Provost's Updates: last updated 08/29/2006
PROVOST'S REPORT
September 16, 2005
THE EYES OF THE WORLD
Mark Stevick, assistant professor of English, gave a speech last Sunday. Here's an excerpt:
"Thus stands the cause between God and us: we are entered into covenant with Him for his work; we have taken out a commission; the Lord hath given us leave to draw our own articles. . . . But if we neglect the observation of these articles which are ends we have propounded . . . the Lord will surely break out in wrath against us . . . . Now the only way to avoid this shipwreck and to provide for our posterity is to follow the counsel of Micah: to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God."
Written 375 years ago, these words were delivered in a sermon by Governor John Winthrop during his voyage to America on the Arbella, the flagship of the great Puritan migration to Massachusetts Bay in 1630. Last Sunday Gordon's History Alive program, a branch of our Theatre department, joined with the Salem Preservation Society to reenact the Arbella's arrival. Guests boarded the tall ship Kalmar Nyckel for a short voyage, full of poetry, homily and song from Winthrop, Anne Bradstreet, and others Puritans. Conceived and organized by Kristina Wacome Stevick, the event was both a fundraiser for historical preservation and an endeavor to commemorate one of New England's foremost historical events.
When he sailed in 1630, Winthrop knew that their new liberty had to be matched with accountability. Their rivals in Europe, eager to see them fall, were watching. "We must consider that we shall we as a city upon a hill, the eyes of the world shall be upon us." So on September 11-a day now with its own ironies about the great city on a hill-History Alive helped recall a moment when a vision for freedom was linked with "faithfulness" and "Christian charity."
CORE DISCUSSIONS
The September faculty meeting, originally scheduled for this Wednesday, was changed into a series of divisional meetings in order to encourage conversation about the Core revision process. In November and December the faculty meetings will be devoted to discussions about our Core purposes and objectives. In the second half of this report, I offer a short reflection ("Cityscapes") on one way of thinking about the Core.
BRIGHAM ATHLETIC FIELDS
Construction is not quite done of the new Brigham Athletic Fields-the formal dedication will take place at Homecoming-but the new all-weather field has already been put to some victorious use. Last Saturday the women's field hockey team defeated the University of New England, almost always our prime rival for the conference title, by the score of 4-1. On Tuesday the team topped Nichols on our new home turf. This weekend both the men's and women's soccer teams defeated Eastern Nazarene and the women's volleyball team defeated the University of Maine Farmingham. During the last couple days the men's and women's soccer teams kept up their winning ways with victories over Colby Sawyer. The Brigham facility has six new tennis courts as well; in the inaugural match last Saturday, Gordon's women topped Regis.
MASTER'S PROGRAM IN MUSIC EDUCATION
Just completing its third year, the Master of Music Education program enrolled 32 students over the summer. Although the program is primarily oriented for summer study, more courses and workshops have been offered during the fall and spring semesters. 31 students were enrolled in classes last spring. The state has now mandated "Field Based Experience" for music education students; Kenneth Phillips, director of the graduate program in Music Education, traveled to several schools last spring to monitor students' progress. Ken's continued presence at conferences and workshops throughout the state has significantly enhanced the visibility of our young program.
In July, Ken was presented the Robert M. McCowen Memorial Award for "Outstanding Contribution to Choral Music," the highest honor granted by the Iowa Choral Directors Association.
Our first graduating class of M.Ed. students-nine of them, if all goes well-will receive their hoods and degrees at the Spring 2006 Commencement. This will be a landmark for the program, which we anticipate will enroll nearly 40 students next summer.
SENATE
Elaine Phillips, professor of biblical studies, has been elected to serve as chair of the Faculty Senate for the academic year. Tim Sherratt, professor of political studies, will assume the role of vice chair, as Sybil Coleman, professor of social work, will be the secretary.
The other senators are Bryan Auday, professor of psychology (on sabbatical in the fall), Susan Brooks, professor of music, Roger Green, professor of biblical studies, Ted Hildebrandt, professor of biblical studies, and Jim Zingarelli, professor of art (on sabbatical in the spring).
RESTRUCTURING TASK FORCE
Four members of the faculty-two from the Senate and two from the Academic Programs Committee-have been selected to serve on the task force preparing recommendations for the faculty on the academic structure. I have also asked Carol Herrick to serve on the task force, since as registrar she brings a unique perspective on communication flow and governance. In addition to Carol the members will be Roger Green, professor of biblical studies (Senate); Tim Sherratt, professor of political studies (Senate); Dick Stout, professor of mathematics (APC), and Ted Wood, professor of economics and business (APC).
