Medieval studies minor in jeopardy

Following the spring 2012 retirement of Distinguished Teaching Professor of History Bill Cook, the future of Geneseo’s medieval studies minor hangs in the balance. While both professor of English Graham Drake and Distinguished Teaching Professor of English Ronald Herzman offer courses that correspond to the minor’s curriculum, without Cook’s history-intensive course offerings, the minor essentially transformed into a study of medieval literature.

This situation is a manifestation of a much larger and more complicated issue, according to Joseph Cope, associate professor and chair of the history department.

“What the Cook case illustrates in a microcosmic sense is a much bigger problem with the [State University of New York] system as a whole,” Cope said. “The state of New York has disinvested in public higher education. What we’re seeing is holes open up due to faculty leaving or retiring, and we don’t have the resources on campus to fill those holes.”

In an attempt to fill this particular hole himself, Cook has begun to work with the nonprofit Friends of Florence to fundraise the $3 million necessary to create an endowed chair position. Friends of Florence, an organization Cook supports, raises money in the United States in order to preserve works of art in Florence, Italy.

According to Cook, the partnership with this organization would likely result in a full-time faculty position for an individual who specializes in the study of Tuscany during the Renaissance. This individual would also be required to dedicate a small part of their workload to helping Friends of Florence.

While Cope said that he would welcome an endowed medievalist position in the history department, he said the need for this measure “points to a deeper structural issue."

“When you have an endowed chair, you are basically asking donors to come up with the resources to hire a faculty member,” Cope said. “The fact that we have to look at that as an option to replace [Cook] is a symptom of the fact that the resources aren’t coming from the state.”

When Cook presented the idea of partnering to create this endowed chair to the trustees of Friends of Florence, board member for Friends of Florence and National Committeewoman for the Republican Party of Pennsylvania Christine Toretti expressed interest in helping the fundraising effort to target “big money contributors” from external organizations, according to Cook.

The next step of the process is for Toretti to meet with Vice President for College Advancement Bill Brower, Interim President Carol Long, Cope and Cook to draw up a contract about the role that Friends of Florence would play in creating and supporting the new position.

“We’ve got to turn idea into a plan,” Cook said.

The establishment of this endowed position could have added benefits for students. If income generated by the Cook Fund for Excellence in Teaching is attached to this chair position, the funds could be used to send student interns to Florence and to sponsor a student research assistant for the endowed chair, according to Cook.

“In a more perfect world, we would have robust state support for higher education so that we could be hiring faculty, and we wouldn’t have to ask a retired professor to go out and fundraise to replace themselves,” Cope said. “That’s a terrible way to run a college.”

While Cook said that this process is still an “uphill climb,” he hopes to see formal negotiations to create the position begin in spring 2014.

Parents Weekend offers insight into college culture

Parents and siblings alike convened in Geneseo for Family Weekend 2013, which provided a host of opportunities to showcase the abundant academic and co-curricular opportunities that Geneseo has to offer. The weekend, which spanned from Friday Oct. 25 to Saturday Oct. 26, offered families opportunities to attend workshops and Parents College classes across the gamut of academic interests.

Faculty representatives from the mathematics, English, biology, political science and international relations, psychology and chemistry departments offered courses on topics ranging from the challenges faced by adoptive families to the relationship between Dante and mathematics.

Parents also attended practical demonstrations of the wave tank and flume as well as the Pelletron Particle Accelerator.

Co-curricular showcases included a display of Geneseo’s performing artists and musical ensembles at the annual Kaleidoscope concert as well as a highlight of local and student artists at the Lederer, Bridge and Lockhart Galleries. Geneseo Theater Club also regailed their family-filled audience with their rendition of “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo.”

The Athletics Department provided free admission at the Women’s Volleyball, Hockey and Men’s Soccer games in honor of the presence of families on campus.

On Saturday Oct. 26, Interim President Carol Long hosted a conversation with parents in an attempt to discuss Geneseo’s latest news, missions and initiatives.

“Our mission is to develop socially responsible citizens with skills and values important to the pursuit of an enriched life and success in the world,” Long said. “More than 56,000 alumni across the county and around the world help us to achieve that mission.”

Long referenced Geneseo’s high rankings by the U.S. News and World Report, the Princeton Review and Washington Monthly as evidence of Geneseo’s success in achieving its mission.

“We promote high impact learning practices, seminars, internships, service learning opportunities, undergraduate research… things that take our learning beyond a simple text and classroom learning.”

Long also spoke about Geneseo’s reputation as an affordable higher education option, citing Geneseo as among the nation’s top 40 colleges for value. “[Geneseo] is a school earning top honors for making debt manageable and producing students who have strong career potential when the graduate,” she said.

Also available to visiting families was the opportunity to attend a Study Abroad workshop and an alumni panel titled “What I Know Now, That I Wish I Had Known Then”.

The newly established Center for Inquiry, Discovery and Development hosted a Saturday Meet and Greet with families in order to discuss the mission and purpose of the center.

