Changes To Academic Affairs

May 19, 2020

Dear campus community:

We are announcing today three changes in the newly established Office of the Dean of the Faculty and the existing Office of the Associate Provost for Student Success and Academic Quality. These changes will enable us to better serve our students and ensure their success from the moment they arrive on campus to graduation, and to enhance the services we provide to our academic leaders and faculty.

Changes within the General Education program

Dr. Miako Villanueva, G-’04 & PhD ‘11, professor in the Department of Linguistics, has been appointed director of the General Education program. Dr. Villanueva will lead the implementation and oversight of our General Education program and curriculum.

Dr. Villanueva brings a wealth of knowledge to the field of general education, with deep expertise in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL), bilingual pedagogy, including service on the Bilingual Mission Framework Task Force; and digital learning. In addition, her deep involvement with the Council on Undergraduate Education (CUE) and her experience as a member of the General Education Council will be pivotal to the success of general education.

With the GSR self-study completed and ongoing work from the General Education Council during the 2019-2020 academic year, led by Dr. Kirk VanGilder and Ms. Niesha Washington-Shepard, ’06 & G-’18, Dr. Villanueva will lead a core team of faculty from the General Education Council during summer 2020 to develop the curriculum proposal that will be submitted to CUE this fall. During this time, the core team will also receive advanced training through the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) General Education and Assessment Institute.

The selection of Dr. Villanueva to lead the General Education program will ensure the successful implementation of the transformative General Education program and curriculum that is expected to roll out during the 2021-2022 academic year.

We would like to personally thank the selection committee, Dr. Paige Franklin, ’91 & G-’95; Dr. Kirk VanGilder, and Ms. Niesha Washington-Shepard. They consulted with the General Education Council for feedback and recommendations for this critical position.

Honors Program

The Honors Program, which is closely aligned with our General Education Program and also serves all undergraduate students, will be moving under the purview of the Office of Student Success and Academic Quality. The Honors Program is now accepting applications from faculty to serve as our next Honors Program Director. If you are interested in this opportunity, please send a letter of interest or video that includes your vision for leading the Honors Program and your curriculum vitae to Thomas Horejes, Associate Provost for Student Success and Academic Quality, at Contact here by Friday, May 22.

Dr. Paige Franklin to move to the Office of the Dean of the Faculty

Dr. Paige Franklin, ’91 & G-’95, Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education, Policy and Operations, will be moving to the newly established Office of the Dean of the Faculty. In this role, she will be primarily responsible for working with programs and departments to develop and finalize their curriculum proposals.

Dr. Franklin will develop and maintain a system for initiating, tracking, and updating policies and procedures related to undergraduate education and the undergraduate curriculum, and will also monitor the Undergraduate Catalog for quality control and for consistency with approved Council on Undergraduate Education (CUE) actions and administrative protocol.

Dr. Franklin will also work with the school leaders and department chairs to review and provide feedback on faculty paperwork before faculty actions related to reappointment, promotion, merit increases, and tenure. In this role, she will develop and maintain a system for initiating, tracking, and updating documentation related to faculty actions, ensuring consistency and accuracy in these documents.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Villanueva and Dr. Franklin to their new roles. Again, the deadline to apply for Honors Program Director is Friday, May 22.

Sincerely,

Thomas P. Horejes

Associate Provost

Student Success and Academic Quality

Khadijat K. Rashid

Interim Dean of the Faculty