From the Chair

As I sat down to write this academic year's final "From the Chair," I looked at the introductory paragraph that I wrote last May: "As this academic year draws to a close, I have spent much of my time attempting to deal with the ramifications for the department of the state's economic woes. Unfortunately, state-supported travel has been cancelled for a few faculty planning to attend conferences during May and June and it appears that departmentally produced journals may face temporary cancellations or delays in publication. There is little doubt that should any staff position become vacant, we will not be permitted to fill it. Fortunately, at this point we have been told that we can fill vacant faculty positions for which we are conducting searches."

I was thinking how fortunate the department had been this year in having an improved economic climate when I received an e-mail message informing me that the budget has once more been frozen. Not only has travel funding been cancelled, but hiring for fixed-term positions has also been frozen until after June 30, a condition that was not imposed last year. I can only hope that the hiring freeze will be lifted, for we cannot begin to staff all needed sections this coming fall by utilizing only those faculty currently under contract.

Despite this very disturbing news, as I did in last year's column, I wish to move to the category of positive/negative news. I am happy/sad to report that three faculty will soon be leaving our ranks. Mary Kathryn Thornton, who has served as a lecturer in the department at various times since first joining the faculty in 1978, is retiring from ECU at the end of this semester. Reducing her teaching load to part-time status this year, Mary Kathryn has been a valued teacher and colleague who is deservedly looking forward to her retirement years.

Also leaving the faculty is lecturer Todd Lovett, who first became a faculty member in the department in 1993. A recent change in marital status accompanied by relocation to Raleigh has led Todd to pursue a new career path in the city to the west of us. His service to his students, the department, and the university is greatly appreciated.

Finally, Eve Wiederhold is leaving after two years as an assistant professor in the department in order to take a position at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Eve's contributions to the program in Composition and Rhetoric have been especially noteworthy.

Christine Bendle has also resigned her position as Office Assistant III, effective June 13, 2003, in order to enter a full-time MAT program here at ECU. I have offered Christine the department's thanks for her excellent work as receptionist and as the administrative assistant to the Director of Undergraduate Studies. I've also expressed our appreciation of her excellent work in organizing our departmental graduation ceremonies. Many of you have commented on how smoothly these events have been conducted; Christine's planning and hard work have made that possible.

The department will miss these colleagues, but wishes them well as they enter their new pathways.

Despite the bad news with which I began this column, I'd like to conclude with what I hope will be positive news: I am pleased to report that Chancellor Muse has endorsed the department's "Request to Establish" a doctoral program in Technical and Professional Discourse. All necessary documents have now been sent to the Office of the President in Chapel Hill. If the proposal receives a favorable review there, it is scheduled to be placed before the UNC Council of Graduate Deans in October for final consideration and, we hope, approval. The first doctoral students would be admitted for fall 2004.

And so this academic year ends, while preparations begin for 2003-2004. I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to remind my colleagues that we gather once more for the fall convocation and first departmental meeting on Monday, August 25, 2003. Have a pleasant and productive summer!

Bruce Southard