WELCOME TO NEW SOCIALWORK FACULTY MEMBER
Although she was unable to attend the Fall Faculty Workshop because of an overseas commitment, I am pleased to welcome Judith Oleson to the faculty in the social work department. A Massachusetts native who has returned to the area after almost 30 years in northern Minnesota, Judith will be directing the field program. After completing her M.S.W. from the University of Minnesota, she led the field placement program at the University for fourteen years. Recently she completed a Master's degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and a doctorate from the Episcopal Divinity School. She loves watercolor and photography, canoeing on the Boundary Waters and rowing on the Charles.
THE FUTURE OF THE CONSTITUTION
A new mandate by Congress, sponsored by Robert Byrd, is requiring that colleges receiving federal financial aid for students must sponsor some program of instruction about the Constitution on or near September 17, the date when the document was ratified by the United States in 1789. Tim Sherratt, Carol Powers, an adjunct professor of our pre-law courses, and a faculty panel will help us meet the mandate by hosting a special forum on "The Supreme Court and the Future of the Constitution" on Monday, September 19, at 7:00 in the Presidents Dining Room. A prime focus of the conversation will be on the ways that Constitutional interpretation may be conducted under a Supreme Court led by current chief justice nominee John Roberts.
TRAGICOMIC DIGNITY
Eerdmans has just released the splendid new volume of paintings and essays entitled A Broken Beauty, the catalog for the exhibit of fifteen artists organized by Bruce Herman, professor of art. As Bruce writes in the foreword, this exhibit is about "the rich and problematic nature of beauty and human expression as it has been given to us via history and the Christian tradition." Against modern ideals of beauty as flawless youth, the paintings strive to recover the "surprising beauty found in moments of brokenness or loss." Featuring five essays about beauty, faith and morality in artistic tradition, the book was edited by one of Bruce's long-time CIVA colleagues, Ted Prescott of Messiah.
HARVEST OF PRINT
In addition to Bruce's project, this fall has seen the release of several new books written or edited by Gordon faculty. They include:
Judy Dean, Julie Schaffner, and Stephen Smith, professor of economics, eds., Attacking Poverty in the Developing World (World Vision).
Jennifer Hevelone-Harper, associate professor of history, Disciples of the Desert: Monks, Laity, and Spiritual Authority in Sixth-Century Gaza (Johns Hopkins).
Brian Johnson, assistant professor of English, ed, Du Bois on Reform: Periodical-based Leadership for African Americans (Altamira Press).
Richard Pierard, Stephen Phillips Chair of History, ed., Baptists Together in Christ: 1905-2005. A Hundred Year History of the Baptist World Alliance (Samford University Press).
EAST-WEST INSTITUTE
This fall Tom Askew, professor of history emeritus, has stepped down after a long period of service as the director of the East-West Institute; the leadership of the Institute will be assumed by Dong Wang, assistant professor of history. During Tom's years the Institute was able to host numerous top Asian scholars on campus, planned many International New Year's celebrations, and supported scholarships for international students. This year, Dong Wang has already initiated a new scholarship program for Gordon students with special research projects who wish to travel to Asia for their studies.
EASTERN ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY
Through the efforts of Tal Howard, associate professor of history, the students in Gordon's Jerusalem and Athens Forum (JAF) have visited the nation's only Eastern Orthodox liberal arts college, Hellenic College in Brookline, Massachusetts. The JAF will be sponsoring two special presentations at Gordon by Demetrios Katos, assistant professor of religion at Hellenic College, on Tuesday, October 6. The first-entitled "The Early Church: An Eastern Orthodox View"-will take place in the Tavilla Conference Room at 9:45 A.M. The second-"Eastern Orthodoxy and the Contemporary World"-takes places at 1:15 in Jenks 212.