Limelight and Accents Performing Arts Series provided some comedic relief to the weekend with a performance by world-class stand-up comedian Judah Friedlander on Saturday evening.

Overall, the weekend provided families the opportunity to experience a taste of the day-to-day life of their own Geneseo students.

Chess Club plans charitable statewide tournament

At the second budget increase meeting on Oct. 23, the Student Association approved Chess Club for an increase of $987 to alleviate part of the tournament costs. According to President of Chess Club senior James Hiltunen, the majority of the increased funds will be delegated toward deterring the cost of $1,300 worth of prizes for tournament winners.

These prizes are an attempt to attract students from other schools, including the University of Buffalo, University of Rochester, Cornell University and Columbia University, as well as nine additional colleges the Chess Club invited.

According to Hiltunen, the Chess Club hopes to attract more than just experienced players.

“With this tournament, what we really want to do is expand the Chess Club by bringing in beginners and seeing if they really like chess,” Hiltunen said.

In order to accommodate these introductory level players, the Chess Club will host a “Learn to Play Chess in 30 Minutes or Less” class at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 13 in South Hall 241.

In order to receive Student Association approval for the budget increase, Chess Club had to present a written rationale outlining the significance of its request.

According to Hiltunen, this tournament provides opportunities for “leadership for members of Chess Club as well as education in the areas of analytical thinking and spatial reasoning” for players throughout the state. Additionally, this tournament offers a way for students to reach out to the community.

Organized as an opportunity for philanthropy, 50 percent of proceeds from the 2013 Geneseo Open Chess Tournament will be dedicated to the Salvation Army's efforts to provide gifts to children throughout the holiday season.

“We wanted to give monetary funds thorough the Salvation Army, but also we thought it would be great for children to get chess boards for Christmas,” Hiltunen said. “It is a lot easier for people who are poor to pay for chess boards, which are $7, instead of music.” According to Hiltunen, chess and music work a similar part of the brain.

“If you get the kids sitting down and playing, they tend to forget about the stress in their [lives],” Hiltunen said. “Sometimes it's hard to get kids to work on math problems. With chess, you can get them to work their brains in a fun way. It's a fun kind of learning.”

The Geneseo Open Chess Tournament will take place on Nov. 16 in South Hall 235, 237 and 241. Professional and experienced players start their matches at 10 a.m., and novice players begin at noon. The admission cost for Geneseo students is $5, while non-Geneseo students pay $15 to participate.

Marking the end of a 20-year era

After almost two decades of administrative service at Geneseo, President Christopher Dahl officially began his transition into retirement on Tuesday Oct. 1. Interim President Carol Long stepped up to take his place as he started his leave of absence, which will end with his official retirement on June 30, 2014. “These are very hard shoes to fill because Chris Dahl is an amazing leader,” said Milne Library Director Cyril Oberlander, who has held various positions in Milne for roughly the past five years. “He is articulate, intelligent and personable, which is a unique combination. His focus on quality education is something that inspires us all. Thankfully, Carol Long is a great provost and visionary, and we’re confident this will be an excellent transition.”

Coming to Geneseo in 1994, Dahl first served as the provost for one year before taking on the role of interim president in 1995. Dahl was appointed president in February 1996 and is now the longest-serving president of any four-year State University of New York institution. Throughout his time at Geneseo, Dahl also occasionally taught classes through the English department.

Dahl said that he considered his experience teaching ENGL 314: British Romanticism alongside Distinguished Teaching Professor of English Eugene Stelzig to be among his favorite memories at Geneseo.

“If I have any regrets, it’s that I wish I had been able to teach more,” Dahl said.

Dahl said he believes that his greatest accomplishment during his time as president was “keeping the college focused on its mission as a public liberal arts college.”

“What we believe in has to do with the education of the whole human being,” he said. “What we’re doing here is liberal education of the highest quality.”

According to Distinguished Teaching Professor of English Ronald Herzman, who is the longest-serving Geneseo professor, Dahl can be credited with keeping Geneseo’s priorities straight.

“[Dahl] is somebody who believes very deeply in the search for truth and that universities should be about that at every level,” Herzman said. “He has guided and kept us on a path where he has put his energy into making that a top priority.”

Evan Goldstein, Asst. Photo Editor

The celebration of Dahl's career on Sept. 27 began with dinner under a tent on the College Green and ended with a fireworks display over the valley.

To commemorate Dahl’s final week at Geneseo, members of the college community came together to recognize his impact and say their goodbyes.

In honor of Dahl’s impact in the Geneseo community, Village Mayor Richard Hatheway officially recognized Sept. 26 as Christopher C. Dahl Day. Later that day, during a meet and greet with students in the College Union, Starbucks revealed that it created a Geneseo-exclusive specialty drink in honor of Dahl named “All Dahl’d Up.” This drink is an Earl Grey tea latte with a shot of vanilla, reminiscent of Dahl’s typical order at Starbucks.

