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Credit: Nick Romanenko
Barry V. Qualls, Interim Vice President
for Undergraduate Education
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Credit: Courtesy Michael Beals
Michael Beals, Director of
Implementation, Chair of the Steering
Committee
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Credit: Nick Romanenko
Cheryl Wall, Vice Chair, Steering
Committee
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Credit: Courtesy Tulane University
Joan W. Bennett, Associate Vice
President for Academic Affairs
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Credit: Courtesy Lea Stewart
Lea Stewart, Chair, Committee on
Nontraditional Students
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While Beals predicts that some changes, such as standardizing practices in academic and student services across the campuses, will be relatively easy, others, like making sure that admissions and curriculum policies are in place – and the voluminous literature to inform people of those new policies – will be more of a challenge. “One of the things I have liked about being dean is that I know people across the university. I know they will roll up their sleeves and get the job done,” Beals said.
Finding space is a concrete problem that will pose a challenge, Beals said. The Busch campus will need office space for its new campus dean, as well as buildings to house student advising centers. A more abstract challenge, Beals said, is to convince people to shift from debate mode to action mode.
“It will be difficult for participants to realize we are not in the debating phase,” Beals said. “But I think that people at Rutgers will rise to the challenge.”
Joan W. Bennett
Associate Vice President for
Academic Affairs
This new post, filled by Joan W. Bennett, a former president of the American Society for Microbiology, will be responsible for advancing the entry of women in the science, technology, engineering and math professions; mentoring and helping advance women faculty in these areas; and developing new programs for attracting and retaining women in these professions.
In his proposal, McCormick highlighted the need to increase the number of women going into the sciences and engineering, where women make up only about 25
percent of all employed Ph.D.s. Bennett will work with the Douglass Project for Rutgers Women in Math, Science and Engineering. A fungal geneticist from Tulane University, Bennett was the first woman in that biology department in the 1970s. Although half of biology students are women, female scientists leave the field more frequently than men do.
“I don’t think people know why, but the hypothesis is that the life of a research
scientist is so demanding that many women feel they can’t balance it with family
responsibilities,” Bennett said. “It’s hard to tell. Emotions run high in discussion
of this topic.”
Lea Stewart
Chair, Committee on Nontraditional Students
In accordance with the Task Force on Undergraduate Education, McCormick proposed a Committee on Nontraditional Students, and named Lea Stewart to head the group.
Stewart is a professor of communication at the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies and has taught at Rutgers since 1981. She served on the task force as a member of the curriculum and structure working groups.
The Committee on Nontraditional Students will be made up of appropriate students, faculty and staff and will develop recommendations for the best structures and programs to serve the nontraditional student population, which numbers more than 2,000 in New Brunswick/Piscataway and are predominantly students of University College. The School of Arts and Sciences will begin admitting students of all ages in fall 2007.
“I’ve always been committed to finding a special place in the university for nontraditional students,” said Stewart, a fellow of University College since 1981. “Excellent advising is one of the keys to success of these students.” Stewart is committed to seeking external funding to develop a center for nontraditional students that is among the best in the nation.
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