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Primary VPAA finalists arrive on campus By NICOLE DECRISCIO news@thedepauw.com
Joan Neff, one of four remaining candidates for the vice president of Academic Affairs position arrived on campus Tuesday. Neff is currently an associate provost, associate professor of sociology and criminal justice and coordintor of Criminal Justice Studies at University of Richmond. She is also the current chair of the Sociology and Anthropology departments and associate dean of arts and sciences. During her time at DePauw, Neff had the opportunity to speak to the faculty for ten minutes, and was then interviewed in an open forum. Afterwards, the faculty filled out a survey online expressing their thoughts about the candidate. “What we’re trying to see is how well [the candidates] do in front of a group of 200 complicated people,” President Brian Casey said. Neff used her time in front of the faculty to express why she wants to come to DePauw. “I’ve developed the idea that I think I can make a contribution even further than what I have already made to the University of Richmond,” Neff said. Neff pointed to the fact that universities tend to seek candidates externally when they have openings in administrative positions, in an attempt to bring new thoughts and ideas to campus. While Neff has had opportunities to go elsewhere, she has previously turned them down. However, she is excited about the possibility of working at DePauw. “I don’t want to go to a different place just for the sake of going there, and I don’t want to go to a place that isn’t firmly committed to the liberal arts,” Neff said. Neff said that she firmly believes in the value of the type of education DePauw offers. “In liberal arts education, we are really talking about educating broadly and educating a whole person,” Neff said. “That kind of benefit for students and for young
people is something that I think will carry us, as a society, forward.” Neff does not believe in changing a university for the sake of change as she understands the rituals that are so deeply embedded in a university’s history. “Change is never easy, particularly in organizations like higher education which value and prize tradition,” Neff said. “We become so steeped in those traditions.” Neff also pointed to the fact that there has been an increasing demand for proof of the value of higher education, which has been taken for granted in the past. She believes that she can be strong leader in the field. She characterized her management and leadership style as “very inclusive and collaborative.” “True leadership doesn’t mean saying to people ‘follow me’-- it means saying ‘let’s go,’” Neff said. Casey said that the university is seeking an individual that has a “vision for the liberal arts in the 21st Century, a lot of experience and energy.” Casey also noted that the position is perhaps one of the hardest jobs on campus because it requires that VPAA oversees the 20 academic departments, 11 interdisciplinary programs, the three academic learning centers and institutes, in addition to taking care of the hiring, tenure and promotion of faculty. Wayne Glausser, professor of English, said in an email that they hope to announce a new VPAA sometime after spring break. “We’re looking at a small, elite pool of candidates, and many other schools are interested in these same people,” Glausser said in the email. “We’ll have to compete to hire one of them.” Neff, if hired, hopes to continue and expand DePauw’s efforts in engaging students in faculty research and internship opportunities. According to Neff, “It’s just a matter of making people realize what a gem there is here.”
VOL. 161, ISSUE 35
Lilly Center expansion is underway By ZOE GRABOW news@thedepauw.com
Picked from 100+ eligible candidates...
...four finalists were selected...
...where one will become the university’s new vice president of Academic Affairs!
Construction fences are up around campus with more to come. Large-scale renovations for the Lilly Center and athletics campus are underway beginning last week. The objective is to improve recreational facilities on campus and create greater appeal for students. The Lilly renovations will double the size of the fitness center, making the equipment areas far less crowded. “Lilly was built in 1982, before public fitness. People didn’t go to the gym as much back then,” said David Doelle, manager of campus project implementation. “Now they’re becoming more of people’s daily routine.” Athletics Director Stevie Baker-Watson agreed. “I think it will be a tremendous uptake in terms of what we have to offer our students,” BakerWatson said. “Right now, we’re just overcrowded. I think students want to have a space for recreation and exercise — we just don’t have that availability for them right now.” Together the projects cost $26.4 million, both funded significantly by donors. Another goal of the renovations is to draw more students in, which would cater to both athletes and non-athletes. “We have a number of students who don’t want to participate in intercollegiate athletics, and so we want an opportunity to build our intramural program,” Baker-Watson said. “But in order for us to do that, we have to have the space, and we have to have the right kind of surface for that.” Construction fences have already been erected around Lilly, Blackstock Stadium and McKeen Field. In addition, Hanna Street west of Madison will close soon. New access routes are being planned for most of the buildings under renovation, and a few of the parking lots will close. Additions to the Lilly Center are estimated to amount to 36,000 square feet, including a new 16,000 square foot fitness center, planned to be the main training facility on campus. Other
Expansion | continued on page 2