College of Education and Human Services
Faculty Assembly minutes
Friday, April 4, 2014
12:15 pm 1100A
Present: Carolyne Ali-Khan, Stacy Boote, Jin-Suk Byun, Terry Cavanaugh, Richard Chant, Kim Cheek,
Luke Cornelius, Gigi David, Lois Dellar, Nick Eastham, Liz Gregg, Jaime Harsell-Chavez, Jan Humphrey,
Laura Jackson, Chris Janson, John Kemppainen, Jason Lee, Sandie Miller, Cathy O’Farrell, John Ouyang,
Karen Patterson, Alanna Pharr, Debbie Reed, Patti Robbins, Brenda Rolison, Rebecca Schumacher, Linda
Sciarratta, Janice Seabrooks-Blackmore, Lena Shaqareq, Michael Stultz, Kristi Sweeney, Susan Syverud,
Madalina Tanase, John Venn, Kristine Webb, Christine Weber, John White, Lunetta Williams, Brian
Zoellner and special guest Interim Provost Earle Traynham.
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 12:16 p.m.
Kris Webb is filling in for Candice Carter and Daniel Dinsmore as both of them are at AERA. Kris Webb
introduced the Provost.
Dean Search: Interim Provost Earle Traynham gave an update on the dean search. He met with Dean
A.J. Samant who gave him a report on the committee’s deliberations. He met with the committee
yesterday and thanked them for their hard work and thought they did a very conscientious job on the
search. The committee ended up not recommending any of the three candidates we had on campus.
Dean Samant has conveyed the results with Michael Sampson and Mark Shermis, and the provost met
with Jeff Cornett to discuss the results.
We will reopen the search as it states “open until filled.” We will be re-advertising, so notify people that
the search has been reopened. We will advertise in the summer and, as quickly as possible, in the fall,
the committee will review the applicant pool. In the interim, the provost would like to see more
conversations of the qualities and skills we would like to see in a dean and take a more active role in
recruiting. This is a wonderful place to work. We just need to make more people aware of that and get
people to apply and nominate them. It was suggested by a search committee member to have a town
hall meeting so we can have conversations to find the right person. Susan Watts will get the schedules
of the search committee members for this summer, and then the provost will contact someone here to
set-up the meeting. He will be happy to meet every week if that is what you’d like to do.
What do we do come July 1? We will have a search for an interim dean. There is no rush and we can
start this in mid-May. Send Earle expressions of interest by an individual or you can nominate someone.
The search committee will serve as the screening committee for the interim dean, as well. They will
review those applicants. Any questions? Luke Cornelius asked if there will be a new strategy to recruit a
better pool of applicants. In the town hall meetings, we will determine if there are other meetings or
advertisements that we need to explore. Janice Seabrooks asked about salary. The salary will be
competitive and it won’t be an issue. Jennifer Kane asked when the start date would be for the new
dean? The new dean would start on or before July 1, 2015. Earle appreciated our time and asked you to
email your nominations for interim dean to Earle Traynham and cc Marianne Jaffee.
Approval of Minutes: The minutes of February 7, 2014 meeting were approved as submitted.
Announcements:
Nick Eastham spoke for Dr. Lupi since she is out of town. On Thursday, April 24, convocation will begin
promptly at 5 p.m. and Marsha will email the details. Graduation is the following morning at 9 a.m. on
Friday, April 25.
Larry Daniel gave an update on the chair search for the CELT department. On April 10 and 11 two
candidates are coming in this month, Evan Ortlieb and Judith Munter. Times were sent out for
opportunities for the college community to interact with the candidates. This is an important leadership
decision and we encourage your participation.
Jennifer Kane gave an update on the director of assessment search. We have two candidates coming in
April 22 and 28, Megan Schramm-Possinger and Melanie Bolt. This search is active so encourage
applicants. There will be an invitation to the open forum so please attend.
Jennifer Kane said they have a new graduate assistantship position that has been developed as a
collaboration between Student Affairs and the Ed. Leadership Doctoral Program. Someone would get
paid a $20,000 per year stipend. They must be accepted into our doctoral program and will be teaching
the intergroup dialog course. They will focus on issues of social justice and will promote that research. It
will be available next fall in 2015. We want to spend time recruiting the right person. If you know of
anyone interested, please have them apply.
Betty Bennett wanted everyone to be aware that Eileen McDaniel went overboard in her thanks for
COEHS being the first pilot for the DOE review. She praised all of you for the wonderful work you did.
Luke Cornelius said we need to fill up to 7 graduate assistantships this fall for the Higher Ed. Program.
