MEMORANDUM
June 8, 2009
TO: Paul
van Donkelaar, president, University Senate 2008-09
Peter
Gilkey, president, University Senate 2009-10
Gwen Steigelman,
secretary, University Senate
FROM: Russ Tomlin, Senior Vice Provost for Academic
Affairs
SUBJECT: University
Committees - Final Report to the University Senate
The Student Faculty Committee on Grievances
There were no grievances submitted for the 2008-09 Academic Year that were taken up to the Student Faculty Committee on Grievances.
Committee members (term expires in parentheses):
Patricia Curtin, Journalism (2009)
Anthony Hornof, CIS (2010)
Russ Tomlin, Academic Affairs (Ex Officio)
Sanford Weintraub, student member
Michael Latteri, student member
Susan Giacomelli, student member
The Tenure Reduction, Retirement, and Emeriti Committee
(TRRE)
The TRRE Committee met twice over the 2008-09 AY and discussed emeritus status and looked at comparator institutions; reviewed the tenure reduction plan and other retirement matters.
Committee members (term expires in parentheses):
Peng Lu, Mathematics (2009)
Gerald Tindal, Educational Leadership (2009)
Louis Osternig, Human Physiology (2010)
Ernie Pressman, Human Resources (Ex Officio)
Russ Tomlin, Academic Affairs (Ex Officio, and convener)
The Distinguished Teaching Awards Committee
Committee members (term expires in parentheses):
Deb Bauer, Business (2009)
Ron Beghetto, Education Studies (2009)
Daniel Pope, History (2010)
Gina Psaki, Romance Languages (2010)
Susan Verscheure, Human Physiology (2010)
Tom Bode, student (did not attend nor participate)
Russ Tomlin, convener, ex-officio, non-voting
Gwen Steigelman, staff, ex-officio, non-voting
The Distinguished Teaching
Award Committee is a faculty committee charged with soliciting nominations of
faculty who demonstrate excellence in teaching, evaluating the nominations, and
naming three award winners as recipients of either the Ersted Award for
Distinguished Teaching (for faculty members early in their teaching careers) or
the Thomas F. Herman Faculty Achievement Award for Distinguished Teaching (for
faculty members demonstrating long-standing excellence in teaching).
The committee is comprised
primarily of previous distinguished teaching award recipients as well as one or
two other faculty members who indicated an interest in the committee via the
annual committee service solicitation cards; a student member is appointed
through ASUO and the presidentŐs office.
The general workflow for the committee consists of: (1) soliciting
nominations during the month of February (e.g., by placing three advertisements
in the Daily Emerald and sending
campus nomination requests to faculty, staff, students, and alumni via email
lists); (2) reviewing requested teaching materials of nominees (early April);
(3) developing a Ňshort listÓ of finalists and requesting more detailed
information; (4) reviewing finalists files (late April and early May), (5) discussing
finalists to eventually arrive at three award winners (early May) and writing
brief bios for use during award presentations and the graduation program.
Historically, President
Frohnmayer surprises each award winner while he or she is teaching class and
makes a brief presentation complete with a crystal apple; this year,
presentations were made on May 13th..Award recipients are invited to
attend a pre-graduation brunch and are recognized for their teaching
achievements during the main graduation ceremony on Saturday June 13,
2009. Also, award winner receive a
$2,000 stipend which is added to base pay and dispersed as regular salary
throughout the academic year.
A total of 28 nominations
were received during February 2009, and of these 2 were rejected for not
meeting the minimum two years of teaching requirement. For the first round of evaluation,
nomineesŐ department heads were ask to provide (1) a single page statement
attesting to the nomineeŐs appropriateness for a distinguished teaching award,
(2) a copy of a current CV, (3) a list of the courses and their enrollments the
nominee has taught for the most recent three years of teaching, and (4) a
concise description of teaching related activities in which the nominee has
been involved during his/her teaching at the UO. After review of the requested materials, the committee
reduced the list of nominees to a finalists list of eight nominees.
Further information was
requested from the department head s consisting of: (1) classroom instruction
materials, such as syllabi from representative classes, signed student
evaluations, and other relevant teaching materials; and (2) any other
instructional efforts done outside the specific classroom situation, such as
course or curriculum design, student mentoring and advising, innovations in
instruction or use of technology in teaching, and so forth. These materials were reviewed and a
final committee meeting was held to determine the winners and the distribution
of awards between the Ersted and Herman award. (The three wards may be awarded in any combination the
committee deems appropriate.) For
2009, all three awards were Thomas F. Herman awards and went to the following
faculty members: David Dusseau, LCB – Management; Alan Dickman,
Environmental Studies and Biology;
and Michael Dreiling, Sociology.
Brief descriptions of each award winner are provided at the end of this
report.
During the course of its
meetings, several topics were raised for future committeeŐs consideration:
á
Moving the solicitation
period to an earlier time frame to afford greater flexibility in the
committeeŐs meeting and review schedule, as well as response time for requested
materials; and
á
Including nominees for
whom there were no requested materials received in the following yearŐs list of
nominees.
As a final comment, student
participation on this committee is most welcome, but in recent years it has
been problematic in that either a student has not been appointed to the
committee, or if appointed, has not attended meetings, reviewed files, or
participated in committee discussions.
