Latest post: January 2012

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Dear Faculty and Staff,

Today, I want to update you about some key ideas and actions we are undertaking over the spring as well as some key events we anticipate this spring.

Working Groups’ Progress - First I want to thank all of you who led sessions and those who attended our fall community meeting and dinner in December.  The presentations were well conceived, challenging and have moved us forward positively. Attached are the slides presented by each working group in case you were unable to attend.  Many of the ideas are now making their way into the proposed annual budget and the 2012-13 Strategic Plan. In most all cases, the work is meant to continue. Please continue to be in touch with me about your ideas and constructive suggestions. I ask you to remember this is “budget season.”  All of our budget proposals and Strategic Plan Update need to be reviewed by the STL administration before we can start to celebrate.

Highlights from the Strategic Plan Update, include support for:

Website - I hope you have noted the positive new changes to our website. The Strategic Communications Committee recommended a relatively quick transition where most content was transferred from the old to the new site following critical updates and corrections suggested by heads of department.  As the Webmaster has requested, we will now concentrate on fine-tuning.

 

Faculty Development - I strongly recommend you to consider joining our spring activities. Please note that a complete description and details on our Spring Faculty Development workshop is immediately forthcoming separately. This will include dates and registration.

Geneva Scholar’s Program – We are aggressively seeking to recruit as many as 20 highly competitive academic achievers in next fall’s class. We will produce web and print materials and utilize an admissions review and application process to give us the best opportunity to recruit these incoming students. Soon, I will invite a number of faculty and staff to be part of a Steering Committee for the Scholar’s Program to give shape and detail as the program starts to mature.

Conferences and Events - Finally, as you know from past experience, spring is our “conference season” and we once again have a banner lineup of planned events. Please keep an eye on our website and information screens for specific announcements, details and registration information.

In closing, please let me once again express my admiration for the energy, quality and enthusiasm you all bring to Webster Geneva. It is a pleasure to work together with you and I feel that we are making progress in many key areas.  I wish you all the best for a smooth and productive spring semester.
 
Best regards,

Ron Daniel

 

 

• Develop a new technology paradigm/proposal for Webster Geneva - mobile etc.?
• Implementation plan for making steps to a next level

• Swiss Accreditation - Develop a possible timeline and intermediate goals and benchmarks
• Propose a facility roles/rewards process and concept – The proposal should include an approach to allow for faculty ranks and titles and a review process

• Propose a master plan (verbal) in terms of where key renovation(s) and investments will be needed, starting with the administration building – Reconsider a zoning plan
• Develop a prioritized agenda for all infrastructure issues/needs
• Develop a plan to accommodate more students by using the five work day calendar

• Create a a more robust strategy to enhance our marketing approaches and propose next steps
• Develop a plan for significantly increasing enrolments

• Develop an agenda for several significant Community project(s) – common readings?, Shared Themes?, (such as environmental improvements and “greening” of the campus)
• Propose a Community calendar

• Develop a staged concept and resource proposal for implementing the Geneva Scholars and Geneva Transitions programs
• Develop a resource plan for the holistic First Year experience program as proposed
• Create the framework for a unit to lead liberal education and foundational, interdisciplinary coursese

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Published: August 2011

 

Dear Faculty and Staff:

 

As the new academic year begins, I want to first thank you for all you have done to make last year successful. I trust that each of you have found ways to enjoy some form of vacation and break time in order to be renewed for the coming year. I enjoyed the break myself and did not even do too many emails! It is encouraging to observe what we have all been able to achieve together so far. Through your support and efforts we have made progress in strategic as well as day-to-day areas that make us a better institution. I greatly appreciate your thoughtful leadership and what I would term ability to achieve creative continuity that has helped us to continue as the European flagship campus for Webster University.

 

This fall we will welcome Dr Kevin Stringer, the new Chair in SBT. Kevin will be starting his new role at the end of August and we will make sure there are opportunities for you to meet and greet. In addition to leading the department in Geneva, Kevin will coordinate among the other European campuses in SBT matters. And, I will be asking Kevin to provide holistic leadership of our quality assurance efforts, assessment planning/implementation and developing our accreditation timelines and processes across all programs.

