WP Perspectives

wpperspectives Vol. 8 No. 2 May 2010

New University Core Curriculum To Offer More Innovation, Choice For Students William Paterson’s new general education curriculum, known as the University Core Curriculum (UCC), has been designed to provide students with the foundational skills, knowledge, and literacies needed in the 21st century, while also integrating student choice and flexibility and reducing the required number of credits.

The product of more than three years of discussion on campus, the new curriculum was approved by the Faculty Senate in fall 2009, and will be in place for incoming freshmen and transfer students in fall 2011. It marks the first major revision since the original general education curriculum was instituted in 1984.

“The process has been wonderful. We’ve had a tremendous discussion with a lot of active participation and shared expertise from the faculty,” says Jean Levitan, professor of public health and co-chair of the UCC Council (formerly the GE Council) with Kathy Malanga, assistant director for access and information services, David and Lorraine Cheng Library.

“We have significantly reduced the total of credits in the program while giving students choices in both foundational and theme areas.”

“The UCC provides an opportunity for looking at things differently,” Malanga adds. “There is a great deal of potential to develop new and interesting courses, as well as to integrate courses within the major.”

Edward Weil, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, complimented the faculty for “their collective and respectful approach to this major curriculum advancement, and always keeping the current and future interests of our students at the forefront of the discussion. The faculty has designed a core curriculum that is focused

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Incoming President Kathleen Waldron Discusses Educational Philosophy, Initial Plans After a nationwide search, Kathleen Waldron, Ph.D., the former president of Baruch College and a former senior executive at Citigroup, has been selected to succeed President Arnold Speert, who is retiring after twentyfive years as president and nearly forty years on campus.

Waldron, who will become the University’s seventh president on August 2, 2010, brings a long and distinguished record of achievement in the academy and in the public sector to her new position. As she prepares to join the campus community this summer, Waldron recently took some time to discuss the University’s strengths and challenges, and her fervent support for public higher education.

Q. What most attracted you to William Paterson?

A. I am a firm believer in public higher education. As I was thinking about my next career move, I really eliminated private institutions as an option.

William Paterson is in the metropolitan, urban, New Jersey/New York region, but it is much more suburban, which I liked. I especially liked the breadth of the academic programs. The University has programs in the traditional liberals arts and sciences as well as strong programs in education, nursing, business, communication and the arts. I’m a practical higher education person because of my business background. I think today’s young people are very focused on their futures and on their job prospects before they even choose a major.

Q. How do you plan to approach your first few months on campus?

A. Those first few months are a wonderful opportunity to get to know the University’s people, which is what I plan to do. I plan to go to the academic departments and the staff departments to listen to people’s goals and ideas for the university. It will give me a great opportunity to make assessment and promote ideas with fresh eyes, which I can only do for about the first six months. I heard a lot about the great success of the university, but people also expressed a desire for change that wasn’t very specific, and I want to learn about that.

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wp perspectives Q. When you were considering the position, you came to campus unannounced for a visit. What did you learn?

A. Yes, I sneaked on the campus unannounced one day when classes were in session. I wanted to get the feel of the campus.

I went to the student center and sat at a table and had lunch, and watched the students. There was President Arnold Speert an ease and grace about congratulates Kathleen the students, and they Waldron on her appointment were very diverse. Some were studying, some were chatting with each other; many were on their cell phones. I wanted to see if an effort had been made to integrate the academic and co-curricular experience into the life of the campus for both residents and commuters, and you have. There are posters all over the walls for clubs and sports and activities and they give a sense of what students are engaged in. It really feels comfortable and alive.

Q. What, at this point, do you see as the most critical challenge facing the university?

A. Obviously, the biggest challenge is the world economic situation that has had a particular impact on New Jersey, where state support for higher education has not been strong for a while. I believe it is a challenge for which we are well prepared. Another challenge is to think about the potential for our graduate programs. I view education as something that is both fulfilling and practical, and especially in this area of the country, to move ahead often requires a graduate degree. As a public university we need to offer strong programs while continuing to combine affordability with accessibility.