GENDER AND LEADERSHIP AT CCCU INSTITUTIONS
At the Fall Faculty Workshop Pat Jones, director of College Communications, underscored several results from the recent marketing survey conducted among Gordon students, faculty, staff, parents, trustees and alums. Participants were asked to select the one attribute from our mission statement-either intellectual maturity, Christian character, service or leadership-that Gordon was most successful at cultivating among students. The lowest of the four-by some measure-was leadership. That is not surprising, given the results of similar studies nationwide, especially in regards to women students. In its "Comprehensive Assessment Project," the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) examined data from numerous Christian and non-Christian institutions and drew the following conclusions:
Since the majority of students at Gordon-like all the CCCU-are women, one of the major challenges before us is considering how we can enhance a vocation of leadership among more female graduates. The issue is not simply creating leadership programs at Gordon. In fact, the irony is that CCCU institutions are generally quite successful at drawing women into campus ministry and leadership posts; throughout many of the student leadership roles at Gordon, men are often vastly underrepresented. The concern is that there is often a disconnect between the ideals of leadership within a Christian college community and the ideals of leadership within the broader culture once students graduate. There are plenty of reasons why the values of the evangelical community, and the specific character of the Christian college subculture, have made leadership roles possible for women at college that do not translate all that frequently into one's vocation and calling. That translation remains one of our foremost challenges in the coming years.
HIGHER EDUCATION ALMANAC
The Chronicle of Higher Education has recently released its annual almanac, packed with data about the last academic year. A few notes from the report offer a quick glimpse at the landscape of American higher education:
FACULTY AND STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP
Janet Arndt, assistant professor of education, presented a workshop entitled "Supporting Family, Child and Professional Relationships in Early Childhood Settings: The Role of Programs and Professionals" at the annual meeting of the Rhode Island Association for the Education of Young Children in Providence. Her presentation on "Transforming Universal Design for Learning from College Classroom to Practice" at the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators' conference in Miami, Florida. Janet was also co-author of a summary on "Enhancing Relationships from Infancy to Preschool: An Exploration of Research-Based Strategies" in the proceedings of the seventh national research conference of Head Start. The published proceedings were entitled Promoting Positive Development in Young Children: Designing Strategies That Work.
Charles Blend, assistant professor of biology, successfully completed an investigation for the New England Aquarium that identified the worm species that had infiltrated the striped sea bass.
Last June Dorothy Boorse, associate professor of biology, testified before the United States Congress in defense of the Endangered Species Act. She was called after Democrats contacted the Noah Alliance, a national religious and environmental organization, to locate an expert witness to plead on behalf of preserving the 1973 law protecting animals and plants at risk of extinction. She shared the day with rival witnesses from the petroleum, cattle and mining industries.
Mark Cannister, professor of biblical studies and youth ministry, describes the growing complexity and expansion of youth ministry programs in higher education in his essay "Growing Up Without Selling Out: The Professionalization of Youth Ministry," published in YouthWorker Journal.
Bert Hodges, professor of psychology, co-authored a major theoretical paper with Anne Geyer, a Gordon graduate now studying at Florida State University. Their essay-"A Noncomformist Account of the Asch Experiments: Values, Pragmatics, and Moral Dilemmas"-will appear in Personality and Social Psychology Review. Last March, Bert gave a colloquium talk at the University of Connecticut based on the paper. During the summer, Bert organized a symposium in Monterey, California at the 13th International Conference on Perception and Action, with participants from Norway, Sweden and around the nation. His plenary address at the conference was entitled "Conformity, Caring and Conversation as Values-Realizing Coordination."
Tal Howard, associate professor of history, recently reviewed Wheaton College president Duane Litfin's book Conceiving the Christian College for The Cresset.
Biology major Andrew Luhrs presented a poster at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in Washington, D.C. His poster, "Expansion of Topoological Index Calculator: Incorporation of the Schultz Index," was based on work done with Irv Levy, professor of chemistry.
David Matthewson, assistant professor of biblical studies, reviewed Barbara Rossing's The Rapture Exposed: The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation for Research in Biblical Literature. He also reviewed Studies in the Book of Revelation (ed. Steve Moyise) for Evangelical Quarterly.
Jerry McNatt, professor of physics, delivered a paper entitled "Cape Wind: Energy Asset or Environmental Threat" at the 2005 American Scientific Affiliation meeting at Messiah College this past August. The paper described the Cape Wind energy project which proposes the construction of a wind park of some 130 large wind turbines in Nantucket Sound south of Cape Cod. Particular attention was paid to the opposition to the wind park by several grassroots organizations, Governor Romney, Senator Kennedy, and several other prominent leaders with properties on the Cape and Islands.
