Dean's Update - February 23, 2024

February 23, 2024

Dear Colleagues:

I returned last night from a few days in Tampa Bay at a meeting of the American Conference of Academic Deans (ACAD). Cue the jokes about how many deans does it take to ______, and I’ll laugh right along with you.

It’s easy for me to identify benefits of attending the ACAD meeting.

For one thing, I want to be an effective dean and always have more to learn.

ACAD’s meetings attract seasoned leaders whose experience and counsel deserve my attention. They know things I don’t. It’s useful to hear their accounts and analysis of what has gone well in their colleges and schools, what should have gone better, and in either case, how their insights might help us in the Honors College. For instance, after last year’s conference, Provost Nancy Brickhouse asked me what deans talk about at such meetings. I answered wryly, “How to get their provosts to approve all their requests!” Seriously, though, I find it encouraging—and I hope you do too—that academic leaders near and far work hard to develop new strengths.

Second, I return home awash in gratitude for our academic community.

Some who attend the conference have real troubles. Financial pressure from enrollment shortfalls or declining state subsidies have led to painful cuts. In other cases, revolving-door senior leadership has demoralized deans, faculty, and staff, and left everyone unclear about institutional direction. Their woes run deep and wide. They have my sympathy.

Simultaneously, my gratitude overflow at our blessings. We’re on the cusp of moving into a new home for the Honors College, the result of a $58.75 million University investment that puts another big stake in the ground for outstanding undergraduate education. Through your dedicated efforts, we’re recruiting and retaining amazing students at a level that raises the bar across campus. And your own professional successes? What a gift it’s been in recent days to read faculty annual reports and performance reviews, and to revel in your very fine work. I’ll have the same experience when staff reviews get underway in a few weeks.

Most of all, I’m coming back to colleagues that I admire and respect. Deans from other institutions doubtless have fine faculties and staffs. I’d put you up against the best of them, confident that what we’re doing together measures up. And it’s not only what you do that garners my esteem, but how and why.

The lines for us have truly fallen in pleasant places. I’m happy to be there with you and for you, and to join you in fulfilling a stewardship to which the Lord calls us.

Speaking of lines falling in pleasant places, here’s a closer look at a few of them:

New offices suites are nearly ready for us in Draper Academic Building. Following finishing touches and furniture delivery, we have been asked to complete the move of all faculty and staff with offices in Draper ahead of the spring semester’s end. While we anticipate a new season of community and collaboration in the new location, we recognize that moving is never fun and comes with inconvenience and disruption. Program directors and your office managers or administrative assistants will help you plan, order boxes and book carts, and address other details. Please carefully review Move Procedures for Draper, where FAQs are addressed. As new questions arise, we’ll add them to the FAQ page.
Congratulations to Sarah-Jane Murray, who learned last week of her promotion to the rank of full professor. In a timely tribute, a day after Sarah-Jane heard this happy news, her newly published three-volume Medieval French Ovide Moralisé received a glowing review in the Times Literary Supplement. An internationally celebrated review of books and culture, TLS honors Sarah-Jane’s work as “a masterclass in what modern scholarly translation should be.” Simply wonderful, Sarah-Jane!
Welcome to MacKenzie Gililland, newly hired as assistant to the associate deans. In addition to supporting our associate deans, MacKenzie will be a hospitable first point of contact for all who visit the new dean’s suite in Alexander Hall, set to open mid-summer.
Join me in expressing appreciation to Julia Hejduk, associate dean for undergraduate studies, for her five years of leadership in the Honors College. Realizing she’s now the senior member of the Department of Classics, and seeing opportunities for contribution there, she plans to step down as associate dean at the end of May and give full attention to her home department. Julie, we’re grateful for your good cheer and devoted service. We’ll miss you!
As President Linda Livingstone noted in her Presidential Perspectives yesterday, the COACHE faculty survey is underway. Your completion of the survey, taking about 25 minutes, is vitally important as we look for ways to identify and act upon faculty insight into areas of success and need alike. COACHE survey co-chairs Forest Kim and Gaynor Yancey report a response rate of 29% to date. We hope for much broader participation to reflect the full experience of our faculty. If you have not yet responded, you will receive a reminder email next week from coachefaculty@abtsurvey.com. Please look for it and do your part.
Our Outstanding Faculty Nomination Committee has advanced for university-level consideration compelling cases for four exceptional colleagues. They are Victor Hinojosa (tenured teaching), Michael Whitenton (non-tenured teaching), Davide Zori (tenured research), and Lenore Wright (faculty service). We celebrate your award-worthy contributions and hope the University’s selection committee shows you favor.
Congratulations to all who completed service milestones during 2023. The HC’s full- and part-time faculty and staff recognized at a February 13 luncheon include: Matthew Anderson (5), Mike Grossman (5), Thomas Spitzer-Hanks (5), Charmaine Dull (10), Alan Jacobs (10), Eric Martin (10), Josh Ritter (10), Jeff Hunt (15), Ivo Novakovic (15), Julia Hejduk (20), Victor Hinojosa (20), Sarah-Jane Murray (20), Scott Moore (30), and Barry Harvey (35). That’s 210 years of cumulative service. Thank you!

All the best,

Douglas V. Henry, Ph.D. | Dean
Honors College | Baylor University
honors.baylor.edu | 254.710.7689