Open Forum: Interim Provost Search

From John Jeffries, Dean, CAHSS, and Chair of the Interim Provost Search Committee

The Search Committee and I invite you to attend an open forum to meet with Philip Rous, candidate for the position of Interim Provost. The forum will be held Thursday, June 2, 10-11 a.m. in Lecture Hall 8, ITE.

Rous will speak for about 10 minutes and then there will be time for questions and discussion. Following the Forum, please feel free to send comments to me at jeffries@umbc.edu by 9 a.m., Monday, June 6.

We look forward to your participation.

UMBC’s New Student Book Experience: Faculty and Staff Facilitators Needed

All new students attending UMBC in fall 2011 are expected to read the book “Outcasts United” by Warren St. John. As part of Welcome Week, hour-long book discussions will be held on Monday, August 29, 3-4 p.m. Discussion groups will be limited to 20-25 students. The majority of the discussion groups will meet in the Residence Halls, and we are looking for faculty and staff who are interested in serving as facilitators.

Persons interested in facilitating a group should indicate their interest by contacting Barbara Smith at bsmith@umbc.edu. Discussion leaders will be asked to participate in a conversation about the book on either Wednesday, August 24, 2-3 p.m. or Friday, August 26, 11 a.m.-noon, with locations yet to be determined. We will spend time in conversation focusing on themes and questions that will enhance discussion within your group. Thank you, in advance, for supporting this initiative. This is a wonderful opportunity to engage with our new students and help them learn about our expectations and commitment to excellence in education. If you have questions, contact Jill Randles at jrandles@umbc.edu or call ext. 5-3715.

ITE/Engineering Exterior Stairway Closure

From Lynne C. Schaefer, Vice President for Administration & Finance

The construction of Phase 1 of the new Performing Arts and Humanities Building (PAHB) is progressing on pace to be completed a year from this summer.

With a project of this magnitude, the construction activity has caused some inconveniences to our navigation around campus. And, I am writing to let you know that another one is coming.

A major construction effort to connect the new building to campus infrastructure, including the 12-inch chilled water lines and communication/data lines, is scheduled to begin Wednesday, May 25, and continue through the summer. This work has been sequenced so that it can be done at a time when the campus population is at its lowest level.

As a result of this effort, the stairway between ITE and the Engineering buildings will be closed to pedestrian traffic for a three-month period, beginning Wednesday, May 25, through the end of August.

Pedestrian paths into the academic core from this quadrant of campus will still be available via the stairway between the Engineering and Fine Arts buildings and around the pond side of the Fine Arts building as well as some interior building stairways.

If you have any questions about access or alternative routes during the course of this work, contact Mike Pound at ext. 5-2918. If you have any questions about the construction project, contact Rusty Postlewate at ext. 5-3260.

I am grateful for your continued patience and understanding through this construction period.

Additional Drill Capability Available in TREX Reports

Financial Services is pleased to announce the availability of additional drill capability in the TREX reports. Employees who attended TREX training likely heard Ben Lowenthal mention that Financial Services, in conjunction with Kevin Joseph of DoIT, was working on additional drills from the detail reports to voucher and p-card information. This drill capability will appear on the detail reports as “green numbers” in the “Amount” column. Simply click on the numbers and additional detail will then appear in a report titled “Department Report Voucher Detail.” Users can access a revised manual which details these changes by going to http://my.umbc.edu/groups/rex/documents/764. Users who have already printed the initial manual may simply replace the current pages 18-19 with pages 18-20 in the revised version.

Contact Ben Lowenthal with any questions or difficulties with this new added feature.

Constructive Discussion of Differences

From Freeman Hrabowski, President, and Elliot Hirshman, Provost

A number of students have contacted us to express their concerns about an online discussion on myUMBC that includes negative comments about the Muslim community. myUMBC is an important forum for information sharing and dialogue. The discussions that appear on the site are almost always well-reasoned and respectful and make us very proud of our community. The current comments on myUMBC remind us of the tension that can exist between two values of great importance to our campus and our society—freedom of speech and civility. As a campus, we encourage discussion of difficult issues and wish to protect the rights of individuals to express their views. At the same time, we place great value on, and strongly encourage, respect and civility as we communicate with each other.

The fact that students took time during final exams to express their concerns about the current discussion tells us these values remain strong on our campus. We want to commend them for making an important statement about who we are as a community.

Search for Interim Provost

Freeman Hrabowski, President, and John Jeffries, Dean, CAHSS and Chair of the Search Committee

UMBC is conducting an internal search for the position of Interim Provost, and we invite applications. As the chief academic officer of the University, the Provost reports directly to the President and is responsible for the quality, vitality, and delivery of the academic program, ensuring excellence in the faculty, student body, and academic affairs staff. As the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Provost oversees all academic activities involving faculty and students, including research, planning, and academic support services. Also, the Provost oversees the campus planning process, working with the other Vice Presidents, the Deans, and campus governance groups to coordinate planning and budgeting for the University; the Provost then presents recommendations to the President for final decision. The Deans of the colleges and schools report to the Provost. The Provost also works cooperatively with other University System of Maryland campus leaders, especially provosts and academic vice presidents. Supporting the President, the Provost represents UMBC to the University System, the State Legislature, and State and federal agencies.