Q. What would you like alumni and members of the community to know about you?

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A. I would like them to know that I bring a blend of business and higher education experiences. I like to say that I bring the intellectual and the practical together.

My experiences have led to a philosophy about the purpose of higher education, which is to combine the fulfillment of the individual with learning that leads to a career, a profession, graduate school or government service. I’m neither a businessperson nor an academic—I’m a blend of both. I appreciate and respect shared governance. I believe in open communication, and I’m forthcoming with my 8

opinions –I’ve often been described as a plain speaker. I tell people what I think; I’m not afraid to do that.

Q. What do you think distinguishes a successful university?

A. A successful university has a clear sense of its mission and historical identity and is of service to the community and that’s what William Paterson has. It’s clear to me. You can feel it when you walk on the campus. People here are committed to students, many of whom are the first generation in their families to go to college, and they need guidance and support to take advantage of all the University has to offer. I feel the mission lives and breathes at William Paterson. People seem to march in step philosophically.

Q. You are a historian. How does your academic discipline factor into how you approach issues or make decision?

A. I use my historical background quite a bit. Historians look at 100-year sweeps, which of course you can’t do in business or education, but that perspective gives me equanimity through diverse, adverse and positive events alike. Through history, these things will iron out. I use this in my teaching with students. In the grand sweep of history, there will always be an ebb and flow, so if things seem difficult now, they will improve. I also try to understand the history of an institution and its alumni, which is very important.

Q. Do you plan to continue teaching?

A. I would love to teach; I’ll have to see how my schedule works out. I was not able to teach while I was president of Baruch, but I did teach a class while I was a dean at LIU. I’ve done guest lectures on leadership and management. Now that I have returned to the classroom after seven years, I’m much more sympathetic to students and faculty, and I have a different perspective. Students today have very busy lives, and many are working too many hours. It has made me rethink my expectations about what they can accomplish outside the classroom.

Q. You are the product of two state university systems, in New York and Indiana. How does your background influence your philosophy about public education?

How important is the role of public higher education in today’s world?

A. I am a firm supporter of public higher education. I am a product of public higher education and scholarships – I received a Regents scholarship (to SUNY-Stony Brook) as an undergraduate, which was critical because my family would not have been able to afford to send me to college, and I am indebted to the taxpayers of New York for that. I received a graduate assistantship to support my graduate degrees at Indiana University, and I am eternally grateful to Indiana taxpayers. Public higher education is currently suffering because of our country’s economic problems, not because there is a problem with the public system. The U.S. is not the highest in regard to the number of students who graduate from college.

Our present administration sees the importance of college education, and the country needs to swing into action. I believe we will see an emphasis on higher education but that doesn’t mean the resources will flow. I am optimistic about the future of public higher education, even during these difficult times, as long as there are ways to get scholarships, loans, and grants.

Q. How important will alumni be to your plans for the university?

A. Alumni are very important for the long-term viability and presence of the University. We need alumni to be proud and engaged in the University; alumni engagement is part of a very long tradition in American higher education. I would love to bring them to campus to talk with them about the future of William Paterson, to have alumni volunteer to return to campus as tutors, or guest lecturers in classes, or mentors,

Kathleen Waldron (second from left) with (from left) Jess Pepe, president, Student Government Association, Travis J. Robinson, assistant director, Up ‘til Dawn, a student fundraising campaign; and Melissa Zolla, student representative to the Board of Trustees

or to talk about their career paths. I’d love to have alumni come to campus for a semester and teach or team-teach with a professor. I want them to come back to the campus and see its transformation and how beautiful it is and how it has grown.

A sponsored speaker series, art events, concerts, lectures on public policy, are all ways to bring alumni and the community to campus. They’re in for a treat and some surprises. I want them to see it as a place where important topics are discussed in a neutral setting. I also hope that alumni will give back with contributions, especially scholarships that can support the next generation of students Board of Trustees members (from left) Robert Taylor, Robert Guarasci and Vice Chair Will Pesce with Kathleen Waldron during the Board of Trustees meeting on March 11

Q. What do you like to do in your free time?

A. I love to read, I love to go to the movies. I also love to garden, which has been a little difficult to do in New York City but should be easier since I plan to move to New Jersey.