We have linked assistantships with UNF housing, CIRT and Jacksonville University and these are posted
on our webpage. If you know of anyone interested in pursuing higher education this fall, send them to
talk to Luke Cornelius.
John Venn announced that the Confucius Institute has been approved from China and will be on the
president’s desk for signature soon. John Ouyang, Nile Stanley, Larry Daniel and others have been
working on it for years. It will be a university wide cultural center. It is an exciting accomplishment to
celebrate.
Jennifer Kane said they have the sport management accreditation site review team coming in on April 14
and 15. We will be hosting two folks for that site review.
John Ouyang said we have a good relationship with Shanghai Normal University in China. We have two
groups of students recruited from there and they are in the CELT program now. Shanghai Normal
University will send a 3rd group this fall. John received an email this morning about a scholarship from
them for teaching Chinese and for speakers of other languages. If you know someone interested, send
them to John Ouyang. It covers registration, tuition, learning materials, accommodations and a monthly
stipend.
Kristi Sweeney said two of her sport management classes did a community based transformational
learning process and raised over $23,000 in 8 weeks for a local non-profit.
Janice Seabrooks-Blackmore said we have an opportunity to recruit more students. The Applied
Behavioral Analysis course sequence has been reapproved and this is a very prestigious opportunity for
all of our students who want to become Behavior Analysts. Psychology and education majors will be
certified nationally and we are very pleased about this.
Lynn Raiser, Kris Webb, Betty Bennett and Karen Patterson are in the process of developing an EPI
cohort for a master’s degree in disability services. We are excited about it and Kris Webb gave a tour of
the Disability Services Center. This is the first time we are getting these fabulous EPI students into a
master’s program here en mass.
Sue Syverud, Debbie Reed, Christie Stevenson, and Maria Ramdas and 2 students went to a PDS
conference and we had 6 presentations. People are learning about our good work and now Valdosta and
Penn State want to come see our work at UNF.
Nile Stanley received a gift of $45,000 donation from the Cummer Family Foundation to continue his
Poetry Stars in urban schools.
New Business of Standing Committees:
None.
Reorganization of COEHS O Drive:
Terry Cavanaugh said there will be a reorganization of the O drive and he is working with Joe Lynch to
restructure it. They will move the files to the attic and you will still be able to access them.
Dean’s Report:
Reflections on the Past and Visions of the Future of the College of Education and Human Services at the
University of North Florida: A Dean’s Valediction
Delivered by Larry G. Daniel, Dean
on Occasion of the Last COEHS Faculty Assembly Meeting Prior to Completion of His Service as Dean
April 4, 2014
I want to take the occasion today to share with you what one might consider valedictory or farewell
remarks as I contemplate the end of my tenure as Dean of the College of Education and Human
Services. As you know, I will continue in this role through June, 2014; however, today is the final
opportunity I will have to share with you, the faculty, and selected staff, during an actual Faculty
Assembly meeting. The customary format of my Dean’s Report during these meetings has been to
provide updates of University decisions and priorities impacting the College, to advise faculty on
current events in the College, and to identify events in the community and within the policy arena that
affect our work. I will vary from that format today to offer some reflections about the 14 years I have
been in leadership at UNF and to project some of the important things we might consider in the future
as I look to serving the College in a different role.
I first visited the University of North Florida in the Spring of 2000 when interviewing for the position of
Associate Dean of the College of Education and Human Services. At the time, I knew relatively little
about Jacksonville or UNF even though I had lived within three hours of Jacksonville at an earlier time
in my life. I was impressed by the attractive, serene campus and the friendly, optimistic spirit of the
fine group of professionals I met during my visit. Several weeks later I received a call from then Dean
Katherine Kasten offering me the position. I was excited about the possibilities I saw at UNF and
accepted that offer enthusiastically. Professional moves often lead to major life changes, and such was
the case with my coming to UNF. I moved my wife and two of my four children—one in elementary and
one in high school—and left my older son in college in Texas to fend for himself without his immediate
family nearby.
I quickly learned that UNF faculty and staff wanted to work collaboratively together and valued the
contributions that everyone offered to the University community. Early faculty in the College of
Education who made a major positive impact on my transition to UNF included Dean Kasten, John
Venn—one of the most genuine and reliable professionals with whom I have ever worked; Charles
Galloway—who was the first person I met at UNF; Paul Eggen, Ellie Scheirer, and Jim Mittelstadt—each
of whom, in his or her own unique way served as elder statespersons among the faculty; Cathy
O’Farrell and John Kemppainen, who have exemplified a commitment to service and collaboration that
is second to none; and Bernadine Bolden and Otilia Salmon, who early in my tenure here showed me
excellent examples of what commitment to diversity looked like at UNF.
