FALL 2003 NEWSLETTER

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAVE PROGRAM

By Barbara Sommer – Chair

AF Professional Development Committee

Although most Academic Federation members are not eligible for sabbatical leave, most AF titles qualify them to apply for funds that support a professional development leave. The Professional Development Program supports academic pursuits that enhance one's effectiveness in their current position. The funds can be used for a leave of up to one quarter to attend workshops, obtain advanced training, pursue a job-related project, or develop position-related materials. Applicants must have five years of continuous service to the University at 50% time or more in a salaried position with an eligible Academic Federation title.

The Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Personnel has proposed transitional changes in the allocation of the professional development awards. This year’s award will be divided into two segments. Under the new Unit 18 AFT contract, lecturers and Academic Federation members in other Unit 18 titles will be eligible for a separate professional development program that is still in the design phase. For this reason, members in those titles will not be eligible for this year’s “Academic Federation Professional Development Leave Program.” The Federation is hopeful that the program will include all Federation members in subsequent years.

In the past, Federation members have used the Professional Development Leave Program to support a wide variety of meaningful endeavors. Using her award from last year, Ellen Dean, an Academic Coordinator in Plant Biology and Vegetable Crops, pursued taxonomic research on a genus in the tomato family related to green peppers. Funds enabled Lynette Hart, an Academic Administrator for the Center for Animal Alternatives, to develop alternatives to the use of animals for teaching "Resources for Education in Biology."

With his 2001-2002 award, William Kremen, an Associate Adjunct Professor in Psychiatry, attained specialized skills and intensive training in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. With her award the preceding year, Pamela Major, a lecturer in the University Writing Program, investigated how college composition teachers can provide outreach to K-12 public schools by training teachers and advanced undergraduate student interns to employ “writing to learn” strategies across the disciplines. That same year, Anthony Cheung, an Adjunct Professor in Medical Pathology, used his award to investigate the risks of diabetes in siblings of pediatric diabetic patients by examining the small blood vessels of the white of the eye.

The 2003 call for proposals indicates a deadline of Friday, December 5, 2003, for applications. If you have not yet received the announcement for the Professional Development Award, it is currently posted on the Federation website:

http://www.mrak.ucdavis.edu/acadfed/awards.cfm

Eligible Academic Federation members are encouraged to submit applications for funding. For additional information please contact:

Barbara Sommer – Chair

AF Professional Development Committee

basommer@ucdavis.edu , 752-6052, or

Gussie Curran

AF Assistant to Vice Provost Horwitz

grcurran@ucdavis.edu , 752-4827.

MEYER DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD HONORS SUE WILLIAMS

By E. Kim Coontz, Secretary

Academic Federation

Last month 101 people gathered at the Alumni Center to present the Meyer Distinguished Achievement Award to Sue Williams, program director for physical education in the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and esteemed cross country coach. The Meyer Award is bestowed upon a member of the Academic Federation each year to honor a distinguished career in research, teaching, and/or public service.

Sue’s career is distinguished in many ways. She was a catalyst for elevating and progressing women’s athletics on the Davis campus. She founded UCD’s women’s cross-country team. During the past 23 years, Sue led the team to 21 conference championships and the women’s team finished in the Top Ten nationally for 21 of the past 22 years. These accomplishments set a NCAA record for coaches in all divisions of women’s cross-country. The men’s team has also benefited from Sue’s coaching. During six of the past eight years, the men’s team finished in the top 15 nationally. Sue expects more than athletic accomplishments from her athletes. Both cross-country teams frequently achieve the top team GPA in the intercollegiate athletic program.

Sue championed the cause for a campus move to Division I athletics, which was approved by the campus earlier this year. Sue believes that the switch will align UCD with similar athletic programs and is committed to maintaining high academic standards for athletes in all programs.

During the award ceremony, Chancellor Vanderhoef and Academic Federation Chair Catherine Vandevoort called attention to Sue’s extraordinary contributions to university and public service. She was named “National Coach of the Decade” in 1992 by the NCAA, recognizing her personal contributions to NCAA cross country/track during the first ten years of NCAA governance. Sue has served as the chair of the Academic Federation and as member or as chair of numerous Federation committees. At the departmental level Sue has served on a variety of committees and search committees and founded what is now the Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

Congratulations, Sue!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS…

The calls for nominations for the following awards will be forthcoming in January 2004:

Excellence in Teaching

This award is given in recognition of the contributions made to the teaching mission of the Davis campus by non-Senate faculty members, and carries with it a stipend of $500 to the recipient.

Deadline for nominations: March 1^st, 2004

Excellence in Research

This award is given in recognition of the contributions made to the research mission of the Davis campus by non-Senate faculty members, and carries with it a stipend of $500 to the recipient.

Deadline for nominations: March 1^st, 2004

AF Research Travel Grant

The call for applications will be sent out in March 2004 with a submission deadline of May 1^st, 2004. This grant will be for travel occurring during the period of July 2004-December 2004.

NEW! IMPROVED!

UNIVERSITY WRITING PROGRAM

By Gary Sue Goodman, Associate Director

University Writing Program

This fall, the University Writing Program has risen from the ashes of the former Composition Program. A functionally autonomous program affiliated closely with the English Department, the University Writing Program now has a separate budget and governance structure.

Brenda Deen Schildgen, who taught writing and trained graduate student instructors as a Federation Faculty member in Comparative Literature for many years, became a member of the Academic Senate two years ago, and now has assumed the role of interim director of the writing program. Gary Sue Goodman, a lecturer who served as Director of the Composition Program for the past two years, has been appointed Associate Director (a new Academic Administrator position). An interdisciplinary Advisory Board, composed of Senate and Federation faculty and graduate students, will assist in developing the University Writing Program. This year the Board and UWP faculty will review the curriculum and program policies and suggest changes to improve the writing program’s ability to fulfill its mission: teaching writing and improving both writing instruction and writing across the curriculum.

In Winter and Spring 2003, Elizabeth Langland, Dean of Humanities Arts and Cultural Studies (HArCS), convened and chaired a Writing Program Committee, designed to recreate the writing program.

The Writing Program Committee recommended establishing a more autonomous program and drafted a proposal and a call for an interim director.

During 2002-2003, the newly formed Academic Senate Undergraduate Council, chaired by Joe Kiskis, also analyzed writing instruction and writing requirements across campus. The Undergraduate Council Report on Writing at UC Davis, released in June 2003, endorsed two widely-accepted general principles: that students benefit from writing instructions throughout their careers and in their majors, and that students benefit from trained, experienced writing instructors. Accordingly, the Council affirmed the importance of upper division writing requirements and recommended increased emphasis on writing in the disciplines. Along with setting goals for students in writing proficiency, the Council recommended the formation of a University Writing Center to assess the quality of student writing, offer writing courses, and improve writing instruction across the campus.

On October 31, the Executive Council of the Academic Senate discussed several different proposals to provide permanent, university-wide funding for the writing program, which might report to the Dean of HArCs, to the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies, or some combination of the two.

UC DAVIS ACADEMIC FEDERATION

c/o Academic Senate Office

One Shields Avenue

Davis, CA 95616

ID #0037