SMU professors do more than instruct and inspire their students — they also create intellectual and artistic works for the academic sphere outside of campus.
The Sixth Annual Faculty Recognition Day, which will be held today in Fondren Library, will recognize the academic contributions of SMU professors, and display their works in an exhibit that will remain in place through graduation.
The exhibit, which is co-hosted by the Faculty Senate, Central University Libraries and the Friends of the SMU Libraries, will open at 3 p.m. with a few congratulatory words from Provost Ross Murfin.
The event, featuring 87 professors and 181 pieces of work, encompasses original works from all of the schools at SMU, and was started six years ago under Tom Fomby, the head of the Faculty Senate in the 1999-2000 academic year.
“Essentially, it’s a symbol of the life of the mind,” he said of the event. “It develops an attitude on campus that the life of the mind can be rewarding as well as challenging.”
Judy Searles, the director of the event, is in charge of soliciting departments to submit their work for display and recognition.
Though the submissions of the different departments vary in number, they remain pretty even-handed, despite the fact that one department may have more in any given year.
“For a couple of years, [the Chemistry department] sent us oodles of articles,” she said.
However, articles are only one form of scholarship that will be on display in the library. In the past, the exhibit has included books, artwork, films, and musical recordings.
“We’ve often had video equipment available and running,” Fomby said.
Fomby points to the following week as the academic week, since it also includes the Honors Convocation started by Provost Murfin.
“You don’t have to be an athlete to be recognized on this campus,” Fomby said. “It’s a celebration of the academic life of the university.”
Fondren Librarian Michael Foutch, who has experienced several of the exhibits in the past, also says that it boosts library turnout.
“It gives alums and community members a chance to see what’s new here,” he said. “The publicity pertaining to it brings visitors.”
To be eligible for recognition, faculty members have to have had work published in the 2004 calendar year, and submitted it to the library by March 30, 2005.
The works are then prepared for display, and programs are created giving the title and author of each work, along with his or her school and the publication in which the work was released.
The first Faculty Recognition Day was held in April of 2000 and was opened in conjunction with the opening of the faculty plaza in the Laura Bush Promenade.
The faculty was then memorialized with endowments that are acknowledged with the engraved bricks that make up the path leading into Fondren Library.
The event was part of a push at the time to recognize academic excellence of both students and professors on campus.
At the same time, the Honor Roll was implemented by the Faculty Senate to recognize students through percentage rank rather than GPA.
Refreshments and programs will be available on the first floor by the circulation desk in Fondren after Provost Murfin speaks.
