to assist the group as it recognized one of their own, the Honorable Judge Joseph Lee, who has served with distinction on the state Court of Appeals since 1998.

Members of the leadership team of Juris Sodalitas announced their goal of raising enough money to fund a presidential scholarship for pre-law students.  We also discussed some practical ways to increase opportunities for our students to gain internship and other hands-on experience to prepare them for possible legal careers.

By any measure, it was another successful trip. 

 

Travel is not my favorite part of being a dean.  I tend to get tired and restless in airports, and riding in a car for too long isn't much fun either. But I do love arriving at my destination.  These days, most of my travel takes me to events where I get the chance to interact with our amazing, successful, and highly dedicated alumni and supporters.

Thursday I flew to Houston, TX.  I attended a luncheon for the Blount Endowment for International Security and Global Policy.  Nearly 200 people attended, including a number of  our alumni. The visit was mostly about raising funds for the endowed chair and student scholarships; it was also an opportunity for recruiting students and generally raising our visibility.  On each of these fronts, the Houston event was worth the trip.

SAT, our Summer repertory theater program, is well underway and by all accounts is enjoying a highly successful season. 

I attended the performance of "Shakespeare in Hollywood" last Friday evening, along with Associate Dean Moser and President Saunders and her spouse.  We all had a wonderful time and really enjoyed the fine performances under the direction of Lou Rackoff.  Afterward, we met the cast and were all quite impressed with their professionalism and enthusiasm for their craft.  Our students and faculty are so talented; I always relish any opportunity to showcase their work.

The third show of the season, "Voice of the Prairie" will open this weekend.  If you've not yet made plans to attend SAT, I urge you to check out the website at http://www.usm.edu/theatre/sat07.php.

The season runs through August 2nd. 

The recent events in London have reminded me how important preparation and planning are to our overseas college programs. When any kind of emergency occurs, the staff and faculty in International Education spring into action; they have a plan and they follow it closely. They stay in constant contact with participants, university officials, and when needed, officials from the US State Department and related agencies.

For a number of years, our International Education programs have had detailed emergency plans in place. These plans consider all manner of possible problems--from natural disasters, to terrorist attacks or disease outbreaks. Such threats are an ever-present reality in our times.  We cannot escape them, and we would be foolish to try and ignore them.  Our best defense against those who would cause us harm is vigilance. 

As dean of the college, it is comforting to me to know that the nearly 200 students travelling to London this summer (and the many others who have already left for other study abroad trips in Europe, South America, and Asia) are in such capable hands.  For students, parents, or others who may be concerned about safety and security issues involving any of our study abroad programs, I encourage you to call us with your questions.