September 8, 2009
Vol. II, No. 2
WheelerNotes
18.3% … Thank You: This Fall’s extreme
enrollment increases have taxed all parts of the
College community. We are very grateful for the
good work of individual faculty and staff
members, both part-time and full-time, in serving
the students that this growth represents. Your
advising, directing, and teaching efforts were and
are crucial parts of providing this service. In
particular, we are grateful for those who helped in
the Student Success Center during the first three
days of classes and those who graciously
accepted those few students who in the rush of
admission and advisement were placed in the
wrong courses and had to be moved after the
add/drop rush.
Looking for Flu Trends: The University
System of Georgia has asked that we develop a
local plan to monitor class attendance for
evidence of wide-spread flu contagion among our
students. With that request in mind, Academic
Affairs requests that faculty members report to
division chairs when they their student absences
are substantially above what are usually observed
over several days. [Example: If in your class of
32 you typically have 2-3 absent, you would
report the matter to your division chair should
you see per section absences of 5-7 over several
days].
Essential Travel: The University System of
Georgia has mandated that we again limit our
travel support to essential travel. For this
academic year the Academic Affairs definition of
essential travel will be (a) travel to meet USG
administrative requirements and (b) travel to
present scholarship at professional meetings.
Any other reimbursed travel will need to be preapproved by the Dean.
Join the “Over the Hill Gang”? Several
members of the Gordon community (including
the dean) have had to reduce their involvement in
jogging, biking, and ball playing because of bad
ankles and knees and other infirmities of passing
years. In compensation, these aging warriors are
walking with some regularity at 12:15 around the
Highlands trail. If you would like to consider
joining the group, send an email to
edw@gdn.edu. This will ensure that you get an
invitational email on the days that the “Over the
Hill” group walks. All genders and ages are
invited. The governing rule is that we walk the
first half mile together (at the pace of the slowest
member of group) and then move to the usual
paces of the individuals involved.
USG Faculty Development Opportunities: The
University System of Georgia through the office
of Dr. Linda Noble will make available to faculty
a monthly series of faculty development
workshops. These workshops are available to
faculty on all campuses … and travel expenses
for attending are provided by the System. We
will try to let you know about the workshops as
they are announced, but current information is
always available at this web site:
http://www.usg.edu/academics/fac_dev/fd_calend
ar.phtml
Here is some information about the first
workshop which will be on September 11:
Encouraging Academic Integrity: But, If
Necessary, Detecting and Dealing With
Academic Dishonesty. This workshop will be
led by Dr. Bill Hill, Executive Director at
Kennesaw State’s Center for Excellence in
DEANotes is a quasi-weekly publication of Academic Affairs
Teaching & Learning. All sessions will be
held at the OIIT Athens location and we are
able to provide some travel funding support
for participants. Our office will reimburse
your institution up to $100 (or actual costs) in
travel expenses for each faculty member who
attends.
BaskinNotes
The Academy for Advanced Studies is up and
running in a new, dedicated wing of Henry
County High School. This is a joint program
with Clayton State University and Griffin Tech,
and it is designed to meet the needs of traditional
and non-traditional college students in Henry
County. Glenice Graves is doing a wonderful job
of coordinating our evening classes at the
Academy.
Our GC@FVSU program has grown
tremendously this year, from well under 50
students in January to just under 150 students this
fall. This program gives students the opportunity
to earn 30 college credit hours and transfer into
Fort Valley State University. This initiative
could not have happened without the work of Ms.
Tonya Moore, our coordinator; faculty members,
including Ms. Denise Lowery, Dr. Caesar
Perkowski, Dr. Mia Poston, and a number of
talented adjuncts; and the patient, hard-working
folks in Admissions, Financial Aid, Business
Office, Registrar’s Office, Academic Affairs, and
division offices.
Faculty accomplishments during the summer:
Dr. Mark King’s book review of Graham
Thompson’s American Culture in the 1980s was
published in Studies in Popular Culture (volume
31, number 2) in June.