 

In addition to the outstanding annual conferences offered by International Relations and Media Communications, the Department of Psychology and Counseling will be holding an inaugural landmark event of its own, on 19-21 October entitled Building Bridges: Supporting Individuals & Families in Transition. Ros Thomas and her colleagues have been working very diligently on this and will be sharing more information soon.

 

Dr. Julianna Bark will now, in addition to her teaching, be responsible for coordinating existing and new efforts in the Geneva first year experience. Her goal will be to increase the synergy and relationship between first year programs and to elevate the retention of our first year undergraduates.

 

Work with New Programs:

 

This year we will initiate a Webster Geneva Scholars Program that recognizes and rewards our highest achieving students.

We will take additional steps to assist all students to succeed by developing a Webster Geneva Transitions Program that focuses on students at risk and those who are placed on academic probation.

New first year students will be offered an opportunity to participate in one of two Learning Communities, led by Tammy Rosso. She has been working with the heads and others to implement this excellent method to increase the engagement of our first year students.

Work with existing first year areas and programs:

 

Enhancements to our advising efforts through implementation of both paper and electronic course planners,

Coordination of curriculum for Freshman and Scholars/Honors seminars,

Increased integration, visibility, and utilization of the Writing Center

Renewed focus and discussion about general education as the Global Citizenship Program moves toward implementation next fall

This semester we will host an open event to provide the entire academic community, particularly those who teach first year students, with the chance to learn more and engage in conversations about these new programs and how we are enhancing existing ones. We will do a Doodle poll and consider holding this meeting in week 2.

 

On another academic front, Webster, Geneva is planning to offer two new Masters degrees in Spring 1, 2012 an MA in Media Communications, and an MA in Security Studies. Please do not hesitate to contact the Heads of the relevant departments if you would like more details on the two degrees.

 

In this years budget we received a modest increase in funds to support our research activities. I anticipate that the Research Committee will be able to offer a call for proposals later this semester and it is my expectation that the Research Committee will host a second Research Symposium this spring semester. More information will be forthcoming about the work of the committee and future plans.

 

Many of you contributed to the Working Group teams initiated about a year and a half ago. Through your efforts we have made significant steps that include:

 

Bringing faculty and staff development programs into existence,

Enhancing and educating faculty and students about academic honesty,

Reconsidering how we use our time and space (the one hour gap for lunch),

Proposing ways that we can enhance our sense of community,

Initiating conversations about our quality of programs and reputation, and

Considering how we can better involve our alumni in all possible ways.

We now need to renew and recharge the Working Group concept. Soon I will distribute a next generation mission/challenge for the working groups. Immediately, I encourage your suggestions to me about areas that need attention (new or continued), your volunteerism, and your nominations of those you feel can contribute to our work. I need your responses to help me create this next step. Proposals we develop in these areas need to be integrated and synchronized with the next iteration of the Strategic Plan. Many ideas from the working groups require some form of resources, so this is essential to take our efforts beyond theoretical exercises.

 

Some Key dates to keep in mind for the coming year:

 

Fall 2011 Community Workshop - 18th November

Media Trends Conference - 26th & 27th March 2012

17th International Humanitarian Conference - 1st & 2nd March 2012

Security Forum - 13th April 2011

I look forward to working with you this year and truly look forward to taking our ideas and aspirations to a next level.

 

The very best to you all for the coming academic year,

 

Ron Daniel

Academic Director

 

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Published: July 2011

 

Dear Faculty and Staff,

 

I am writing you today to update you on the search we have conducted for a Chair of Webster Geneva Business and Management programs as well as coordination of Walker School of Business and Technology programs throughout Europe.

 

We launched a worldwide search in January and as a result received over 80 applications. The Search Committee worked through the applications, moving to 24 semifinalists, and then further decided on a short list of eight candidates to interview via Skype. After reviewing the feedback and results of those interviews, we brought three finalists to campus. During these full one-day visits they had opportunities to meet with WSBT faculty, staff, students, and administrators. The Search Committee greatly appreciates the time so many of you took to meet and enter conversations with the candidates and provide the Committee with feedback.

