The forthcoming Christmas-New Year holiday season will mark the end of my first six months as a dean. I’m looking forward to a couple of weeks of no meetings, and time to catch up on reading. I’ll also take a break from this “Dispatches From a New Dean” blog, restarting the week of January 6. Happy Holidays!
etc.
One of the important tasks of a dean is to recognize the accomplishments of the faculty. When a faculty member receives an award or notification of a publication I send her/him an email note, and we post a notification to the college’s Facebook page. I have also sent congratulatory greeting cards to award winners; I selected blank cards with different covers and wrote brief notes to each person. For the next iteration of hand-written cards I’m thinking about ordering custom letterpress stationery. This will be a bit expensive, but the process of creating the stationery will be fun!
Over the weekend I had my first experience with Airbnb, an “online service that provides a platform for individuals referred to as ‘hosts,’ generally private parties, to rent unoccupied living space and other short-term lodging to guests” [wikipedia]. My mother-in-law wanted to rent a house in Philadelphia for seven people to share while in town for a wedding, and she asked her daughter (my wife) to make the arrangements. On the positive side, Valerie reported that it was very easy to search for housing and to make a reservation, and my mother-in-law had no trouble getting the keys and gaining entry at the start of the reservation. The house was clean when she arrived, and the owner left documentation about operating essentials (such as the Wi-Fi password!). On the negative side, it felt very weird to be in a stranger’s house for a couple of days, and I slept horribly each night. Of course, in many cultures it is perfectly normal to spend time in a stranger’s house — and it is also an everyday occasion to take in strangers — but I have to say that I prefer to stay in hotels or with friends. I’m glad that I tried the concept, but I don’t think it’s for me.
Recently I’ve been thinking about two poorly designed items here on campus. The first concerns sets of trash bins next to the residence halls and apartments; in each pair one bin is for recycling, and the other is for garbage. The problem: they are both the same size and color (green), but the recycling bin has small stickers that are easy to miss. So what happens? You guessed it: the recycling bins usually have trash in them. I’m used to blue recycling bins with large signage. I wonder why that is not the norm here?
The second bad design: the bike racks look nice, but they are too narrow for the U-locks that are ubiquitous on all other college campuses I’ve been on that have “regular” bike racks. Here students have to use the much less secure chain lock, and frequently they just lock the front wheel, as that’s the only think that (partially) fits into the bike racks. Maybe bike thefts are rare here, but I miss normal bike racks!
I have loved parades ever since participating in marching band in high school. While I saw only a handful while I was in college at Ga. Tech, I attended many parades while living in Bloomington, IN (graduate school) and Minneapolis, MN (previous academic appointment). I was excited to hear that the Racine, WI 4th of July parade is big, and the third oldest in the nation. I looked forward to watching as a spectator, but received an email on Monday: “Chancellor’s Cabinet and Deans: Understanding you all need your R&R to remain sharp, we still extend an opportunity to join us for the Fourth of July Parade in Racine. Of course, all staff and faculty are encouraged to join us as well. You might be surprised how fun it can be! Regrets only to X.” As the new kid on the block I could not turn down such an invitation for an event on my fourth day on the job! I’m glad I went, though, as it was fun. I’ll be marching again with the UW-P contingent next year…
Today is my first day as Founding Dean and Professor, College of Social Sciences and Professional Studies, University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Following a 13-hour drive (including stops) from Charlotte, NC yesterday I stayed overnight at a hotel in Racine, WI. Now I’m about to head to campus, and I’m wearing jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt. “Wait,” you may be saying, “a dean has to dress more formally than that!” Normally I would agree, but the major task today is unpacking, first at the office, and then at my on-campus apartment. So, I shouldn’t wear anything that might get torn while throwing books and boxes around! Additionally, I just have three meetings scheduled, and they are both with people I’ve already met, so I think I can get away with being super casual on day 1…especially since the t-shirt is university-branded. Tomorrow will be the first dress up day.
Today I am attending my college’s commencement ceremonies. (Yes, ceremonies; the college is so large that there are two sessions.) This may be the last time I attend an event in rented academic regalia. As a faculty member I could choose when to attend events like commencement and the new student convocation. As a dean, however, my presence will be required, so I might as well buy my regalia. Looking back, maybe during negotiations to accept the job I should have asked for an allowance to buy the regalia? That could be something to ponder for those who are thinking about full-time administrative jobs.
Welcome to Dispatches from a New Dean! I’m Walt Jacobs, currently an Associate Professor in the Department of African American & African Studies at the University of Minnesota. Before joining African American & African Studies as chairperson in 2007 (serving through 2012), I held faculty positions in the University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development, and the University of Minnesota General College, the former entry point for many students of color and first generation students. My Ph.D. degree is in sociology from Indiana University, and my undergraduate degree is in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. My research explores personal and social possibilities of undergraduate students’ generation of creative digital nonfiction; see “The Pedagogy of Digital Storytelling in the College Classroom” as an example.
On July 1 I will become Professor and Founding Dean of the College of Social Sciences and Professional Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Before the move I will write about preparation for assuming that position, and after July 1 I will chronicle my first year in the creation of a new unit. I view academic leadership as both a science and an art: important considerations for decision making cannot be completely captured in a spreadsheet when balancing compliance with changing financial/organizational realities, fidelity to tradition and established best practices, and a commitment to innovation.