Q. You often talk to groups about women and leadership. What topics or issues do you believe are important to talk about?

A. I often talk to professional women’s organizations, and the audiences are usually women in their thirties or forties who want to discuss how to promote their careers, how to find a mentor, how to change jobs. These are usually inspirational, practical talks based on my corporate experience. There is a lot of discussion about work-family balance. I also talk to my students about these issues. I tell them that the most important decision they make is whom they choose to partner with in life and whether that person will support them in a career. I am very enthusiastic about women in leadership.

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wp perspectives

20th Annual

Friday, April 16, 2010

President Speert (far right) and his wife Myrna (center) with (left to right) Stacy Waldman, Al Dahab, and Bruce Waldman, all of the John Victor Machuga Foundation

University Celebrates the Legacy Of President Arnold Speert The largest crowd in the twenty-year history of the Legacy Award Gala and Silent Auction turned out to honor President Arnold Speert as he received the 2010 Legacy Award on April 16 from the William Paterson University Foundation. The capacity crowd of nearly five hundred paid tribute to Speert as he prepares to retire after forty years on campus, including twenty-five as president.

“My legacy is this community,” Speert said in accepting his award. “Nothing makes me more proud than seeing how our community has developed not only on the campus but beyond the campus with bonds that so strongly connect students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends.”

“What I will remember most through the years are the people,” he added. “The beaming smiles of students and loved ones at commencement, alumni who return to campus with stories of success and satisfaction, colleagues on the faculty and professional staff with whom I’ve worked side by side, and friends to me and the University who have furthered our dreams and enriched our present.”

Legacy Award honoree Arnold Speert (right) with (from left) Michael Seeve, president, Mountain Development, and chairperson of the William Paterson University Foundation, and Frederick L. Gruel, president and CEO of AAA New Jersey Automobile Club, a member of the University’s Board of Trustees, and the William Paterson University Foundation

Distinguished Alumni and Faculty Service Award recipients included (from left) Dave Neglio ’84; Gerald Frungillo ’79; Linda Niro ’76; Anne Ciliberti; Donna Fry ’81; James O’Connor ’75; and Gunvor Satra. With them are Sandra S. Deller, vice president for institutional advancement and president of the William Paterson University Foundation, and Legacy Award honoree Arnold Speert

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“This was an extraordinary year because the Foundation had the opportunity to celebrate Arnie Speert’s leadership,” said Sandra Deller, vice president for institutional advancement. “We’re thrilled to have raised close to 40 percent more in net revenue than ever before through the twenty years of the Legacy Gala. We’re now thinking of honoring him every year! Particularly with the shrinking budget situation, these funds enable us to continue to support scholarships and other University initiatives that benefit our students.”

President Speert (far right) with (from left) Zhiyuan Cong, professor of art; Margaret Lam, president and CEO of Prosperity Resources Development International, Inc.; and David Yen, retired vice president, Chase Manhattan Bank

Also honored were recipients of the University’s Faculty Service Award and Distinguished Alumni Award, presented by the Alumni Association. The Faculty Service Award recipients were Anne Ciliberti, Ph.D., director, library services, David and Lorraine Cheng Library, and Gunvor Satra, professor of history, retired. The Distinguished Alumni Award was presented to Gerald Frungillo ’79, co-owner, Frungillo Caterers, Inc.; Donna M. Fry ’81, president and executive director, Valley Home and Community Health Care; Dave Neglio ’84, former president, Transit Division, Titan; Linda Niro ’76, executive vice president and chief risk officer, Grand Bank; and James O’Connor ’75, police chief, retired, Borough of Oakland, N.J.