 

Following this process the Search Committee unanimously selected Dr. Kevin Stringer. Dr Stringer will also serve as Associate Academic Director charged with coordinating quality assurance, assessment and collaboration efforts across departments. Dr Stringer will begin serving in these roles in late August.

 

Dr Stringer comes to us with a PhD from the University of Zurich, a Master’s degree from Boston University and an undergraduate degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point. See Dr Stringer’s complete Curriculum Vitae (password protected: contact hhofmans AT webster.ch for the password). 

 

All of us on the Search Committee thank you for your participation and we encourage you to welcome Dr Stringer to the Webster Geneva community later this summer. I wish to thank Nickie Greenwood who did a tremendous job working with all aspects of the search process receiving applications, tracking progress and communicating with applicants. Finally, I would like to thank the Search Committee listed below for their dedicated efforts in bringing the search to a timely and positive conclusion.

 

The Search Committee included:

 

Dr. Benjamin Akande – Dean WSBT – Saint Louis

Dr. Debbie Psihountas – Head of WSBT – Saint Louis

Professor Charlaine Jannerfelt – Head Human Resources WSBT – Webster Geneva

Professor Ronald Banks – Marketing WSBT – Webster Geneva

Dr. Ros Thomas – Head of Psychology and Counseling – Webster Geneva

Dr. Robert Spencer – Director Webster Geneva – Director General for Europe

Professor Ronald Daniel – Academic Director – Webster Geneva

 

Best regards, 

 

Ron Daniel

Academic Director

 

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Published: July 2010

 

Dear Faculty and Staff,

 

Welcome back to a new semester and I hope you each of you had an enjoyable holiday break. The spring promises to be a busy one with a number of great conferences and events planned. A spring calendar is attached, so please join these activities and encourage your students to participate as well. I also hope you will take the chance to consider the new course feedback forms we piloted at the end of the Fall II term. Your constructive ideas on how we can improve the first iteration of this instrument are encouraged and welcome.

 

One of the many benefits of a break is the opportunity for reflection. In my case, I had a chance to reflect on both individual thoughts as well as institutional ones. My first term of teaching at Webster has helped me to gain empathy for issues I have heard from faculty members and issues raised by our students. Given our discussion over the past year about building a stronger community, we need to move forward in a number of areas. My appreciation for the close-knit and personable nature of our community of faculty, staff and students at Webster has continued to grow. Working in a small organization such as ours makes us highly dependent on collegiality and places responsibility on all of us to work together in harmony as much as possible.

 

Conflicts represent a serious challenge to any community. Recently I have learned about an innovative approach that could allow us to effectively deal with conflicts when they arise by utilizing a more community-based process. Restorative Justice turns conflicts into opportunities for community building and understanding. We have the possibility to strengthen our community by setting up a system of Restorative Justice as a parallel option to current disciplinary and administrative procedures. Then, when any member of the community could call for a meeting where each person involved in a conflict directly or indirectly would have the opportunity to listen and be heard in a safe environment.

 

Restorative Circles are a form of Restorative Justice that would be appropriate for Webster because they can deal with both formal and informal situations, and facilitators do not need professional skills. Dominic Barter developed these circles in Argentina, where they have become widespread in schools, prisons and the justice system. 

The following 4:42 video shows Dominic Barter talking about the value of conflict: http://vimeo.com/10778141

 

This February, a cycle of facilitator training (in English) will be offered by Dominic in Lausanne. There are more links and information on the attached document. We are seeking to identify a small number of students, staff and faculty and support their attendance at these training sessions. We could potentially have a Restorative Circle system in place at Webster Geneva by Fall, 2012.

 

Students, staff and faculty—are eligible to be facilitators. Abbott Chrisman and I invite your nominations of individuals who you think would be well suited to become part of the first step. Self nominations are also welcome. If you are interested in knowing more, or if you simply have questions, please contact either me or Abbott Chrisman at achrisman@sunrise.ch.

