2016 Faculty Governance Award
Citation for Wiliam Cooke
Professor Cooke's leadership as chair of the Physics Department was instrumental in building a more diverse and international faculty, and he has made significant contributions as a member (and often chair) of the department's major committees, including the undergraduate and graduate committees. He has served on the Arts & Sciences Faculty Affairs Committee, as chair of the Educational Policy Committee, chair of the Faculty Research Committee, co-chair of the Task Force on Distance Learning, and various administrative review committees. His service at the university level includes many years on the Faculty Assembly, as chair or continuing member of the Committee on Planning and Resources, Faculty University Priorities Committee (previously the Budget Policy Advisory Committee), Executive Committee, and Faculty Affairs Committee. Outside the usual committee structure he has undertaken two notable projects: in 2012, for the Dean's Office and the Curriculum Review Steering Committee, a resource estimate that involved data analysis of every course taken by every undergraduate for the preceding ten years; and more recently, a comprehensive analysis of raw budget data allowing meaningful comparisons of the College's various units.
For his service as a leading advocate for the faculty and his extraordinary commitment to governance throughout his career at William & Mary, it is fitting that Professor Cooke be recognized with the Arts & Sciences 2016 Faculty Governance Award.
