Spring Break
The Daily OrangeCandidates lay out goals for college at open forum
By Shayna Meliker
Posted: 3/2/08, 10:37 PM EST Section: News
Each of the candidates in the internal search for the dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts stressed an "open door" policy, one that guarantees students and faculty that their voices are an important part of decision-making.
The doors of Gifford Auditorium were open Friday afternoon for a forum that allowed VPA students and faculty to pose questions to each of the dean candidates.
But fewer than 15 students and 15 faculty members attended.
"It will take more than just e-mails to change the culture of student engagement in the college," said Sky Harris, student representative to the Provost's Advisory Committee and a graduate student in music education. "It's important for faculty and administration to know that if we're all going to move forward together, it has to be together."
Harris attributed the low attendance at the forum to the fact that many students weren't allowed to leave their classes or jobs at the university to attend. She also said since VPA is such a diverse college, students needed more support from faculty and administration to become engaged in the process of selecting a new dean.
The four internal candidates are Ann Clarke, from the School of Art and Design, Joseph Downing, from the Setnor School of Music, Kendall Phillips, from the department of communication and rhetorical studies and Tom Sherman, from the department of Transmedia.
Carole Brzozowski, the current dean of VPA, was selected to become the university performing arts presenter in the chancellor's office. Originally, VPA's dean search was to be internal, but students and faculty made it clear they wanted to expand the selection. Eric Spina, vice chancellor and provost, announced that the candidate who is selected in the internal search will serve as dean until an external search is completed.
The national search will start in September 2009.
The forum, moderated by Andrew Waggoner, chair of composition and theory in the Setnor School of Music, allowed each candidate five minutes to speak to the audience and then 25 minutes for students and faculty to ask questions.
The doors of Gifford Auditorium were open Friday afternoon for a forum that allowed VPA students and faculty to pose questions to each of the dean candidates.
But fewer than 15 students and 15 faculty members attended.
"It will take more than just e-mails to change the culture of student engagement in the college," said Sky Harris, student representative to the Provost's Advisory Committee and a graduate student in music education. "It's important for faculty and administration to know that if we're all going to move forward together, it has to be together."
Harris attributed the low attendance at the forum to the fact that many students weren't allowed to leave their classes or jobs at the university to attend. She also said since VPA is such a diverse college, students needed more support from faculty and administration to become engaged in the process of selecting a new dean.
The four internal candidates are Ann Clarke, from the School of Art and Design, Joseph Downing, from the Setnor School of Music, Kendall Phillips, from the department of communication and rhetorical studies and Tom Sherman, from the department of Transmedia.
Carole Brzozowski, the current dean of VPA, was selected to become the university performing arts presenter in the chancellor's office. Originally, VPA's dean search was to be internal, but students and faculty made it clear they wanted to expand the selection. Eric Spina, vice chancellor and provost, announced that the candidate who is selected in the internal search will serve as dean until an external search is completed.
The national search will start in September 2009.
The forum, moderated by Andrew Waggoner, chair of composition and theory in the Setnor School of Music, allowed each candidate five minutes to speak to the audience and then 25 minutes for students and faculty to ask questions.
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