In this blog I will also write about media culture (movies and TV shows), technology, and social identities. I look forward to reading your feedback!
One of the important tasks of a dean is to recognize the accomplishments of the faculty. When a faculty member receives an award or notification of a publication I send her/him an email note, and we post a notification to the college’s Facebook page. I have also sent congratulatory greeting cards to award winners; I selected blank cards with different covers and wrote brief notes to each person. For the next iteration of hand-written cards I’m thinking about ordering custom letterpress stationery. This will be a bit expensive, but the process of creating the stationery will be fun!
Over the weekend I had my first experience with Airbnb, an “online service that provides a platform for individuals referred to as ‘hosts,’ generally private parties, to rent unoccupied living space and other short-term lodging to guests” [wikipedia]. My mother-in-law wanted to rent a house in Philadelphia for seven people to share while in town for a wedding, and she asked her daughter (my wife) to make the arrangements. On the positive side, Valerie reported that it was very easy to search for housing and to make a reservation, and my mother-in-law had no trouble getting the keys and gaining entry at the start of the reservation. The house was clean when she arrived, and the owner left documentation about operating essentials (such as the Wi-Fi password!). On the negative side, it felt very weird to be in a stranger’s house for a couple of days, and I slept horribly each night. Of course, in many cultures it is perfectly normal to spend time in a stranger’s house — and it is also an everyday occasion to take in strangers — but I have to say that I prefer to stay in hotels or with friends. I’m glad that I tried the concept, but I don’t think it’s for me.
Recently I’ve been thinking about two poorly designed items here on campus. The first concerns sets of trash bins next to the residence halls and apartments; in each pair one bin is for recycling, and the other is for garbage. The problem: they are both the same size and color (green), but the recycling bin has small stickers that are easy to miss. So what happens? You guessed it: the recycling bins usually have trash in them. I’m used to blue recycling bins with large signage. I wonder why that is not the norm here?
The second bad design: the bike racks look nice, but they are too narrow for the U-locks that are ubiquitous on all other college campuses I’ve been on that have “regular” bike racks. Here students have to use the much less secure chain lock, and frequently they just lock the front wheel, as that’s the only think that (partially) fits into the bike racks. Maybe bike thefts are rare here, but I miss normal bike racks!
I have loved parades ever since participating in marching band in high school. While I saw only a handful while I was in college at Ga. Tech, I attended many parades while living in Bloomington, IN (graduate school) and Minneapolis, MN (previous academic appointment). I was excited to hear that the Racine, WI 4th of July parade is big, and the third oldest in the nation. I looked forward to watching as a spectator, but received an email on Monday: “Chancellor’s Cabinet and Deans: Understanding you all need your R&R to remain sharp, we still extend an opportunity to join us for the Fourth of July Parade in Racine. Of course, all staff and faculty are encouraged to join us as well. You might be surprised how fun it can be! Regrets only to X.” As the new kid on the block I could not turn down such an invitation for an event on my fourth day on the job! I’m glad I went, though, as it was fun. I’ll be marching again with the UW-P contingent next year…
Today is my first day as Founding Dean and Professor, College of Social Sciences and Professional Studies, University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Following a 13-hour drive (including stops) from Charlotte, NC yesterday I stayed overnight at a hotel in Racine, WI. Now I’m about to head to campus, and I’m wearing jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt. “Wait,” you may be saying, “a dean has to dress more formally than that!” Normally I would agree, but the major task today is unpacking, first at the office, and then at my on-campus apartment. So, I shouldn’t wear anything that might get torn while throwing books and boxes around! Additionally, I just have three meetings scheduled, and they are both with people I’ve already met, so I think I can get away with being super casual on day 1…especially since the t-shirt is university-branded. Tomorrow will be the first dress up day.
Today I am attending my college’s commencement ceremonies. (Yes, ceremonies; the college is so large that there are two sessions.) This may be the last time I attend an event in rented academic regalia. As a faculty member I could choose when to attend events like commencement and the new student convocation. As a dean, however, my presence will be required, so I might as well buy my regalia. Looking back, maybe during negotiations to accept the job I should have asked for an allowance to buy the regalia? That could be something to ponder for those who are thinking about full-time administrative jobs.
Welcome to Dispatches from a New Dean! I’m Walt Jacobs, currently an Associate Professor in the Department of African American & African Studies at the University of Minnesota. Before joining African American & African Studies as chairperson in 2007 (serving through 2012), I held faculty positions in the University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development, and the University of Minnesota General College, the former entry point for many students of color and first generation students. My Ph.D. degree is in sociology from Indiana University, and my undergraduate degree is in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. My research explores personal and social possibilities of undergraduate students’ generation of creative digital nonfiction; see “The Pedagogy of Digital Storytelling in the College Classroom” as an example.
On July 1 I will become Professor and Founding Dean of the College of Social Sciences and Professional Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Before the move I will write about preparation for assuming that position, and after July 1 I will chronicle my first year in the creation of a new unit. I view academic leadership as both a science and an art: important considerations for decision making cannot be completely captured in a spreadsheet when balancing compliance with changing financial/organizational realities, fidelity to tradition and established best practices, and a commitment to innovation.
In this blog I will also write about media culture (movies and TV shows), technology, and social identities. I look forward to reading your feedback!