October 20, 2023
It’s Homecoming, which means Deans are on the move. Thanks again to all of you who are putting on events in your departments and programs (or have already done so). It means a lot to our alums to feel welcome when they return to campus, and I’m grateful.
Invitations
- My rule is not to publicize events in my Friday messages, because there are just too many of them, but I make an exception for events that are organized or sponsored by the A&S Dean’s office, and one such event is the inaugural concert on the Peragallo pipe organ that has just been installed in the new Music building. It’s at 2 pm on Sunday, and the guest organist is Dr. Mickey Thomas Terry, Master Instructor of Organ at Howard University. We will also recognize the appointment of our very own Instructor of Organ, Thomas Marshall, as William & Mary University Organist. Please join us to hear this magnificent instrument in full voice. As Dorothea Brooke, one of the most moving of George Eliot’s protagonists, says in the novel Middlemarch (1871-2): “When we were coming home from Lausanne my uncle took us to hear the great organ at Freiberg, and it made me sob.” Come and sob. (And drink something fizzy after the concert).
- I’m allowed (by myself) to publicize events AFTER they’ve happened, and anyway A&S was very involved in the dedication of the new arts buildings and the naming of the PBK theater after Glenn Close, which happened yesterday. Glenn Close was great, and her dog was great too, in a different way. A smaller, snufflier way. This amazing occasion took place last night, when Glenn Close stepped again on the stage where she first performed 49 years ago. I am so glad she is here to connect us to the beauty of our past, and anticipate the beauty of our future.
- Arts & Sciences, along with the rest of the university, is engaged in figuring out what our fund-raising priorities might be over the next several years. Thanks to all the chairs and program directors who gathered ideas from their faculty and then participated in a meeting a few days ago to start sorting through them. The Executive Committee of the Council of Chairs and Program Directors, the Faculty Affairs Committee, and the Dean team will meet next week to continue the process.
- Now that we have had time to absorb the news that we will have a new school of Computer, Data, Applied Sciences & Physics, we can embark on a conversation about the future of Arts & Sciences. I will be working on membership of the steering committee over the next couple of weeks and then we can get started.
- Our colleagues in Human Resources have shared an upcoming learning and development opportunity, Lessons in Leadership: Positive Work Environment, facilitated by Babs Bengston, scheduled for December 14 at 9:00am. Please consider participating in this opportunity.
- The Provost’s Office recently launched a survey on faculty service, and they have received over 300 responses to date. There’s still time to fill out the survey! Even if you feel you have not done a lot of service at W&M – for example if you are an assistant professor - there are categories of service beyond the university that would be useful for us to capture.
Have a wonderful Homecoming weekend.
Suzanne
Suzanne Raitt
Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences
Chancellor Professor of English
Pronouns: she/her/hers
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Welcome to the abyss.
I watched in vain today as the parade trundled by without a single lawn mower.
No horses either.
But then you know I am very fussy about my horses.
Bye and have a great weekend.