 

 

Sincere best wishes for the new semester,

 

Ron Daniel

Academic Director

 

 

Current Working Groups:

 

Alumni

 

Charge & members

 

Presentation (password protected)

 

 

Community

 

Charge & members

 

Presentation - Base Line (password protected)

 

Presentation - Action plan (password protected)

 

Presentation - Common Book (password protected)

 

 

Space & Time Use

 

Charge & members

 

Presentation (password protected)

 

 

University Relations & Image

 

Charge & members

 

Presentation (password protected)

 

 

Academic Integrity

 

Charge & members

 

Presentation (password protected)

 

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Published: July 2010

 

Dear Faculty and Staff,

 

Thank you!

Our community meeting of faculty, staff and students on 28 May was attended by over 80 people. The presentations were both thoughtful and thought provoking. Some good follow-up suggestions have already been received and I have asked all of the groups to consider next steps based on your input. The presentations are now linked below on the website in a password protected form.

 

 

We want your ideas and feedback:

Please review the presentations on the links below for each of the working groups. Over the next week I will share with you access to a "collaborative feedback" tool, that will allow us all to share and see feedback about the presentations. If you have any urgent feedback before then, please email me directly.

 

 

Some ideas are now underway:

 

The fall time schedule of classes already reflects recommendations of the Space and Time Use working group.

We will work to immediately pilot the faculty/course evaluation instrument proposed by the groups considering assessment.

Renewal and clarification of our Academic Honesty standards will be ready for fall education of both students and faculty.

We will move forward with developing ideas proposed about faculty support and development.

We also will move forward with considering classes spread across the entire Monday – Friday week so we might anticipate some additional space for our full time and adjunct faculty members.

Though a Geneva specific common book will take a longer period of development based on the working group’s recommendation, we will begin using a common book proposed by the St Louis campus for new students this fall.

We will begin a pilot Learning Community for new students in Media Communications this fall.

Next Steps:

With your advice and support, we can move forward with many more of the good ideas that were presented. It has been suggested that we convene another community meeting or workshop in early fall to focus on some ideas 

such as academic honesty, faculty development and how to best use our space and time. Based on your suggestions and interest, I will develop an action plan and then share that with you soon.

 

 

Ron Daniel 

Academic Director

 

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Published: May 2010

 

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students

 

Update on the status of the working group efforts

 

All of the working groups have indeed been “working.” I commend each of the groups for their dedicated efforts. To review the charge for each group, please visit the links below.

 

Our 28 May faculty meeting will be entirely devoted to presentations from the five groups. Time for each group will be limited. Though some time after each presentation will be held for discussion, there will clearly be more conversation necessary after the meeting, so discussion will flow into the dinner period. The basic format and agenda for the meeting (to be held in the LLC Commons Room) is as follows:

 

• 18:00 Introduction – Ron Daniel/Bob Spencer

 

• Image and Reputation – Bob Spencer

 

• Community Building – Kerry Grummert/Nickie Greenwood/Ros Thomas

 

• Assessment and Alumni Tracking – Ron Banks

 

• Space and Time – Tammy Rosso

 

• Academic Integrity – Sarah Stauffer/Jackie Mann

 

• 20:00 Dinner – Break out to conversation tables - Cafeteria

 

Please RSVP for the meeting to Maureen Gisiger, gisiger@webster.ch by 24 May, and, please inform Maureen if you are unable to join us for dinner and are only attending the meeting.

 

Handouts from each group will be distributed at the meeting and will be posted to this website afterwards in a password protected form. More information and reports from the meeting may also be shared on this website. As fall approaches, I will be communicating again as to how this work can evolve to subsequent stages.

Best regards,

 

Ron Daniel

Academic Director

 

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Published: March 2010

Dear Faculty,

 

Traditionally in universities, committees are charged with governance of the University. Rather than form compartmentalized committees, I am asking some faculty members, staff members and students to serve together on a number of Working Groups. I am intentionally calling these Working Groups because they will be charged with addressing particular issues and opportunities in a time limited manner. They will be expected to report and recommend actions after a period of meetings (in-person and electronic if desired). Following their reports and recommendations, the work of each group will be complete.

 

The important chance we have is to bring faculty, staff and students together to discuss, debate and propose ideas to make improvements to our university. These working groups have now all been issued charges and in some cases are already meeting. I have encouraged them to share regularly among the faculty at large and I will report back to you as their work reaches points of critical mass where your input will be needed.

 

Ron Daniel

Academic Director