Josie Wilson, Dean of Arts & Science, Sends Letter to Emeritus

New Year Wishes from Dean Josie Wilson

Dear Colleagues:

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), administratively created on July 1, 2007, is six months old and we continue an intense pace of change. Forming one College from three Schools was the result of creative faculty wishing to strengthen SOU's focus and increase the visibility of the University's many diverse offerings. Additionally, 27 separate departments and programs have merged into 15 units.

We are still very much in our infancy but are establishing a solid foundation for our day to day functioning and growth. Bringing together the three Schools of Arts and Letters, Social Sciences, and Sciences has instilled a renewed sense of excitement, collaboration, and possibility for the faculty. We are intentionally exploring and creating our culture, and relearning that CAS is the core of the University.

Here are a few of the things we’ve accomplished to date:

The CAS Chairs’ Council, composed of 15 Department Chairs and the deans, has become a thoughtful governing body for the College. We are learning about each department and making strides in how we make decisions together. Some of our current tasks:
Designing an effective “snapshot” that adequately communicates the goals, programs, scope, resources, costs, and contributions of each department.
Designing a Summer Session program that is student focused and works within our current budget constraints.
Building a budget for next year in collaboration with Finance and Administration.
We have a lively and functioning CAS Dean’s Office. Our office of six is responsible for overseeing the financial, personnel, and curricular issues of the College, 15 departments, and several other programs.
Barbara Cantrell – Our Executive Manager provides wise council and guidance, overseeing the many details of the fiscal and personnel business of the CAS Office.
Debi Holcombe - Office Coordinator Debi is the newest member of our team and wears numerous hats including Computer Science Coordinator, Graduate Program Office Coordinator, and files guru.
Claire Cross – Our CAS Summer Session Director finished last year’s accounting and revised the entire process for building next summer’s offerings to be more student focused. She continues to work closely with department chairs, the Provost and the deans. Claire also has several new programs she’s working on including an Ethnography Field Camp and classes at Deer Creek Center.
Nick Ellis – Our events coordinator has worked on the President’s Investiture, Homecoming, Alumni dinner, and the annual COPLAC conference to be held at SOU in June. He is also the CAS web manager.
Vicki Purslow – The Associate Dean works closely with several programs including Digital Media Foundations, Communication, Art, and Music. She helped select the campus scheduling software and is an active member of the Provost’s Search Committee. She continues to collaborate with the Dean, the Budget Office, and department Chairs and Office Coordinators to sort out this year’s budget, changes in departments, and fiscal accounting.
Josie Wilson – The Acting Dean spent much of the fall sorting through budget and personnel issues to be sure that the reorganization happens as it should and she participated in the AP:SOU Collective Bargaining process, which just completed negotiations. Currently, she is involved in some creative dean work including: helping to design the theatre expansion project, working with departments on marketing, redesigning the School Area Graduate Program into an Interdisciplinary Masters Program, revamping the catalog for CAS and each department, and overseeing faculty personnel issues.

Additional CAS Transition Issues: For those interested in more details about the CAS transition process, please visit the CAS web site (www.sou.edu/cas). You will learn about the change management process we are using, our current status, and tasks yet to complete.

Department News

Art and Art History is hosting Walter Jule in mid-January. He is the curator of the exhibition “Cross Currents: International Prints” from the University of Alberta that is on display in the Schneider Museum of Art. Ceramic students are working with Soroptimist International of Ashland to produce pottery for the 9th Annual Empty Bowls Project; proceeds from the pottery sale go to Access Food Share.

Biology is currently involved in development of the Deer Creek Center for Field Research and Education, furthering our commitment to provide exceptional field experiences for our students. We continue to deliver a diverse curriculum for our majors and in support of other academic programs, and provide exciting research opportunities in ecology, microbiology, and molecular and organismal biology.

Chemistry, Physics, Materials, and Engineering is excited about new classes and current research. Steve Petrovic is launching the "Chemistry and Analysis of Wine," a new lecture/lab course for spring 2008; it will be open to SOU students and those working in the wine industry. Peter Wu, in collaboration with Roger Linhart, received funding from the Oregon Space Grant Consortium for their research “A Balloon Launch Glider for High Altitude Experimentation.” In February, Ellen Siem will represent Oregon at the American Association of Physics Teachers annual meeting in Baltimore.