Dr. Stephen Power’s short story “One More Time
for Donny Deadborne,” was published in Bryant
Literary Review. His short story “Sister
Melvina,” was published in Marginalia. His
poem “Rides at Dollywood,” a poem from his
forthcoming book, was the August 16th Poem of
the Week in the Shepherd Express, a Milwaukee
newspaper.
Ms. Joan Ashford made two presentations at the
SAMLA conference in Atlanta: “Teaching versus
Believing: Questioning Literary Interpretation
within Christian Construct.” and “Who’s Telling
the Truth?: The (Un) Reliable Narrator in Tim
O’Brien’s Fiction.
Dr. Rhonda Wilcox edited the latest issue (31.2)
of Studies in Popular Culture (with David
Janssen as Associate Editor/Book Review
Editor). The issue included her editorial, "Popular
Culture's 'Material and Conceptual Conditions.'"
Dr. Doug Davis was the site host and conference
co-organizer of the annual meeting of the Science
Fiction Research Association in Atlanta in June.
Dr. Masoud Nourizadeh created two landscape
paintings that will be on display at the Lamar
Arts Annual Member’s Exhibit from September
11 through October 25.
Dr. Karen Guffey took (and returned with) 14
students to Barcelona in the Study Abroad
program. This year we had six nursing students,
and our language school gave them a class
designed just for them twice a week.
GahrNotes
As I flail around in my new job I need to thank
the Gordon Community for their patience and
help, especially with this year’s record
enrollment. I need help in one more area:
regardless of your discipline, if you would
continue to spread the word that we have a need
for adjuncts (part-timers) in math and biology.
Richard Schmude, Jr. gave the following
astronomy-related talks during July and August,
2009.
1. “Uranus and Neptune: Current Studies and
Results” a 40 minute talk given to the Houston
Astronomical Society at the University of
Houston on July 10, 2009. About 70 attended.
2. “Comet Lulin” a 20 minute talk given to the
Long Island Astronomical Society. The talk was
given on Long Island, New York on Aug. 5,
2009. [about 20 attended]
3. “Jupiter: Recent Developments” a 20 minute
talk give at the ALCON 2009 convention at
Hofstra University on Long Island, New York.
The talk was given on Aug. 8, 2009 and about 20
people attended.
DEANotes is a quasi-weekly publication of Academic Affairs
4. “Uranus and Neptune: Current Studies and
Results” a 20 minute talk given as part of the
ALCON 2009 Convention at Hofstra University
on Long Island, New York. The talk was given
on Aug. 8, 2009 and about 14 people attended.
5. “Comet Lulin” a 20 minute talk given as part
of the ALCON 2009 Convention at Hofstra
University on Long Island, New York. The talk
was given on Aug. 8, 2009 and about 12 people
attended.
Dates & Deadlines
Sep 7
Labor Day Holiday, College Closed
Oct 8
Oct 12
Midterm – Withdrawals after Oct 8 will be
automatic WF except in documented hardship
cases. See or Call the Registrar’s Office.
Cannot withdraw online.
Campus Closed – Furlough Day
Oct 12 -13
Fall Break for Faculty & Students
Oct 14
Georgia History & US Constitution Exams
Oct 26, 27
& 28
Nov 2-20
Regents’ Testing Program
Nov 29
Early Registration-Continuing Students for
Spr 2010
Early Registration –Readmitted Students for
Spr 2010
New Student Orientation – Grp Advising
& Registration
Open Registration for Continuing
& Readmitted Students
Campus Closed – Furlough Day (Nov 25)
& Thanksgiving Holidays
Residence Halls reopen at 4:00 PM
Dec 7
Regents’ Test Results available
Dec 7
Last Day of Classes
Dec 8-11
Final examinations &
Book Buy Back at Bookstore
Residence Halls close at 4:00 PM for Christmas
Nov 16-20
Nov 19
Nov 23Dec 18
Nov 25-27
Dec 11
Dec 21Jan 3
Jan 4
College closed for Christmas Holidays
Jan 6
Faculty Report
Staff Report
DEANotes is a quasi-weekly publication of Academic Affairs