September 19, 2008
Center Valley, Pa.- The second annual Patriot League Chief Academic Officers (CAO) meeting was held in the Loyola and Smith Halls on the campus of the College of the Holy Cross on Sept. 10 and 11. The purpose of the two-day meeting was to provide a forum for the sharing of ideas and developing relationships among Patriot League institutions, as well as to discuss academic themes and issues of common interest.
The first day's meeting consisted of a dinner discussion surrounding "Accountability and the `Defense' of Higher Education," facilitated by Lyle D. Roelofs, Provost and Dean of the Faculty at Colgate University. The following day, Lafayette College Provost and Dean of the Faculty Wendy L. Hill facilitated a discussion on the "Globalization of the Campus, Student Body and Faculty." Here, the officers discussed issues surrounding study abroad programs, the globalization of curriculum, faculty concerns and the assessment and outcomes of globalization. The officers then delved into "Modern Language Conundrums," a discussion facilitated by Timothy R. Austin, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College for Holy Cross. The final topic of discussion was "Tenure, Promotion to Professor and Retirement," facilitated by Bucknell University Provost Michael A. Smyer and Lehigh University Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Mohamed S. El-Aasser, where the educators talked about the Provost`s role in tenure and promotion decisions, successful strategies for faculty retention and issues surrounding retirement benefits.
Attendees also discussed the upcoming Patriot League Academic Conference, "Exploring Topics of Mutual Interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Disciplines," to be held November 7 and 8 at Lafayette College. The conference is open to faculty and administrators from Patriot League schools, and features a workshop entitled "Pedagogies of Engagement", panel presentations and a keynote address concerning recruitment, retention and institutional change by Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, President of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Sponsored by the Provosts of the Patriot League, the conference was inspired by discussions held at the inaugural Patriot League CAO Meeting held in September 2007.
In addition to Roelofs, Hill, Austin, Smyer and El-Aasser, the meeting was attended by Scott A. Bass, Provost of American University; Patrick Finnegan, Brigadier General of the U.S. Military Academy; and Carolyn S. Femovich, Executive Director of the Patriot League. The next meeting of the Chief Academic Officers is tentatively scheduled for September 2009 at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.
