September 29, 2023

Dear all,

A number of updates this week, and one very pressing question: why does it keep raining? I lie in bed at night and it patters against my window, I get up in the early morning and it’s misting all across the lawn, I walk around the sunken garden when I am let out for my exercise and I come back in all wet, and I drive home at night with my windshield wipers on. What strange, soaking place is this?

School of Computational & Physical Sciences (one of many working titles, as I understand). Those of you who attended the Faculty Assembly meeting on Tuesday will know that at the meeting, the Provost told the Assembly that she will recommend to the President the creation of an autonomous new school outside of Arts & Sciences (CSCI, DSCI, Applied Science and Physics). The Provost informed Faculty Assembly that if her recommendation is accepted by the President, BOV and SCHEV, her plan is that the new school will open in Fall 2025. I know, of course, that this issue has been hotly debated and it will take a while to absorb this news. I think this is an exciting opportunity, but I also recognize that it’s a significant change, and that can be a challenge. No doubt there are mixed emotions in A&S: happiness, relief, anxiety, uncertainty, and many more. I myself am 100% confident that our future as an A&S community is bright and I look forward to further development of plans for implementation.
The future of A&S: as I’ve said ad nauseam, I want to start a community-wide conversation about the future of Arts & Sciences. In consultation with FAC and CCPD, I will appoint a steering committee to work slowly and deliberately throughout this year gathering and synthesizing ideas about where we want to go over the next few years, and how we might get there. Right now, we are figuring out the best structure for such a committee and how it can foster as inclusive a conversation as possible. I hope to get this conversation started as soon as we can. This conversation will be faculty-led and driven, with support from the Dean’s office, and I encourage all of you to take part. We may end up changing nothing, we may end up with relatively radical changes, or we may end up with a few strategic changes. It’s up to you.
Quality Enhancement Plan (part of the SACSCOC Decennial Reaffirmation): If you read the daily W&M Digest – and really, you should – you will have seen messages inviting proposals for the next QEP. Please take advantage of this opportunity to shape W&M’s priorities going forward. To learn more, visit this page.
Funding for departmental and program initiatives (lecture series, etc) and May seminars: we are working on a process to apply for money for curricular and program initiatives (not individual or collaborative research projects, which are managed through the Faculty Grants Fund.) We are delighted that we will be able to continue supporting these, and we plan to have the process up and running in the next few weeks. Of course, we’ll announce it when it’s live.
We have posted an ad for the position of Senior Associate Dean of Administration & Finance, to replace Sherri Powers when she retires – and she will be much missed. Three or so finalists will be invited to campus and we want them to meet with as many stakeholder groups as they and we can handle, especially including A&S administrative staff. I’ll be in touch again with details when the search is further advanced. We hope to have someone in place in early January, 2024.
Just to follow up on my announcement that we are searching for a new Vice-Dean of Arts, Humanities & Interdisciplinary Studies: I have had a question or two about the expectations for this position. This is a 100% administrative position: no teaching responsibilities and no expectation of research for the period of the appointment (though most - even all - Vice-Deans do manage to carve out some time to continue with reduced research activities). Please send any further questions my way.

And now, the line.

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Do you remember the hamsters? They have incredible stamina and optimism; they work really hard; and they rarely show their emotions. (Plus as it happens, my sister’s hamster had a hysterectomy. No-one believes me but it’s true). Anyway, you may recognize this cartoon from a previous Friday viesti.

This week, we are going to have a competition similar to that in the New Yorker. (Actually, it’s kind of the same, but please don’t tell the New Yorker, and if you do, please emphasize the similarity, not the sameness). Please look at the photo below. No, this is not the Dean on vacation. This is a photo for which you are invited to write a caption. Please send in your funny and benign caption using this form. The “winning” entries will be shared in next Friday’s message. The Dean is happy to accept bribes, on this matter only.

Happy weekend!

Suzanne

Suzanne Raitt

Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences

Chancellor Professor of English

Pronouns: she/her/hers