President Speert (center) with Susanna Tardi (left), professor of sociology, and Marion Turkish, professor of elementary and early childhood education

With President Speert (back row, second from right) are (front row, from left) Barbara Grant ’54, professor emeritus, curriculum and instruction; Gabriel Vitalone, professor emeritus, curriculum and instruction; Evelyn Vitalone; Tony Maltese, professor emeritus, communication. (Back row, left to right) Reginald Grier, professor emeritus, accounting and law; Myrna Speert; and Will Myers, retired professor of exercise and movement science

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wp perspectives

Jay Ludwig:His Next Act is Retirement Jay Ludwig, professor of theatre and communication, has seen a host of changes during his last forty-nine years on campus.

The biggest change, he says, has been the transformation of the students.

“In 1961, it seemed as if 98 percent were young women. Nearly everyone was enrolled in general education to become teachers. A dress code required women to wear skirts and men to wear jackets, just as they would as teachers.”

Hired as an assistant professor of speech in 1961 by then college President Marion Shea, Ludwig is William Paterson’s longest serving faculty member. That distinction will end on June 30, 2010 when he retires at age eighty.

During his first years on campus, he taught courses in speech and theatre, and also directed many campus theatre productions.

In 1968, under interim President James J. Forcina, Ludwig served on a committee that created the Faculty Senate, which met for the first time that September. He was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 1970 to 1978, and dean of the College of Arts and Communication from 1978 to 1991.

“We ultimately created a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and a bachelor’s degree in music,” he says, recounting his accomplishments.

“One of the most remarkable things to me about Jay has always been his ability to renew himself and enliven the scene around him,” says Stephen Hahn, associate provost and professor of English. “Throughout all the changes he has witnessed, he has always remained essentially the same genial and bright spirit.”

Diana Peck, professor of communication, says that working with Ludwig for many years has been a delightful experience.

“As a dean, he understood the department and encouraged us toward a responsible amount of autonomy which enabled us to grow. As a senior faculty member he also provided a lot of strong, behind-the-scenes support.”

For nearly five decades, Ludwig has kept busy playing dual roles, living the academic life and taking every opportunity to indulge in his love of theatre and acting. “It (acting) has been an absolute second profession,” he says. He estimates that he has performed more than two hundred roles over the years.

One of his most memorable performances was captured in Academania!, a seven-minute film with no dialog by Gina Guerrieri, an assistant professor of communication at William Paterson.

Jay and Joan, his wife, have been married fifty-three years. They have 6

two grown children who are alumni, Edwin Ludwig ’80, M.A.’81, and Erika Hillman ’83. Ludwig anticipates keeping busy after retiring. “I may take a few trips, try a little writing, study languages, or work on my Spanish which I haven’t done since high school,” says Ludwig. “I’m not the type of person who can just sit in front of the TV.”

Core Curriculum continued from page 1 on the foundational knowledge, skills, and issues that will prepare our students to succeed in contemporary work settings.”

The core will consist of a diverse set of course offerings in six areas of study. Three areas are foundational: personal well being (3 credits), expression (9 credits), and ways of knowing (19 credits).

The other three theme areas represent core challenges for today’s students: diversity and justice (3 credits), community and civic engagement (3 credits), and global awareness (3 credits). Some courses may be double-counted in majors or minors, thus reducing the number of credits from 59 to a range of 31 to 40. As part of the area requirements, students must take four writing intensive and two technology intensive courses within the program.

Balmurli Natrajan, assistant professor of anthropology, is working closely with the UCC Council in his new role as director of the University Core Curriculum, a position to which he was appointed this spring. Natrajan is responsible for organizing faculty development activities on curriculum and teaching within the program, as well as working collaboratively with the Faculty Senate and other campus offices and programs as courses are developed, implemented, and scheduled.

Natrajan is enthusiastic about the program and its potential to engage students.

“The world of the 21st century is increasingly diverse, interdependent, and unequal, and our students will be facing this reality in the workplace,” he says. “They need to be equipped with a broad set of skills, literacies, and attitudes they learn in courses beyond their major.”

The new framework provides clearly defined student learning outcomes for each area, as well as for writing and technology intensive courses. Ways of assessing course outcomes will be integrated into the program. Workshops have been held throughout the spring semester, and will continue into the fall, for faculty to discuss development of courses that will meet the various criteria, which need to be in place for fall 2011 registration.

