Colleagues:
The first half of this report is focused on a number of updates. The second half turns to my thoughts on the more serious topic of free speech, triggered by campus events over the past month related to the Middle East.
As of yesterday, 84 students from The College of Saint Rose have applied to transfer to SUNY New Paltz, into both graduate and undergraduate programs. The co-chairs of the Dean of Education search have reported to me that the applicant pool is quite strong and the first round of reviews will begin by the end of this week. As of yesterday, offers had been accepted by 20 new members of the New Paltz faculty. Finally, an initial award notification for this year’s round of Research and Creative Projects Awards went out this past weekend. This year, there were 43 applications and 29 awards (67%). A majority of the successful applications were fully funded for a total of $120,997. My thanks for the Creative Research Awards & Leaves (CRAL) Committee for their careful work in evaluating and ranking all of the applications.
Additionally, we are within 100 people of our first-year goal of 5,000 registrants for our School of Education microcredential in the Science of Reading Fundamentals. As the first year does not end until this coming summer, we are well ahead of schedule. As such, we have already begun discussion of new microcredentials – both to develop our strength in Education and the Science of Reading but in other areas as well. We are reaching out to the several thousand people who have registered for the Science of Reading Fundamentals course to survey their interests. We are also considering the resources of programs that already exist on our campus. The overall strategy, which will require a review of microcredentials by faculty governance, is to develop new credentials that may be taken for credit or not. The cost will vary accordingly. Microcredentials taken for credit will “stack.” That is to say, they will be developed in the context of a larger program of study that will lead to a certificate or advanced certificate of some sort. Given the lessons we have learned as well as the investment we have already made in the infrastructure for microcredentials (in Academic Affairs as well as in Enrollment Management and IT), the development of new microcredentials should become easier and more routine. Please speak with your Dean or with me if you have any thoughts or ideas for possible microcredentials.
I want to highlight two other developments. As you will have read in the President’s report, we will be creating a new unit within Academic Affairs that will include the many offices and people who have a role in student advising at SUNY New Paltz. The goal is a rethinking of how we do academic advising, specifically to improve student persistence and success. And while I am currently considering options for new leadership to assist me directly, I am sure that the input and help of faculty and staff in academic affairs will be central to the effort. (A shout-out to the Anthropology Department, which is conducting a complete audit of all of their advising activity in the month of March.) In a separate effort related to student success, Erica Marks, Vice President for Development & Alumni Relations, will be speaking to the Faculty Senate on the relationship between Foundation Scholarships and student persistence. This is particularly timely because the call for scholarships applications just went out to the all-stu list on March 1. Information about Foundation Scholarships is found here. The deadline for applications is April 8. Please encourage the students you teach and advise to apply.
Finally, I would like to return once again and at length to the topic of free speech. In the past month, we have had three major events on campus related to the Middle East – a dialogue with Parents Circle-Families Forum and a lecture by George Washington University Professor Nathan Brown, these two organized by faculty, and a student event with Israel Defense Force soldiers. These events have occurred without incident and have been, in my view, successful. (See this link for an Oracle article about the Nathan Brown lecture, and this link for an Albany Times Union article on the IDF event.)
While the New Paltz procedures for evaluating the value of faculty and student events differ, if I am asked about potential speakers or such events, I begin with yes. This is typically followed by a lot of questions because we all want to ensure successful and safe events. There are also agreed upon expectations and rules for managing all campus events, whether organized by faculty or by students.
Protesting is just another kind of speech. It is therefore just as free. It is also subject to the same expectations and rules that apply to all campus events.
As someone who has always lived in the world of academia, I also believe that considered speech is always the most effective speech. Words are the tools of our trade – whether spoken in a classroom or written down on a piece of paper. As teachers and scholars, we are trained in the use of language as few other people are. We understand its importance and impact. We have the freedom to learn, teach and discuss openly and without undue interference. We must use this freedom to its fullest advantage.
While I believe that most faculty are in fact careful and considerate with their language, in the last semester and a half, it has been disheartening for me to discover how careless some faculty at New Paltz can be with their words – with each other, sometimes in their classrooms, and unfortunately, on email and social media where it feels like no one is looking.
I am at a point where I feel this must be addressed. While it is far from the first such topic, the situation in the Middle East is particularly difficult and sensitive. We must therefore move purposefully to figure out how to talk about it effectively and successfully with each other and with our students. The faculty must also be willing to engage in discussions about what is and is not appropriate and honest in the classroom. This effort will begin immediately.
It is one of my duties to write a report to the Faculty Senate each month. When I first learned this, I was quite nervous, as I expected each month to be met with questions and challenges. In fact, there have been almost no questions and no real challenges. On the one hand that is a relief; at the same time, it is also a disappointment. It can’t possibly be the case that I am correct all of the time. I thrive on ideas and discussion. In my career, I have never chosen not to meet with a person or group of people who requested a meeting. I consider it central to my position as Provost that I am able to explain and, if necessary, defend my words and actions. That is a behavior I model because I believe it to be central to the function, purpose, and ultimately the health of a university. The faculty governs itself. The only way to keep all of us honest is to discuss, challenge, and critique openly and honestly. Any other behavior is damaging and hurtful, and contradictory to our educational mission.
I’ll address any questions you may have about my report or other topics at the Faculty Senate meeting on Wednesday, March 6.
William McClure
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