On Sept. 27, alumni, students, faculty and donors gathered to celebrate Dahl’s career and accomplishments. The evening began with a grazing-station dinner under a tent on the College Green, where students performed and Geneseo received a donation that helped it reach its fundraising goal of $23 million.

“[Dahl] leaves a fond legacy and generational impact on our society,” donor and attendee Carl Savino ‘50 said.

“He is legendary to the institution,” Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Ronna Bosko, also in attendance, said. “Alums across the country have been impacted by his leadership. He has laid a strong foundation for Geneseo to see many successes to come.”

The event then transitioned into a program in Wadsworth Auditorium where students and faculty performed in celebration of Dahl’s time at Geneseo. Dahl’s wife Ruth Rowse was inducted as an honorary alumna of Geneseo during this program as well. The evening of events concluded with a fireworks display overlooking the Genesee Valley.

With his goodbyes said, Dahl began his nine-month Title F Leave on Tuesday Oct. 1. During this time, he will pursue several scholarly research projects and advancement work for Geneseo through alumni and donor networking, and will advise Long as she steps into the interim presidency.

“[Long] has liberal arts education in her bones,” Dahl said. “She really understands our mission and history … I think she has the Geneseo style.” According to Dahl, this will make the transition between himself and the next permanent college president a lot smoother.

Evan Goldstein, Asst. Photo Editor

Dahl said he estimates that the search for a new permanent president will take approximately two years, during which time Long will serve in an executive capacity.

“I am very excited, pleased and honored to be able to take on this position,” Long said. “I love Geneseo, and I am excited to be able to help it along during this transition time.”

Long said that she does not have any major structural changes in mind as she takes on the role of interim president. Rather, she said that she intends to continue to “aggressively pursue” the initiatives already on deck. These include creating a new internationalization laboratory through the American Council on Education, proposing a diversity plan, applying for the Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement award, carrying forward curriculum reforms that are under discussion, dealing with various SUNY initiatives and developing a philosophy for digital learning on campus.

Long said she expects that Dahl’s transition into retirement will be a sad time for Geneseo because he has been the “face of the institution” for so long.

Dahl said that what he will miss most about Geneseo is the “day-to-day interaction with colleagues, faculty and students.”

“I’ve never met a Geneseo student that I didn’t like,” he said.

Even after he fully retires, Dahl said that he will remain connected to the Geneseo community.

“I’m willing to do anything to help the college,” he said.

In the upcoming months, Dahl and his wife will be moving to Ann Arbor, Mich. where he said he hopes to be able to do his research and work with students at the University of Michigan.

Dahl's paid leave incites controversy, conversation

President Christopher Dahl’s announcement of his paid pre-retirement leave, which began on Tuesday Oct. 1 and will continue until his official retirement in June 2014, inspired discourse inside and outside of the Geneseo campus community. While administrators referred to this leave as a “sabbatical,” it is technically a Title F Leave under the policies of the State University of New York Board of Trustees.

According to Article XIII, Title F (1) of the official policy, “the chief administrative officer may grant other leaves of absence at full salary, or reduced salary, or without salary” to professional employees, academic employees or other professional staff under the stipulation that their leave involves professional development, consulting or other endeavors that are consistent with the needs of the University. These applications may require leave proposals to be submitted to the SUNY Chancellor for approval.

According to Dahl, the difference between a sabbatical and a Title F Leave is that a Title F leave does not require that the faculty member or administrator return to the University after their leave, whereas a sabbatical requires that they bring their knowledge back after their absence.

According to Interim President Carol Long, SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher approved Dahl’s leave proposal under the condition that he would engage in three different work assignments.

The first of these assignments pertains to his capacity as a working member of the English department and involves three separate scholarly projects. These include continuation of his longtime autobiographical research on Virginia Woolf’s family, a series of essays based on the meaning of liberal arts in the public college setting and an intellectual biography of Presbyterian clergyman Ezra Stiles Ely, a religious and political controversialist during the Andrew Jackson era and Dahl’s great-great-grandfather.

The second assignment places Dahl in an advisory capacity for both Long and Zimpher.

“He is the longest serving president in the SUNY system,” Long said. “There are a lot of interim presidents in the system right now … There is a lot of work within the system that the chancellor can call on Dahl to do for and with her. He is a valuable resource.”

Dahl’s third work assignment includes advancement work, such as attending alumni receptions and fundraisers as well as working with major donors. According to Dahl, his October schedule alone includes attending alumni events in Rochester, N.Y., Washington, D.C. and New York City.

According to Long, Dahl is 20 years overdue for a leave of absence; the SUNY Board of Trustees policy allows administrators a six-month leave after five years and a yearlong leave after 10 years.

“Let’s not talk about the [money] that people say he is getting for doing nothing,” Long said. “Let’s talk about the millions of dollars of work he has done without pay throughout the years. Dahl has been in this position for 20 years and has never taken a sabbatical.”

According to Dahl, discourse circulating that assumes that he is attempting to take advantage of the SUNY system by taking his paid pre-retirement leave is “factually incorrect” and “betrays an utter lack of understanding of the mission and purposes of higher education.”