Natrajan’s ultimate goal is to work with students to change the perceptions of general education. “I want them to actually like it, and understand the values and skills they will gain from the curriculum,” says Natrajan, who plans to hold forums in the fall where students can discuss the new curriculum. “In some ways, we need to convince students that they have something to learn from the faculty. By developing innovative courses for the new curriculum, I think that will happen.”

wp perspectives

Vol. 8 No. 2 May 2010

William Paterson University 300 Pompton Road • Wayne New Jersey 07470 Published by the Office of Marketing and Public Relations College Hall • 973.720.2971 • fax 973.720.2418 martinb@wpunj.edu

English Professor Explores Death as a Conversation In her new book, Final Acts-Death, Dying, and the Choices We Make, English professor Donna Perry considers how the process of dying has changed in America. “Americans now die more slowly,” Perry says, “from a variety of causes including cancer and diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.” Slow death and the various end-of-life issues involved is examined in a series of essays written by patients, physicians, social workers, hospital administrators, and journalists, among others.

With her co-editor Nan Bauer-Maglin, Perry looked for essays that asked the question: “given a death sentence, what kind of choice does one have?” They chose writings that “explored how complicated it is to put death and choice in the same sentence, when one is talking about a terminal illness,” Perry added.

In return, the contributors opened a discussion that includes a look at how individuals can face end-of-life issues from different perspectives.

“This book is about changes, and how you can exert autonomy for yourself and your family,” Perry says. “Death is inevitable, but knowledge is power. We need to have a conversation about dying with the people we love so that we can honor their wishes and give them a measure of agency.”

The book also addresses practical issues such as which documents should be prepared to explain our wishes about dying. “You need to spell out what you want,” Perry says. These might include advance directives like a living will and health care power of attorney or, for someone with a terminal illness, a do-not-resuscitate order.

Working at the Boundary of Art and Technology Using algorithms to produce art is a twenty-first century concept according to Michael Rees, an associate professor of art, who has been using artist authored software to create fantastical works of art.

In the Sculptural User Interface software Rees invented, the act of typing creates 3D virtual objects on the screen that become a sculpture. “These letters are connected to the keyboard alphabet but can have shapes that are abstract or fanciful,” Rees says. “Virtual sculptures exported from the software are fabricated using contemporary automatic manufacturing techniques.”

“This type of digital sculpture can make something virtual into something physical,” Rees explains. “Some of these pieces were made at the University with help from students in the sculpture and digital media classes. Many of the alphabets were designed by students too.” continued on page 8

An example of Rees’ digital sculpture

Two Professors Named Fulbright Scholars Two William Paterson University professors will return to their native country of Ethiopia during the 2010-11 academic year as Fulbright Scholars. Aaron Tesfaye, an assistant professor of political science, and Melkamu Zeleke, chair and professor of mathematics, will teach and conduct research at Addis Ababa University, one of the largest institutions of higher learning in Africa.

“Graduate programs at Addis Ababa University have been expanding over the past few years due to Ethiopia’s ambitious national capacity building and development initiatives,” Zeleke explains. More than twenty new universities have opened throughout the country, leading to high demand for qualified instructors, and a surge in the number of graduate students.

Zeleke will teach courses in graph theory and combinatorics to graduate students specializing in discrete mathematics, as well as supervise master’s degree thesis projects. “There is a great need for qualified individuals to visit the department to offer courses in various areas of mathematics.” In addition, Zeleke will assist the mathematics department there in reviewing its existing degree programs and development of new master of philosophy and doctoral programs in mathematics.

Tesfaye, who just authored a book on the politics of the Nile basin, will be expanding research he began in the early 1990s under a Fulbright Dissertation Grant, which resulted in the publication of his 2002 book Political Power and Ethnic Federalism: the Struggle for Democracy in Ethiopia. He has been studying Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa for more than two decades; this project will be the culmination of work focusing on the experimentation and transition of new strategies of economic growth defined by underdevelopment and ethnic conflict.