Priscilla Nelson, assistant professor of education, gave two presentations at a recent conference on early childhood sponsored by the Association for Christian Schools International. The presentations were entitled "Progress Monitoring Made Easy: The Dynamic Indicators of Early Literacy Skills" and "What Comes Before Phonics?" During the spring and summer she has also conducted workshops at training institutes for teachers at North Shore Christian School, the Georgetown Public Schools, the Westfield Public Schools, the Hingham Public Schools, and the Cape Cod Collaborative.
Richard Pierard, Stephen Phillips Chair of History, delivered a paper on "The Impact of Halle and Herrnhut Pietism on Eighteenth-Century English Missions in India" at the Second International Congress for Pietism Research in Halle, Germany in late August. His essay "Why Evangelicals Must Categorically Reject Holocaust Denial" was published in The Evangelical Times, published in Great Britain. Dick reviewed Glen Sstassen and David Gushee's Kingdom Ethics:Jesus in Contemporary Context for the journal Missiology. His review of Andreas Heuser's Shembe, Gandhi und die Soldaten Gottes: Wurzeln der Gerwaltfreheit in Suedafrika appeared in the International Bulletin of Missionary Research.
For the fifth year in a row Gregor Thuswaldner, assistant professor of German, organized and co-directed the "Sommer in Sewanee" German language immersion seminar at the University of the South, in Sewanee, Tennessee, where he led workshops and taught a course. As a visiting scholar for the Rutgers in Berlin summer program, Gregor led workshops on German and Austrian relations and contemporary Austrian poetry. At the International Conference on German as a Second Language on the campus of the University of Graz in Austria, Gregor presented a paper on literary theory. He also wrote an article on politics in Thomas Bernhard's oeuvre for ide - Zeitschrift für den Deutschunterricht in Wissenschaft und Schule, as well as book reviews for German Studies Review and Unterrichtspraxis-Teaching German. His review of Krumm, Hans Jürgen and Paul Portmann-Tselikas, eds. Theorie und Praxis - Österreichische Beiträge zu Deutsch als Fremdsprache Jahrbuch. Schwerpunkt: Literatur im DAF-Unterricht recently appeared in Unterrichtspraxis-Teaching German.
Will Walldorf, assistant professor of political studies, has received a year-long Faculty Fellowship with the government department at Dartmouth. During a year's leave of absence he will commit time to completing a book manuscript on international relations.
Mike Veatch, professor of mathematics, gave an address at the Whitman College alumni lecture series. His address was entitled "What Data Can't Tell You: A Little Fisher Information Theory." At an engineering seminar sponsored by Boston University Centers for Information and Systems, Mike spoke on "Approximate Dynamic Programming for Networks."
Jim Zingarelli, professor of art, has an exhibit of his recent painting and sculptures at the Pepper Gallery on Newbury Street in downtown Boston. The shows runs until October 8.
PROVOST'S FILM SERIES: CITIES AND DREAMS
On Monday night the Provost's Film Series began with a showing of Charlie Chaplin's last silent film-"Modern Times." This fall the Chapel Office is co-sponsoring the series, and Barb Schreur, associate dean of the chapel, will be assisting me in hosting our panels. Many of the films will take us into the heart of the cities-Los Angeles, Berlin, New York and Kandahar-and some will probe into the shadowy spaces of dreams and the subconscious. As always, we welcome interested faculty and staff to serve on the post-film discussion panels. Just let Barb or I know if you are interested. Here's the future schedule (all films are at 7:00 P.M in the Barrington Center for the Arts):
Tuesday, September 27: Waking Life
Pop philosophy in frenetic color. Director Richard Linklater's animated film about a man trying to wake up, all the while listening in on conversations about life, death and all between.
Tuesday, October 18: Crash
Director Paul Haggis, author of Million Dollar Baby, explores racism in L.A. in this tapestry of stories about the rich and poor, criminals and cops, whites, blacks, Asians and Latinos.
Thursday, October 27: Wit
Pulitzer-Prize-winning play about an English prof-known for her razor wit and love of Metaphysical poetry-who faces her own metaphysical questions during a terminal illness.
Thursday, November 10: Kandahar
Iranian film about a reporter, newly escaped from Afghanistan, who returns undercover to search for her sister.
Monday, December 5: Wings of Desire
German director Wim Wenders' fable about angels who observe and envy human life in Berlin, even before the wall came down.