Physics is actively integrating courses in (and recruiting students for) materials science and nanotechnology, two areas of global interest that are growing at a rapid pace. Students are now conducting experiments in the newly equipped materials science laboratory. Physics majors are currently working on capstones ranging from robotic measurements at high altitudes to developing models of tumor growth to developing metal alloys for automotive/space vehicles. Physics, Materials Science and Engineering is actively engaged in outreach through mentoring of high school senior projects, summer internships and collaborations with other researchers throughout the state.

Communication is looking forward to dry offices and putting the finishing touches on a move to the east side of Britt…a move that began last summer. The biggest news in front of us now is the first Amendment Forum, January 16th, at 7 p.m. in the Rogue River Room. The program will focus on Citizen Journalism. The keynote speaker will be a Freedom Forum scholar from Washington, D.C., who will review the major First Amendment issues confronting the nation in 2008. He will be joined by a panel, all of whom will explore the weight and value of the new wave of Internet-circulated reporting and information assembled by the public at large.

Computer Science is adjusting to increased enrollment, a reflection of the national shift in information technology. The department is reaching out to high school students, providing foundation courses that will help them segue into college programs.

Criminology & Criminal Justice is in the midst of two national searches for tenure track positions. CCJ continues to be a very strong program with solid links to community policing, forensics, and other aspects of law enforcement.

Environmental Studies is engaged in creating an exciting new curriculum. We are proposing a major that will give students a well-rounded education in environmental issues, including perspectives and tools from the natural and social sciences. Students will specialize in any of eight concentrations within Environmental Studies, and should be highly competitive in a growing job market.

Health, Physical Education and Leadership (HPEL) is busily engaged in planning and implementing changes this year. They recently "adopted" the Military Science Program into their department and have started a new concentration and a minor in Outdoor Adventure Leadership. Exciting times for this department!

History and Political Science is in the midst of a major restructuring to take advantage of the new administrative structure. Two senior department members, Professors Karen Sundwick and Jay Mullen, retire this year, creating challenges and opportunities to meet the demands of our disciplines' global curricular mandates. We wish them well, and look forward to welcoming new colleagues in the coming terms.

Languages, Literature, and Philosophy is one of the newly merged departments, bringing together English and Writing, Foreign Languages, Philosophy and Shakespeare Studies. Several faculty are engaged in the University Seminar and the department is forging a new identity.

Mathematics is searching for two tenure-track positions. The department continues it’s very strong service orientation with courses ranging from remedial math, teacher education, quantitative reasoning for many majors, and its own major requirements.

Music has a long list of performances by students and faculty. One of the highlights of the fall was a donation for a new floor and seating in the Music Recital Hall. They also just received backing for new lighting in that venue. Their saxophone students and faculty made guest appearances in China and they have several Chinese students currently or soon to be enrolled at SOU.
Psychology offers students many unique opportunities for students, including practicum and community-based learning in diverse settings such as Jackson County Mental Health, the Oregon State Police, or a private residential treatment facility. Psychology Club and Psi Chi are student organizations that provide support and fun. Many students also participate in research with faculty, presenting at local, regional, and national conferences.
Social Sciences, Policy, & Culture is probably the most complex of the mergers including Anthropology, Economics, International Studies, Native American Studies, Sociology, Women’s Studies, and parts of Geography. They have been working on their governance structure, staffing, and possibilities for curricular collaboration.
Theatre Arts presents Tony Award winning musical Urinetown directed by guest artist Randall Stewart (opening February 22 in the Dorothy Stolp Mainstage Theatre). The annual children's theatre offering will be Many Moons based on the Caldecot Award winning novel by James Thurber and directed by guest artist Chris DuVal (opening February 15 in the Center Square Theatre). The department is also gearing up for a renewed effort toward the Theatre Expansion and Remodel Project. This important building campaign will be among the central efforts of the SOU Foundation over this next year.
We invite you to explore the CAS web site (www.sou.edu/cas), join us for activities such as the CAS Friday Seminar, and keep in touch. I look forward to sharing more with you about our changes and our future.
With warm wishes for a healthy and happy New Year,

JOSIE WILSON
Acting Dean
Ashland, OR 97520
(541) 552-8173 jwilson@sou.eduo