Provost Pointers for April 15, 2011

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Provost Pointers for April 15, 2011

Today is a day where we need to mark some comings and goings. Perhaps that’s appropriate on April 15th! But the comings and goings I have in mind are much more important than money because they involve people. So let me begin by making you aware of some comings.

First, I am very happy to announce two additional tenure-track hirings since our last faculty meeting. Dr. Alex Moore, already well known to Westmont, will be joining us as Assistant Professor of Kinesiology in the fall. Alex will bring his fine teaching ability and research interests in human physiology to a department that has been anxious to have another full-time colleague for several years now. And speaking of departments anxious to fill a longstanding hole, the Economics and Business department will welcome Dr. David Anderson next fall. Dave will fill that fourth spot in the department, teaching on the business side of things and bringing a wealth of teaching and business experience with him. He is filling a regular tenure-track slot. The search for an endowed chair will continue next fall.

More immediately on the horizon in terms of comings is our faith-learning workshop with Dallas Willard in late May. There was more interest in Dallas’s seminar than we could accommodate. But he has agreed to give a public lecture to which all will be welcome on Thursday evening May 26th at 7:00 p.m. on the topic “How is God With Us? How Can We Know It?” I am also very glad to announce that our own Tremper Longman has agreed to lead the 2012 MayTerm seminar. As you know, Lisa DeBoer has led the faith-learning workshop for new faculty throughout this year, and from all accounts, has done a wonderful job. When I asked Lisa to step into that role last spring, we agreed that she would serve for two years. But alas, Lisa has received a year-long sabbatical for 2011-2012. So her going has created a need for someone else’s coming. I am delighted to say that Patti Hunter has graciously agreed to take on this responsibility for next year.

One of the other comings for this year has been Deborah Dunn’s taking on the new role of director of faculty mentoring. Deborah has been hard at work gathering information on the current state of mentoring here and I know that she has spoken with many of you. I anticipate that her work will lead to some new initiatives next year. As you have already heard, we are planning to re-start the mutual mentoring program for full professors. That decision was reached in consultation with Deborah and the Professional Development Committee. Two groups of full professors are being organized to participate in the program next year.

We got a taste yesterday of another coming for next year – Mark Nelson as Faculty Vice-Chair. We look forward to Mark’s leadership, whether in English or Latin. But this also means a going. Today marks the end of Tom Fikes’ two years of dedicated service as Vice-Chair. Tom has taken his duties with great seriousness and performed them with remarkable diligence and dedication. He has spent countless hours in this role on behalf of the faculty and college. Please join me then in expressing our great appreciation to Tom for this sacrificial work.

Today I must also announce another more permanent going. WheatonCollege has made public the news today that Dr. Laura Montgomery will be joining their faculty and administration next January as their first Associate Dean for Global and Experiential Learning. Laura will lead Westmont in Mexico in the fall one final time and then make the move to Wheaton. We congratulate Laura on her new appointment even while we mourn her departure from Westmont. We will surely plan to mark her departure in some appropriate way in the months to come.

Finally, today marks my own going – at least in terms of standing up here in front of all of you in the provost role at a faculty meeting. My sixteen times doing this has been more than enough for you and me. I look forward to taking my spot in the top row or some other inconspicuous place next fall. I also look forward to being back in the classroom. Many of you have heard me say how much I have missed being with students over the past four semesters. Though I know it won’t take me long to start whining about grading again, I am anxious to be back on what I consider the frontlines of Westmont’s work. At the same time, I will welcome the prospect of being on sabbatical second semester. I’ll work on re-starting my research, preparing to co-lead Europe Semester in the fall of 2012, and finding some Sabbath rest. Maybe I’ll also start writing my tell-all memoir of my two years as provost. I’m tempted to begin rehearsing that story right now but alasthe semester has several more weeks and I have several more months in the role, so it’s still too soon to offer any final judgments on the experience. Instead, I will simply close with these words of benediction: “Now may the Lord of peace give you peace at all times and in every way. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.”