At the final meeting of the school year, the SMU Board of Trustees approved the new education school, accepted three elected student, faculty and alumni ex officio members, axed one board ex officio seat, tenured eight faculty members and revealed its focus for the next school year.
After approving its creation in February, Board members officially approved the new School of Education and Human Development. The new school will reorganize current programs into three departments, one institute and one division. Classes will be offered at the University Park and Plano campuses. While some programs are not expected to open until January 2007, recruitment for the Department of Human Development’s new January 2006 Dispute Resolution master’s program will begin this fall. Classes will be held at SMU-in-Legacy, located in Plano.
Tenure and Promotion
Board members approved the following eight faculty members for tenure: Per Fredriksson, Economics; John Lamoreaux, Religious Studies; J. Matthew Wilson, Political Science; Xuan-Thao Nguyen, Law; Vanessa Beasley, CCPA; Sean Griffin, Cinema-TV; Alyce McKenzie, Theology; and Eli Olinick, EMIS.
The Board recommended the following faculty for a promotion to full professor: Stephen Wegren, Political Science; David Price, Theology; and Sukumaran Nair, CSE.
One seat reduced, two current seats filled
Board members voted to reduce the number of trustees from 43 to 42, following the United Methodists Church’s lead. An ex officio member of the administrative office of the south central jurisdiction of the church was reduced from full-time to a part-time position. The Board voted to remove the position after the church implemented the change in late December 2004.
The Board accepted newly-elected student trustee Melissa Sweat, faculty-senate president Van Kemper, and alumni association president Kelly Compton as ex officio board members. Each year the Board approves the constituents, whom have won the popular vote of their peers.
Next Year’s Focus
In closing, the Board revealed its focus for next school year — to approve plans for the upcoming Centennial Campaign for SMU: A Time to Lead. Members approved the basic operational guidelines for the centennial communications and marketing campaign, which will be centrally managed and budgeted by SMU Public Affairs. The plans emphasized working with the college, schools and other administrative units as the specific campaign goals are developed. One difference in the new plan includes an increase in the use of new technology, such as the Internet, to market and advertise the centennial campaign, President Turner said.
The first 2005-2006 Board meeting is scheduled for September.
