Monday Memo August 15, 2016

Special Message from the Dean

Dear Colleagues,

As you all are aware, the University has been of great interest to the media in recent months. Much of what has been covered and discovered has created angst and uncertainty within the University and the community-at-large. Additionally, the value of a liberal arts education has been diminished by certain government officials. It may take some time for things to stabilize in these areas, but in the meantime, please take comfort in the vitality of the College of Arts & Sciences. We remain strong and steady and continue to serve as the heart of this university. Out of the chaos, we are emerging stronger because of our ability to adapt, innovate, and think independently – ironically the very liberal arts-based attributes that are at stake. For those who question the strength of UofL, they only need to look toward A&S; faculty, staff, and students. However, we must continue to be persistent advocates for higher education both in word and action on campus and in the community. I am proud to say that it was members of our faculty that led the re-creation of UofL’s chapter of the AAUP (American Association of University Professors). Additionally, to help specially with the advocacy for the liberal arts, we have created a college webpage: uofl.me/as-defend. Please use it and share it widely. I think we can all agree with Professor Avery Kolers, the president of UofL’s new AAUP chapter, who last week called UofL “a venerable institution.” Together, we must reinforce the College’s centrality to the University’s mission and continue to raise our profile.

Welcome to the start of fall semester. Unlike those who must work outside of academia, we get to experience the joy of anticipating a new year, with fresh starts and a lot of new people to meet. I am especially excited to say hello to AY17 for three reasons.

1)We have many new members of the A&S; community to welcome, so please join me in greeting and making them feel at home:

• one of the largest freshman classes to start at UofL with one of the strongest academic profiles on record 39 full-time faculty, 28 of which are tenured/tenure-track, nearly all of whom were our first choice out of a highly competitive field of applicants
• new department chairs in Comparative Humanities, Fine Arts, History and Geography & Geosciences
• a new associate dean of graduate education (Janet Woodruff-Borden, Psychological & Brain Sciences)
• a new director of the Commonwealth Center for Humanities & Society (John Gibson, Philosophy)
• a new director of our Aerospace science ROTC program (Lt. Col. Jerry Crigger)

2)Despite diminished funding, we are starting the year knowing a lot more about the resources we actually have. Fortunately, central administration has spared us the Governor’s budget cut, and last year’s nightmare of having to find real funding for 3 million dollars in “salary credits” is behind us.

3)This might be the year in which UofL enters the new era of performance-based funding in higher education, and A&S; looks ready to compete. Although we don’t yet know precisely which metrics will be emphasized by the Governor, CPE, or even on campus – and I know how we all abhor the customer-service metaphors – by many of the logical indicators, “the product” we deliver is very valuable.

So we can continue to be proud of who we are and what we provide. Bring on the new school year. We’re ready.

Sincerely,

Kimberly Kempf-Leonard
Dean

Announcements

Please remember add all your departmental and programmatic events to the University-wide calendar: events.louisville.edu. Inclusion in the calendar will help promote your event, drive attendance, increase awareness. Additionally, it will help prevent us from scheduling events on top of each other.

The annual State of the College Address is scheduled for Friday, September 16 at 2pm in Humanities 100. Please plan on going to the reception in the lobby of the Shumaker Research Building immediately following the address.

Graduate and professional students are invited to submit an abstract on their life science research for a poster presentation at Research!Louisville. Event is October 11-14 in the Kosair Charities Clinical and Translational Research Building. Abstract submissions are due by August 31. Submit an abstract online (researchlouisville.org). For additional Information, contact Anne Noe, 852-2553

Events

Todd Burns: Ar·ti·fact On view: August 12 - September 24, 2016 Reception: September 8, 2016, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 2016

2016 A&S; Graduate Student Welcome Reception 8/15 3:30PM

Meet the Professor, Che Rhodes, "Recognizing Quality and Value in Handmade Glass" 9/1 12:00PM University Club

Meet the Professor, Margaret Carreiro, "Can Species Conservation and Urban Development Co-Exist?" 10/6 12:00PM University Club

Wittreich Lecture: Barrett Watten, Wayne State University, "The Millennial Condition: A Report on Knowledge" 10/7 3:15PM Shumaker Research Building, RM139

Sharon Marcus, Columbia University, on nineteenth-century scrapbooks. 10/10 5:30AM Ekstrom Library, Chao Auditorium

The 15th Annual Latin American and Latino Studies Heritage Lecture, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Exoticism and the Aesthetics of Diversity" 10/27 4:30PM Ekstrom Library, Chao Auditorium

Meet the Professor - Joy Hart and Kandi Walker, " Smokin' Hot Issues and Smoldering Concerns: Appalachian Youth and Tobacco" 11/3, 12:00PM University Club

2016 Steven Humphrey Student Philosophy Colloquium 11/4 9:00AM Bingham Humanities Building, Room 300

James Shapiro: Phi Beta Kappa Lecture 11/17 7:00PM Louisville Free Public Library, Main Branch

Meet the Professor, Genarro Vito "Capital Sentencing in Kentucky" 12/1 12:00PM University Club

Perspectives on the Liberal Arts

In the College of Arts & Sciences, we know that an education in the liberal arts and sciences is key to an enriched life and an engaged citizenry. Read the perspectives of faculty, students, and alumni from across the College on the impact of the liberal arts and sciences on themselves and the world at-large.