Candidates for the position must be tenured full professors and should have substantial academic-administrative experience; a record of significant scholarly achievement; effective academic leadership and problem-solving skills; the ability to manage large budgets; a strong commitment to balancing and integrating research and teaching; demonstrated commitment to shared governance; the ability to work cooperatively and effectively with faculty members, senior administrators and staff members in all disciplines and at all levels across the campus; the ability to work effectively with external constituencies; a strong commitment to advancing underrepresented minorities and women; and a commitment to advancing disciplines across the University and to fostering cross-disciplinary enterprises.

Applications should include a letter of interest, a curriculum vitae, and three letters of recommendation. The letter of interest should include a brief discussion (2-3 pages) of the candidate’s understanding of the responsibilities of, and the issues facing, the Interim Provost, and should describe the candidate’s approaches and priorities for addressing those responsibilities and issues. The search committee is chaired by Dr. John Jeffries, Dean of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Applications should be submitted electronically to Ms. Tammy Brown (tbrown@umbc.edu) in the Dean’s office by the close of business, Wednesday, May 25.

The appointment will be for one year and will begin on July 1, 2011.

UMBC IS AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

University Counseling Services Closed May 26

The Vice President of Student Affairs has approved the temporary closure of University Counseling Services on Thursday, May 26. UCS will be facilitating the UMBC Mini Conference for the Washington Metro Area Counseling Centers Directors (WMACCD). If there is an emergency during the time of closure, call UMBC Police at ext. 5-5555 to reach our on-call counselor. If you have questions about the closure, call J. Ingram, Director of University Counseling Services at ext. 5-2472.

Modified Zone Parking for the Summer

Summer parking zone modifications will begin on Monday, May 23, and continue through Friday, August 26. The parking zones are listed below for D (includes daily) permit holders and E permit holders. This information is also listed on the back of your annual permit. Direct any questions or concerns to parking@umbc.edu or call ext. 5-2551.

E permits: valid for parking in assigned zone E gated lot, zone A
and zone C.

D permits: valid in zone D, zone A and zone C.

UMBC Summer Camp Registration Open

Registration is now available for UMBC Summer Day Camp. To register, call ext. 5-3122 or visit www.umbc.edu/athletics/Recreation/DayCamp.

UMBC Honors College Acting Associate Director Position Announcement

Pending budgetary approval, the Honors College at UMBC seeks to appoint an Acting Associate Director. The Honors College offers approximately 500 talented UMBC students an enhanced academic experience through small classes on special topics taught by dedicated faculty. The Honors College welcomes students with interests in all fields, but expects all its members to be curious and competent across the disciplines and beyond the boundaries of the classroom. More information about the Honors College can be found at http://www.umbc.edu/honors.

Job Description

The Honors College Acting Associate Director plays a central role in the life of the Honors College, advising, teaching and mentoring some of the university’s best students, and will be a member of both a small team in the Honors College and the larger community of the Office of Undergraduate Education. The Associate Director reports directly to the Director of the Honors College, and is extensively involved in most of the critical functions of the Honors College, including:

• Advising and mentoring;
• Student recruitment;
• Admissions decisions;
• Assessment and strategic planning;
• Payroll and purchasing supervision;
• General office supervision;
• Teaching Honors Forum in the fall semester and two upper level seminars;
• Service on the Honors College Advisory Board;
• Oversight of the Honors College’s internship and service learning programs;
• Co-curricular event planning; and
• Consultation with the Director of the Honors College about the day-to-day and long-term management of the unit.

Some of these responsibilities (including the teaching load) may be negotiable, depending on the applicant’s existing responsibilities in their home unit.

Pending budgetary approval, this 13-month appointment will begin on July 1, 2011, and will last through August 2012.

Qualifications and Criteria

A Ph.D. (or terminal degree in the applicant’s discipline) is required, with experience in university teaching and/or university advising. This experience will ideally have been in programs for academically talented students. The successful candidate will:

• Have a strong commitment to student success, achievement and retention;
• Be able to work collaboratively in a multicultural environment;
• Provide leadership, support and guidance to the program;
• Have excellent and effective management and organizational skills;
• Be an excellent verbal and written communicator; and
• Have wide teaching experience, ideally with very capable students and in interdisciplinary contexts.

The Acting Associate Director must possess the ability to interact positively and proactively with students, faculty and staff and be able to work a flexible schedule that may include evening and weekend assignments. A strong candidate will also have a record of professional activity within his/her discipline and experience in an Honors College setting.

Application Process

If you wish to apply for this position, submit a letter of interest indicating your interest in and qualifications for this position. Attach a resume that includes employment history (including dates of employment) and three professional references with contact information. Evidence of teaching ability should also be supplied. UMBC-based applicants must have support from the chair or director of their home unit; the search committee will request letters of support from applicants’ chairs/directors prior to the interview process.

Application materials may be sent electronically to the chair of the search committee (Dr. Marie desJardins, mariedj@cs.umbc.edu, ext. 5-3967) or through the mail to:

Honors College
Attn: Dr. Marie desJardins, AAD Search Chair
Library 216L
University of Maryland Baltimore County
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore MD 21250

Submit all application materials by May 31. (Applications will continue to be accepted until the position is filled.) Questions about the position or application process may be addressed to Dr. desJardins, or to the current associate director, Simon Stacey, at spstacey@umbc.edu, ext. 5-1962.