Fall Faculty
Convocation Remarks
Mark Alan Taggart, Chair of the Faculty
August 20, 2007
Good morning! Welcome to the 2007-08
academic year! I am honored to be
serving you as Chair of the Faculty for this coming year.
Next, I would like to introduce to
you the faculty officers. Please stand
and be recognized as a call your name.
Returning as Vice-Chair is Professor Mary A. Glascoff, who is from the Department of
Health Education.
Dee Dee, thank you for your willingness to
serve again. I am very grateful for your
guidance! Next allow my to introduce you
to our new Secretary, Professor Marianna Walker from Allied Health
Science. Marianna, welcome! Thank you the refreshing insights you have
already offered us. I look forward to
working with you this year.
Our new Parliamentarian this year
is Professor Dale Knickerbocker, from Foreign Languages and Literature. Dale, thank you for your
willingness to serve us in your new role. I would be remiss if I did not recognize your
immediate predecessor, who served the faculty as Parliamentarian for over ten
years, Patricia Anderson, who is now the interim Chair of the Department of
Curriculum and Instruction. Tricia,
thank you for your service and dedication to ECU for all these years! I would also like to thank Ms. Lori Lee,
seated in the audience. Lori is the main contact in the
This promises to be a very exciting
year for shared governance at ECU. This
fall, our Faculty Governance Committee will be convening open hearings on the
proposed revisions to the reviews of administrative officers, found in Appendix
L of the ECU Faculty Manual. Our goal is
to have these revisions approved this year.
I thank those of you who have already offered us feedback on these
revisions, and I encourage all of you to review these revisions, attend our
hearings and share your views with us.
Remember, we are in this together.
Last year, I mentioned the
importance of being engaged in searches for faculty and administrative
positions. This year, we will have
searches for Deans of three colleges. I
encourage the faculty in the College of Human Ecology, Education, and the Brody
School of Medicine to be actively involved in the process. If you aren’t a search committee member,
please attend the presentations of the finalists for these important positions,
and please do give the search committees your feedback. Your views are important!
Finally, I would like to remind you
of the important role that we the faculty play in the curriculum and program
approval process. Remember, we, the faculty,
who are the experts in our chosen fields, are the ones who are responsible for
these matters. It is crucial that we
remain the leaders in this process, whether it be service on the University
Curriculum Committee or as a unit curriculum liaison, faculty should remain in
control of curriculum development.
It is now my honor to introduce our
Chancellor, Steve Ballard. In the three
years he has served us, he has continuously demonstrated his commitment to academic
freedom, and to openness and transparency in shared governance. He is a strong supporter of faculty and I
look forward to working with him again this year. Welcome, Chancellor Ballard!
Now I would like to introduce the
newest member of our leadership team, Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for
Academic Affairs, Marilyn Sheerer.
Marilyn originally joined us as a faculty member in the College of
Education, where she eventually became Dean.
Since then, she has served us as Vice Chancellor for Student Life. Now, as interim Provost, she will be taking
the reins in our reorganization and combination of the divisions of Student
Life and Academic Affairs. Faculty will
be involved in the process every step of the way. Those interested in working toward this goal
should contact Dr. Sheerer via email to get involved. Welcome, Interim Provost Sheerer!
Next I would like to our Interim
Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences, Phyllis Horns. I have worked with Phyllis in many ways these
past few years and am grateful for her guidance and leadership. Further, she
knows ECU from the inside-out, having received here undergraduate degree in Nursing here.
Welcome, Interim Vice Chancellor Horns!
It is my pleasure now to introduce
our Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies, Deirdre Mageean. Dr. Mageean is someone who takes the motto of
our university, “to serve” very seriously.
Welcome, Vice Chancellor Mageean!
Closing Announcements
Buses are standing by At Wright
Circle for faculty and staff who need transportation
back to the West Campus.
The Thomas Harriot College
of Arts and Sciences will have their opening convocation here following the
conclusion of ours. If you do not plan to attend, please leave the
building so that they may begin their convocation on time.
Thank you. We are adjourned.
Let’s go out there and have a great year!