Math professor Jim Vallade will assist the dean of the Math and Science Division starting this Fall.
Vallade will spend 10 hours a week helping the dean with a variety of duties, with a focus on observations of adjunct faculty.
“We’re going to see how that works and get feedback,” Vinnie Maltese, dean of Math/Science Division and acting dean of Humanities/Social Sciences Division, said.
Maltese has been serving as dean of both divisions since the resignation of former Humanities/Sciences Dean Bruce Way a year ago.
“Right now, it is not feasible with one dean doing everything,” he said.
At a joint division meeting May 14, Maltese officially announced Vallade’s new duties, on an experimental basis. He also proposed the idea of hiring chairs for each division, possibly beginning in Winter 2011.
He said these chairs would provide someone with expertise in each division – Social Science, Humanities, Mathematics, and Science.
The full-time faculty would volunteer for the chair positions, Maltese said. They probably would spend about five hours a week in the chair duties, and would be expected to meet with students and faculty and observe adjunct faculty.
They would be considered volunteers because this position is not included in the faculty contract, Maltese said.
One of the concerns is that full-time faculty may not volunteer for the position.
“I don’t think the faculty needs to be contractually bound. For things that work, they will volunteer,” Maltese said.
“If we are short-handed, there are other ways to do it,” Maltese said.
One idea would be to have retired faculty members help with the responsibilities.
Maltese said that more research is needed to determine the most efficient way of handling the administrative duties.
Everything is getting done, but more adjunct-faculty observations are needed, he said.
Analysis of the Vallade’s role during the Fall semester will be used to make a decision on whether or not to hire chairs for each division.
“I really want feedback from the faculty. We’ve got to make sure the faculty’s needs are being met from the dean’s office,” Maltese said.
“Honest feedback from the faculty is very important to make these decisions. There are a lot of things to be worked out.”