As time progressed, I learned in 2003 that Dean Kasten was desiring to return to the faculty. The Dean
position would be opened to a national search. I placed my name for consideration with the search
committee, participated in an interview, and during a Spring 2004 Academic Affairs retreat, Dr. David
Kline called me aside to let me know that an offer was forthcoming. I assumed the Dean position in the
late summer of 2004. This position has been the most rewarding of my entire career, and now, 10 years
later, I am as equally excited about assuming my new role in the College as I was about assuming the
Deanship back then.
Many changes have occurred during my tenure as Dean:
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The face of the College is truly different—I have had some involvement in the hiring of almost 90%
of the faculty and staff currently serving the College. We have hired some of the brightest new
talent that I have seen in all my years in higher education. We are new people with new ideas
about what our College and the University should and will become.
Many of our former colleagues have retired or moved on to other
professional opportunities.
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Three of our colleagues—Sebastian Foti, Sharian Deering, and Cassie Etgeton—
unexpectedly passed away with little warning to any of us that these too-young-to-die
colleagues would be leaving us, and reminding us that every moment of our lives,
personally and professionally, is to be savored and appreciated.
We now occupy a state-of-the art facility that is suited so well to the needs of our College, its
people, and our programs. Those of you who made the transition from the old facilities in Schultz
Hall can remember the former challenges we had with facilities! The reorganized units we created
early in my tenure as Dean truly came to life when we moved into Petway Hall with its physical
setup ready for those units and other growth and change we were to experience.
We have seen changes in the schools and agencies that we serve. We have strengthened existing
partnerships and initiated new ones. Our work in urban schools continues to be our calling card
and signature identity. We have received multiple recognitions and awards for our work in the
Urban Professional Development Schools, we have forged new partnerships in urban schools via
our Counselor Education and Secondary Education programs, and we have now initiated special
district cohort programs for school leadership. We have embraced a host of new community
leaders and agencies that have enriched our college and will serve as a platform for our external
work in years to come.
We have set up important partnerships with other parts of the University, most notably Student
Affairs, and we have evidence of those partnerships in the neighbors who occupy Petway Hall
along with the College.
Our departments have embraced university initiatives relative to
community engagement and international education, and we have developed some of the
most outstanding work in these areas throughout the University.
We have begun new academic programs, and these programs, in many
cases have broadened who we are as a college. Sport management, which began as a fledgling
program track in Physical Education, has now become our largest College program and is on the
verge of obtaining national accreditation. Likewise, our programs in American Sign Language
Interpreting have more recently moved from an idea in the mind of a couple of faculty to thriving
programs that are attracting students nationwide. We have initiated and brought to maturity a
thriving Educator Preparation Institute allowing us to get fully into an emerging alternative
certification market that could have—but did not—pass us up. Further, our new track in Higher
Education Leadership is quickly growing into a premier program in that area.
None of us is successful in leadership without a tremendous support network around us. Indeed, we
stand tallest when we stand on the shoulders of strong people. I cannot express thanks enough to
Associate Dean Marsha Lupi who has been a true friend, professional confidante, and full
administrative partner in the leadership of our wonderful College. I could not have done this job
effectively without the continual support and friendship of Dr. Lupi. As well, I express my thanks to
Linda Sciarratta who is, hands down, the most outstanding staff person I have been privileged to have
work for me, and one of the most creative problem solvers I have ever known. Pat Hanford, a
development officer extraordinaire, has been a true community collaborator in the best sense of the
word, and has done much to advance the reputation of our College and profession. I also must extend
praise to the fine staff who have served the Dean’s Office during my tenure. We have developed a
“family” atmosphere among our folks, and Tiffany King, Patti Robbins, and Deirdre Meehan, have been
valuable members of our support network. I have also been privileged to serve alongside many fine
chairs and directors who have led our departments and College offices—Janice Seabrooks-Blackmore,
Ken Wilburn, Sandra Gupton, Joyce Jones, Jennifer Kane, John Venn, Nile Stanley, Len Roberson, Karen
Patterson, Otilia Salmon, Newton Jackson, Jeff Cornett, John Ouyang, John Kemppainen, Cathy
O’Farrell, Claribel Torres-Lugo, Betty Bennett, and Mary Rose—and I think that is a complete list!
