Notable - awards and achievements of faculty and staff

Arts & Sciences faculty pans split-school notion

By Dan Heuchert

In remarks to the Faculty Senate in September, University President John T. Casteen III raised the idea of restructuring the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, which he suggested may be unwieldy in size and scope, and invited faculty members to comment.

The early returns are in, and it appears that the Arts & Sciences faculty are pretty happy with the status quo.

Comments following a panel discussion of the issue -- presented as part of the Oct. 26 Arts & Sciences faculty meeting -- were overwhelmingly against a split, which would separate either the sciences or the fine and performing arts (or both) into separate schools.

When Arts & Sciences dean Melvyn Leffler asked for a show of hands at the discussion's conclusion, only three of the approximately 60 faculty members in attendance favored a split. Most faculty appeared concerned about the potential dimunition of a broad-based, liberal arts education for students enrolled in a science or arts school, which they suggested would be more professional or pre-professional in nature.

Biology professor Janis Antonovics -- one of the three proponents -- began the panel discussion by describing his vision of a split, and laying out arguments for and against such a move.

Under his plan, the so-called "hard" sciences in the College would unite with the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the basic sciences in the School of Medicine to form the College of Science and Technology. The Medical School's clinical faculty would simply be assigned to the Medical Center, and the remainder of the Arts & Sciences would become the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, he said. Full story.

SCHEV urges more funds for higher ed buildings

By Anne Bromley

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia is recommending an additional $286 million in general fund support to address building needs at Virginia's public colleges and universities. SCHEV sent this and other 2000-02 budget amendments to the governor and the General Assembly Oct. 17. The governor prepares the 2001-02 budget this month.

In the current 2000 Appropriation Act, the governor and General Assembly provided $205.5 million in general funds for capital outlay.

SCHEV members decided to target capital outlay due to concern about the backlog of deferred maintenance at higher education institutions and schools' already identified needs for substantial renovation and improvement of facilities. Full story.