2008 Woodie Awards
Dean Asserts Classes Not Cut
Leighanne Noonan
Issue date: 4/27/06 Section: News
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Over the past few weeks as students registered for fall classes, there has been growing concern over the amount of courses offered in the upcoming semester. The apparent lack of classes sparked debate over the number of professors at Smith, and the number that would be here next year. However, according to Susan Bourque, dean of the faculty, the number of staff and the number of courses offered at Smith has not changed dramatically.
"Three professors are retiring this year, which is actually a relatively low number," Bourque asserts. The administration is expecting seven retirees at the end of the next school year, a more common figure. Other professors are leaving this year due to termination or end of contract but the number is not overwhelming.
Bourque assures that there are "no hiring freezes on any departments." At the end of the school year all positions are reviewed by the Committee for Academic Priorities. This group "reviews the tenure track and requests for staff from each department." Then the committee decides "how many positions [Smith] can fill and makes recommendations to [Bourque]." Based on this review and recommendation certain departments are given the authority to search for new candidates. "How many they search [for] depends on the needs of the curriculum which is defined by curricular review," Bourque states.
While hiring and firing, the Five College system is also taken into account. Especially for consortium departments such as film studies or dance, "all the departments-at the five schools-consult with each other." Each year the colleges have a meeting to discuss joint hiring and faculty coordination. Often schools will hire a professor together; this way the schools "won't have four classes in a specific area when they really only need two," the dean said. The joint hire will often split their time between two campuses. This system is especially important for this school. According to Bourque, the "majority of off-campus students come to Smith."
"Three professors are retiring this year, which is actually a relatively low number," Bourque asserts. The administration is expecting seven retirees at the end of the next school year, a more common figure. Other professors are leaving this year due to termination or end of contract but the number is not overwhelming.
Bourque assures that there are "no hiring freezes on any departments." At the end of the school year all positions are reviewed by the Committee for Academic Priorities. This group "reviews the tenure track and requests for staff from each department." Then the committee decides "how many positions [Smith] can fill and makes recommendations to [Bourque]." Based on this review and recommendation certain departments are given the authority to search for new candidates. "How many they search [for] depends on the needs of the curriculum which is defined by curricular review," Bourque states.
While hiring and firing, the Five College system is also taken into account. Especially for consortium departments such as film studies or dance, "all the departments-at the five schools-consult with each other." Each year the colleges have a meeting to discuss joint hiring and faculty coordination. Often schools will hire a professor together; this way the schools "won't have four classes in a specific area when they really only need two," the dean said. The joint hire will often split their time between two campuses. This system is especially important for this school. According to Bourque, the "majority of off-campus students come to Smith."
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