2008 Woodie Awards
New dean of CAS sets goals for university
Andrew Dombalagian '09
Issue date: 2/14/07 Section: News
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Question: Was the new dean once a) a professional magician, b) a champion swordsman, or c) detained on suspicion of drug smuggling in Germany?
Those present at the State of the College Address on Feb. 6 learned the answer. The address, held in the North Lounge of the Campion Student Center, was the inaugural speech for Bill Madges, Ph.D., the new Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences whose overarching goals include raising the college's profile, achieved by increasing internal and external communication among the various departments. Humorous quizzes about Madges's background were distributed prior to the speech, asking questions similar to the one above.
"Thank you all for the warm welcome I've received," Madges said.
Madges covered three topics in the address: his overarching goals for the university, his ideas and long term goals concerning faculty, and curricular goals and planned initiatives.
In order to improve communication, he stressed collaborative efforts between departments, and suggested implementing annual town hall meetings. Madges also appealed the value of liberal arts to students, meant to develop them as whole people.
"It is not about building a résumé, it is about building people," he said.
For faculty, Madges promised to provide better support. He said that better communication of department information in regards to issues such as tenure and promotion proceedings was needed. He also said that faculty, especially new members, would need more information concerning the General Education Requirements. This came as a response to questions among faculty about the effectiveness and value of the GER.
Shared governance, getting more faculty members involved in leadership, and growing departments with low numbers were emphasized.
Madges put forth several plans for future action. He proposed expanding existing programs as well as founding new ones. One example cited was the effort to change the Asian Studies Program from a minor into a major, thanks to a donation of $2.5 million by the Nealis family.
Those present at the State of the College Address on Feb. 6 learned the answer. The address, held in the North Lounge of the Campion Student Center, was the inaugural speech for Bill Madges, Ph.D., the new Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences whose overarching goals include raising the college's profile, achieved by increasing internal and external communication among the various departments. Humorous quizzes about Madges's background were distributed prior to the speech, asking questions similar to the one above.
"Thank you all for the warm welcome I've received," Madges said.
Madges covered three topics in the address: his overarching goals for the university, his ideas and long term goals concerning faculty, and curricular goals and planned initiatives.
In order to improve communication, he stressed collaborative efforts between departments, and suggested implementing annual town hall meetings. Madges also appealed the value of liberal arts to students, meant to develop them as whole people.
"It is not about building a résumé, it is about building people," he said.
For faculty, Madges promised to provide better support. He said that better communication of department information in regards to issues such as tenure and promotion proceedings was needed. He also said that faculty, especially new members, would need more information concerning the General Education Requirements. This came as a response to questions among faculty about the effectiveness and value of the GER.
Shared governance, getting more faculty members involved in leadership, and growing departments with low numbers were emphasized.
Madges put forth several plans for future action. He proposed expanding existing programs as well as founding new ones. One example cited was the effort to change the Asian Studies Program from a minor into a major, thanks to a donation of $2.5 million by the Nealis family.
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