FACULTY OF ARTSState of the Faculty

September 17, 2012

FACULTY OF ARTSState of the Faculty

#artsdean

September 17, 2012

Awards and RecognitionThe Royal Society of Canada 2011 Fellows• Andy Knight (Political Science) • John Newman (Linguistics) • Jan Selman (Drama) 

Connie Varnhagen (Psychology), 2011 3M Teaching Fellowship  Eighteen Bridges – Named Best New Magazine at the 2011 Alberta Magazine Awards, and received ten nominations at the National Magazine Awards, awarded one gold medal and one silver medal.

Onookome Okome (EFS), Society of Nigeria Theatre Artists Life Membership Award

 

Awards and Recognition Alberta Choral Federation Patricia Cook Memorial Award went to the Graduate Program in Choral Conducting, Debra Cairns and Len Ratzlaff, supervisors (Music) Debra Cairns (Music), awarded Alberta Choral Federation Richard S. Eaton Award  Association of Canadian Choral Communities (ACCC)National Competition for Canadian Amateur ChoirsSecond place in the Mixed-Voice Collegiate Choirs categoryDebra Cairns (Music) & University of Alberta Concert Choir 

Daniel Laforest (Modern Languages and Cultural Studies), awarded La Fondation Lionel-Groulx 2011 Jean-Éthier-Blais Award

 

Awards and RecognitionSarah Carter (History and Classics) and Patricia McCormack’s book, Recollecting: Lives of Aboriginal Women of the Canadian Northwest and Borderlands (Athabasca U Press, 2011) winner of the Canadian Historical Associations’ Aboriginal History Book Prize and the Book Publishers Association of Alberta 2012 Scholarly & Academic Book. Rob Nichols (Political Science), 2011-12 Canadian Fulbright Scholar

Greg MacArthur (Drama, Playwright-in-Residence) awarded the BMO Financial Group Finalist for Siminovitch Prize in Theatre

  

Awards and RecognitionFred Judson (Professor Emeritus, Political Science), Decathlon in the World Masters Athletic Championships, Gold Medal Winner

Franz Szabo (History & Classics, Director of Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies) awarded Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria (2011)

Jeffrey Bisanz (Psychology) Confederation of Alberta Faculty Associations 2011 CAFA Distinguished Academic Award

Awards and RecognitionCity of Edmonton Salute to Excellence, 2011 Arts & Culture Hall of Fame, Jan Selman (Drama) & E.D. Blodgett (Emeritus, MLCS)

Harold Baayen (Linguistics),  2011 Humboldt Research Award 

The Alberta Jubilee Auditoria Society  & Alberta Foundation for the Arts $100,000 commission for Confluence Through the Looking Glass by Liz Ingram (Art & Design) Raleigh Whitinger (MLCS), Canadian Association of University Teachers of German Hermann Boeschenstein MedalDavid Barnet (Drama) The Seniors Association of Greater Edmonton (SAGE) Arts & Culture Award

What did Arts accomplish in 2011/12?

• Passed Academic Plan, November 2011• Two new certificates – European Studies and

International Studies• New Dual Degree with Ritsumeikan University, Japan• Started discussions about a new major in interactive arts

and new media studies• Started discussions about a new Bachelor of Economics• Professionalization seminar for Grad Students, new

teaching support for grad students this year

What did Arts accomplish in 2011/12?

• 234 Arts students studied abroad (154 in faculty-led programs, 63 in formal exchanges and 17 in internships)– Largest number in University, with 3rd term at Cortona– Signed MOU with  l’Université Catholique de Lille

(with programs to begin September 2012)• Largest number of international students in Faculty –

now 18.6% undergraduate and 22.5% graduate students• Conducted Engagement Survey, report now written• Hired new Aboriginal Advisor, plus new director for

CILLDI

What did Arts accomplish in 2011/12?

• Donations 2011/2: $7.1M; 2012/3 to date: $10.4M• Endowment Principal: $51,976,546 (representing

166 endowments)• Endowment Spending: $3,742,642 • Welcomed Canadian Institute for Ukrainian Studies

into Faculty of Arts• New Director for CIUS, KIAS, AIAS• New Chairs in Anthropology, MLCS, Philosophy,

Political Science, and Psychology

Faculty Reorganization2011/2012:Target: $1.5 million This was achieved through a reduction of 15.5 positions:Faculty: 3.0 positions Support staff: 12.5 positions

For support staff (NASA and APO), we did this through a combination of Voluntary Severance Packages (VSPs) and layoffs:VSP: 20Layoffs: 11

Faculty Reorganization

2012/2013:Target: $1.6 millionThis was achieved through a reduction of:9.67 vacated (or soon to be vacated) tenure-stream faculty positions 

2013/2014:Likely another $1.5 million Much depends on the work of the Renaissance Committee

The Year Ahead2012/13

Honours College

“The Honours College is designed to attract intellectually motivated undergraduate students from across the province, nationally as well as internationally. It will do so by combining the strengths and opportunities offered by Alberta’s premier research university with the personal and engaging guidance of a liberal arts education. If implemented, it would be the first of its kind in Canada.”

Honours College

- Part of Academic plan, approved by AFC Nov 2011- January, 2012 – established Honours College Task

Force – 10 people- May – produced first draft of proposal- Proposal discussed by a number of Faculty

Committees- Now in discussion with Science, with a goal to a

Honours academy for both Arts and Science, to be leaders in the University and in the country

BA Curriculum

“Reform the curriculum to ensure that our graduates are prepared as engaged citizens, innovative leaders, and scholars for future challenges and opportunities. Such graduates must be creative and highly adaptable, and must be armed with critical skills, knowledge, and experience of the world that transcends traditional boundaries. Opportunities for students to engage in research and creative activities with faculty will be a particular priority in achieving those goals.” (Arts Academic Plan, 2011)

BA Curriculum

• We need a BA that speaks to the needs of the 21st century

BA Curriculum

• Do our students leave ready to be the engaged and informed citizens we need them to be?

• Do they understand who they are and how they fit into this complex world of global culture and economy, heavily dependent on science, and mediated by the many streams of new media?

• Do students want to come to U of A, to the Faculty of Arts?

BA Curriculum• Oct 15 – Expression of intent due at faculty office• Dec 14 – deadline for submissions of vision

statements – 5 pages max, with rationale for vision• December – initial review of proposals • Jan 4 – top 3-5 chosen for further development

• RA $$ to help develop proposals• Mar 4 – proposals due• May 4-20 – all proposals available online for feedback,

plus charette to present proposals• Final proposal chosen at AFC – May, 2013

‘Arts Reads’Challenge from Doug Goss, Chair of BOG, and President Samarasekera:

Read and discuss

Clayton Christensen and Henry J. Eyring, The Innovative University. Changing the DNA of Higher Education from the Inside Out (Jossey-Bass, 2011)

‘Arts Reads’

So, let’s do it!

‘Arts Reads’• If you form reading groups, to discuss this book and

other work on the future of the university, I will buy each group a copy of the book, and provide some refreshment money for you to meet and talk about it

• In exchange, I ask you to take part in a public forum in the Faculty, for a full discussion of the big questions facing higher education today.

• I will also seek funding for excellent guest speakers on the subject – send me names

Let’s keep in touch

• The Faculty office will issue a bi-weekly newsletter – first one September 20

• We’ll be setting up electronic discussion groups to discuss the BA

• And I challenge you to come to Arts Faculty Council, where we will continue some of these important conversations

Have a great year

QUESTIONS?

artsdean@ualberta.ca