Tesfaye hopes to examine Ethiopia’s new national development policy and its degree of success in the context of ethnic federalism and the devolution of political power into the hands of the country’s ethnic states. “The question is whether Ethiopia can implement national development policy and still satisfy the aspiration of its cultural groups,” he explains. In addition to working on a manuscript for a new book, Tesfaye will teach courses in comparative politics and international political economy at Addis Ababa University and will contribute to the development of the university’s newly established doctoral program in political science and international relations.

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wp perspectives

Music Faculty Travel to Palestinian Conservatory For music faculty members David Demsey, Rich DeRosa, and Carol Frierson-Campbell, a recent journey to the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Ramallah in March was a life-changing experience.

Their trip was part of a ground-breaking faculty exchange initiated a year ago when Raymond Torres-Santos, dean of the College of the Arts and Communication, visited the conservatory. Implementation of the partnership began when Heather Bursheh, director of the conservatory’s bachelor’s degree program, visited the University last fall to discuss strengthening its undergraduate program in music education and Arabic music. The project was funded as part of a grant from the Muna and Basem Hishmeh Foundation designed to allow faculty from both institutions to participate in a music and cultural exchange program.

During the ten-day trip, Demsey and DeRosa, joined by adjunct faculty members Steve LaSpina and Armen Donelian, worked with eighteen students in a jazz workshop at the conservatory, modeled after the University’s successful summer jazz workshop for high school and college students. They also presented concerts at the conservatory’s three campuses in Ramallah, Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

“Our goal was to bring them into the world of American jazz,” says Demsey. “We spent a lot of time playing together with the students, as well as teaching ear training. It was learning by doing.”

For DeRosa, the challenge was working with a unique combination of instrumentalists in a jazz setting, including two flutes, a cello, and two Arabic instruments, the oud, which is like a lute, and the qanoun, similar to a zither. “I deliberately chose a piece of music that was adaptable,” he says.

Frierson-Campbell, who is helping the conservatory develop its degree in music education, visited Mar Yousef (St. Joseph) School in Bethlehem, Radat al-Zuhour School in the Palestinian neighborhood in Jerusalem, and two government schools for girls in Ramallah, where she observed music teachers. “To my knowl-

Visiting the Edward Said National Conservatory were (from left) Richard DeRosa, Carol Frierson-Campbell, David Demsey, all William Paterson music, faculty with Armen Donelian, adjunct professor of jazz studies

edge, no other American music educator has visited Palestinian schools to conduct this research and get a sense of what is really happening there,” she says. “It was a truly moving experience to see how music and education have been used to help Palestinians develop a positive identity.”

All three faculty say the trip was a life-changing experience.

“The conservatory would be first-class anywhere,” says Demsey.

“The level of the student dedication to music in view of what they have to endure to get to school every day was amazing,” adds DeRosa.

“One of the concerts was at the Bethlehem Peace Center on Manger Square, just a few steps from the church of the Nativity,” says Demsey. “It was so moving to visit the site, and then walk a few steps to play jazz.”

Frierson-Campbell says the goal is to further the partnership by initiating an exchange of student ensembles from the conservatory and the University and continuing to help with the development of the music education degree.

Art and Technology continued from page 7 Rees is a sculptor who worked in public art and animation before inventing this software about ten years ago.

His work, which included the participation and contributions of his students, was recently on exhibit in a show at the Chelsea Art Museum titled “Social Object: Sculpture and Software.” Students who created alphabets for the exhibition were Andrea Ferrara, Adam Nowicki, Geoff Flash, Randy Illum, Sarah Menchise, Pablo Morillo, Alex Vicenzi and Ray Vikete.

The show featured interactive software which was projected into the exhibition space, and physical objects made from the software using 3D printing and computer numerical control milling. The result is works of art that many artists might have designed collectively.

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Graduate and undergraduate students at the installation of Social Object: Sculpture and Software are (from left) Adam Nowicki, Jennifer Lombardi, Sarah Menchise, and Nick Colbert