As we look to the future of the College, I will reflect, first, upon what my own role and contribution
will be. Three things have fueled me professionally throughout my career—working with students,
being involved in meaningful research and scholarship, and making a difference in the community and
for our profession. My new role in the College will allow me to maximize efforts in all of these areas. I
will assume the position of Full Professor in Educational Leadership within the LSCSM department. I
will have the privilege of working with our outstanding graduate students, teaching courses in
research methods and leadership, and assisting students in developing their doctoral dissertations. I
will also be serving as Executive Director of our Center for Urban Education and Policy. In this role, I
will have occasion to engage with our wonderful community with the important goal of advancing
opportunities for urban teachers and students. The Center will be an important arm of the College
focused on improving educational policy for our College, the profession, schools, teachers, and
children. I will also be able to devote enhanced effort to research and writing—and this is a part of the
work about which I am especially excited. There are many ideas I have developed and germinated
upon over the years I have been an educational leader, and I can’t wait to share more of them with
our field via professional scholarship.
I also want to project on the future of the College generally. As I transition over the next months
from faculty administrator to informal faculty leader and group participant, I offer the following
seven things for our College to think about.
1. We will get to where we are going most effectively if we do it cooperatively. The new
communication and collaboration initiative being embraced by the Faculty Assembly has promise
for advancing a way to work that will make sense for everyone and value the contribution of each
member of our College community. As my late father often advised me, “Do the right thing.”
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Doing the right thing means taking good action in such a way that we also respect and maximize
the contribution of each person around us. Openness and transparency always win out over
underhandedness and one-upsmanship.
We will accomplish most when we embrace the community around us.
That means that we must think broadly and creatively about the audiences and potential partners
that we work with. We must view education the way our community sees it and work to reshape
perspectives and build new initiatives with a full understanding of the ideas and viewpoints of
others. We will be most effective when we appreciate multiple viewpoints and when we lead by
modeling exceptional collaboration.
We must continue to expand the excellent partnership work that we do so well. Work in the
PDSs and other quality partnerships should continue to be our calling card. Likewise, the
excellent community partnerships we have developed in Sport Management, and the national
partnerships with the video relay industry we have done in ASL Interpreting should also be well
funded and expanded. Our new Jacksonville Teacher Residency Program has potential to put
UNF and Jacksonville on the proverbial professional map in a whole new way. JTR and other new
partnerships are clearly in the cards as we plan our future as a College.
We must continue to think internationally, to build and seek funding for more international
experiences for our students, and to think of other ways to explore making our curriculum as
globally focused as possible.
We must continue to build our reputation as a scholarly college. It is incumbent upon us to go
after more external dollars, to plan and execute grant-funded initiatives, and to increase the
number of refereed published works coming out of the College annually. UNF has struggled to
determine what part that research plays in its mission, and the COEHS has an excellent
opportunity to demonstrate excellent models of what scholarship should be at UNF. We
especially can showcase the importance of community based scholarship in the work we do.
In that vein, we must continue to find ways to invest in our own people.
We have maintained University and College commitments to travel funding and reassigned
research time to junior colleagues, and it is important that we continue to explore ways to help
faculty be productive. We also do not want to forget about our professional and support staff.
These talented women and men serve our unit effectively at a much smaller level of
remuneration than the actual compensation their quality of work would demand. Any reasonable
thing we can do to maximize their recognition and work environment is worth the effort. We
must continue to seek out funding to market ourselves better. UNF has long been among the
best kept secrets in higher education. We no longer want to be a secret. We offer some of the
best programs in education and related disciplines anywhere, and we need to market what we
do to students both inside and outside Florida.
In closing, I remind you that you work at a very special place. Higher education provides us with unique
opportunities and privileges that many other workplaces cannot offer. More particularly, UNF is a
growing institution that needs the best that every one of us can offer. We are not so young that we
don’t have traditions and not so old that new ideas can’t be considered. I look forward to working with
you and our new College leadership to make the COEHS the best unit on the UNF campus. I trust that
we all regularly practice valuing people over initiatives and that we continue to strive for excellence in
all that we do. An old maxim states:
Good, better, best. Never let it rest
Till the good is the better, And the
better is the best.
Thank you, and congratulations to all for your part in what we have achieved and will continue to
achieve in the College of Education and Human Services.
Discussion:
Kris Webb reviewed the COEHS Clear Communication (CCC) document which is intended to facilitate an
increased level of communication, particularly across academic units. We ask that you consider these
suggestions and give your feedback to your department representatives.
Next meeting: TBA
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 1:02 pm.