The workload for reviewing a large number of nominee files is rather
onerous and intensive during spring term, especially. Students should be made aware of the time commitment
necessary for this committee during spring term in order to optimize the
appointment of student members whose class (and often) work schedules can
reasonably accommodate their participation.
2009 Distinguished Teaching Award Recipients
Thomas F. Herman Faculty
Achievement Award for Distinguished Teaching
Alan W. Dickman, Research Associate Professor and
Senior Instructor
Department of Biology
Director, Environmental Studies Program
College of Arts and Sciences
Students, graduate
teaching fellows, and faculty are often heard singing praises for professor
Alan W. Dickman's teaching skills. Whether teaching large, general biology
classes, specialized forest biology classes, or leading class field trips,
Professor Dickman's students see him as inspiring, passionate, and challenging.
One student commented, "This class has changed the path of my life",
and an alumni recalled that Alan was his favorite UO professor. Students greatly
appreciate the extra effort Professor Dickman puts into field trips, and feel
these are an important part of their learning experience; "[the field
trips] allowed us to apply what we learned in the classroom to the real
world". In the classroom Alan incorporates relevant and current media, and
creates a dynamic environment in which students engage in give and take
dialogue of questions and answers. Regardless of class size, Alan dedicates
himself to optimizing students' learning experience both inside and outside of
the classroom.
New instructors and
graduate teaching fellows frequently seek Alan's expertise as a master teaching
resource for their own teaching development. Professor Dickman regularly
participates in Teaching Effectiveness Program events to continue nurturing his
passion for teaching. And although an experienced teacher who has taught for
years, Alan he is always open to feedback, suggestions, and critical
evaluation. As program director for the Environmental Studies Program,
Professor Dickman extends his considerable curricular design skills to the
program level, affecting student learning on an even larger scale. Professor
Dickman is a creative, thoughtful, and passionate teacher, and in recognition
of his extraordinary contributions to student learning, Alan Dickman is a 2009
recipient of the Thomas F. Herman Faculty Achievement Award for Distinguished
Teaching.
Michael Dreiling, Associate
Professor
Department of Sociology
College of Arts and Sciences
Sociology Professor
Michael Dreiling exemplifies the kind of teacher who changes people's lives.
Even in classes with very large enrollments, Professor Dreiling's engaged and
passionate teaching inspires his students. One commented that, "This is
the best class I have ever taken. I learned more about myself, the world, and
how to apply what I want to do with my life through this course." Another
student, after studying the tragedy of debt slavery in the modern world,
tracked down an organization that fights debt slavery and pledged a monthly
contribution.
Professor Dreiling spurs
students to both contemplation and action. His course syllabi are detailed and
analytical; they demand engagement from students and call for active
participation in and out of the classroom. In his upper-division and graduate
course on Nonviolent Social Change, one student responded, "I have learned
new tools for communicating with people and I have gained a new hope for the
future....It has been an inspiring education."
In addition to teaching
large undergraduate courses, Michael is one of the most respected and popular
faculty members in the department's graduate program. One graduate student
explained, [professor Dreiling's] "graduate instruction and mentorship is
exemplary. I'm actually not sure I would have made it past the second year of
the graduate program were it not for him. He inspired creativity in me while
directing me in rigorous social science methodologies." Enthusiastic
comments about professor Dreiling come routinely from current and former
graduate students on whose dissertation and comprehensive examination
committees he has served.
For his sustained record
of dedication, his passion and skill as a teacher at all levels, Michael
Dreiling is a recipient of the 2009 Thomas F. Herman Faculty Achievement Award
for Distinguished Teaching.
David T. Dusseau, Donald A. Tykeson Senior
Instructor of Business
Department of Management
Charles H. Lundquist College of Business
David T. Dusseau has a stellar reputation in the Lundquist College of Business
where his teaching success is legendary. He typically teaches large enrollment
sections of Introduction to Business where he achieves remarkable student
outcomes. Students enthusiastically note that Professor Dusseau is an
exceptional teacher that makes class an enjoyable learning environment - they
consistently rate him high on both enthusiasm and class rapport as he expertly
manages to make large classes a highly personal, intimate learning experience.
Particularly impressive
is professor Dusseau's innovation in the classroom. He introduced experiential
learning through a computer simulation where students must make strategic
decisions for their fictional business firms and compete with others in their
industry. The simulation involves each student in the broad variety of
managerial decisions which determine results for their business firm and the
industry. Students of all backgrounds find such course creativity an extremely
effective way to be introduction to the business environment. One student
commented, "Dave is able to effectively impact a huge number of people at
once with the wealth of a foundational understanding of business." Another
student notes, "I learned a phenomenal amount and I am grateful such a
course is offered at the University of Oregon." In recognition of his long standing excellence in
teaching and inspired classroom innovation, David T. Dusseau is a recipient of
the 2009 Thomas F. Herman Award Faculty Achievement Award for Distinguished
Teaching.
Web page updated on 17 June 2009 by Peter B Gilkey 202 Deady Hall, Department of Mathematics at the University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403-1222, U.S.A. Phone 1-541-346-4717 Email:peter.gilkey.cc.67@aya.yale.edu of Deady Spider Enterprises |