Dean of Faculty Nussbaum finishes term

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In early May, dozens of seniors will leave a phone message for the dean of faculty. It’s important business for graduation day.
This is the last spring that Professor of Chemistry Mark Nussbaum will listen to the voice recordings of seniors carefully pronouncing the last names, which he will announce at the commencement ceremony May 9. Nussbaum is finishing his three-year appointment as the dean of faculty this summer.
Nussbaum joins the seven other professors who have served as faculty dean since the position was created in 1996.
“[Nussbaum] has done a great deal. One of his greatest achievements has been representing the liberal arts interest of the college as a whole on departmental searches [to hire new faculty]. He has also helped steer a lot of new core components through the educational policy committee and faculty,” Provost David Whalen said.
The dean of faculty is appointed based on recommendations from the faculty, and from this pool of candidates, Whalen and President Larry Arnn choose a faculty member.
Nussbaum was appointed dean in 2011.
Recalling his first year as dean as a big learning curve, Nussbaum said he particularly remembers the Honors Assembly held on the Spring Parents’ Weekend. The dean of faculty is the emcee of the event.
Before the awards ceremony began, Nussbaum was outside of the auditorium chatting with parents and the science students who were presenting their research posters. Cohama Barber, the Provost’s secretary, reminded Nussbaum that the ceremony was about to begin. Minutes later Dean of Natural Sciences and Professor of Chemistry Chris Van Orman called out to Nussbaum that everyone was waiting for him.
“Then I remembered, ‘Oh yeah! I’m in charge!’ So I grabbed a program and went to the stage. Thank goodness they have programs,” Nussbaum said.
In addition to announcing the names at graduation, the dean of faculty is the chair of the monthly faculty meetings and Educational Policy Committee, selects professors for the CCA Faculty Roundtable, and participates in the hiring of new faculty.
“One of the main functions is to act as a liaison between the administration and the faculty in both directions — to make sure faculty voices are heard in the administration and that the administration is able to communicate their plans and goals,” Nussbaum said.
Nussbaum’s predecessor, Paul Moreno, professor of Constitutional History at the Allen P. Kirby Center of Consitutional Studies and Citizenship, served as dean of faculty from 2009- 2011.
During the restructuring of the core curriculum in 2011, Moreno individually met with faculty to clarify questions and prevent misunderstandings from becoming issues.
“The high point of my time as dean was when the faculty overwhelmingly approved the new core curriculum,” Moreno said.
Both Moreno and Nussbaum like to choose professors of varying disciplines for the CCA Faculty Roundtable.
“One of the goals of the CCA is for students to have experience learning about a topic they are not primarily studying or majoring in — to be lifelong learners. I like to reflect that in the faculty members,” Nussbaum said.
In 1996, Tom Conner, professor of history, was appointed the college’s first dean of faculty. At the time, the college was undergoing administrative changes. Robert Blackstock, professor of Business Law and provost at the time, created the position of dean of faculty to assist in faculty meetings and facilitating communication between the faculty and senior administration.
“I was feeling my way [in the position]. There was a lot of turmoil because of bad communication so I met with individual departments, asking, ‘What’s on your mind, How ’ya doing,’” Conner said.
“He’s the George Washington of the dean of faculty position,” Mark Kalthoff, department chair of history, said.
“Then Kalthoff’s the Franklin D. Roosevelt of the dean of faculty,” Conner said, joking.
Kalthoff was dean from 1999-2003, the longest time period anyone has held the positon.
“I prided myself that the shortest faculty meeting I ran was under five minutes,” Kalthtoff said.
“The position has a certain advantage. It’s a lot of fun to meet all the faculty and get to know them at least by name, if not better. During my four years, I could look out at the 120-140 faculty in Phillips’ Auditorium and call on any faculty member by name,” Kalthoff added.
Kalthoff and Conner both remember the phone messages they received from seniors as the graduation ceremony approached.
“I think I can count on one finger the names I pronounced wrong in those four years,” Kalthoff said.
Students love hearing their names pronounced by the deep voice of Conner, who instituted that the dean of faculty assume the announcer’s role at graduation. Conner had been the announcer at graduation since 1986.
“The Slavic names tend to be the most difficult, or the Asian names,” Conner said.