Editor’s Note: The following actions were taken by the Regents at their September meeting.
By Mary Jo Frank, Office of Communications, and Jane R. Elgass
Department of Linguistics
The Regents approved establishment of a Department of Linguistics in LS&A.
LS&A created a Department of Linguistics in 1961 and it was reorganized into an interdisciplinary program in 1985. An external review of the program in 1999 cited its strength and said there would be “considerable advantages to restoring the unit to departmental status,” enhancing its ability to attract and retain outstanding faculty and students.
The original department focused on three areas: teaching English as a second language, instruction in a number of Asian languages, and teaching in such traditional core linguistic disciplines as phonetics and syntax.
“The 1985 reorganization was designed to strengthen linguistics at Michigan,” said Provost Nancy Cantor, “through narrowing its focus to core methodological areas of linguistics and in linkages with other departments and programs through a series of joint appointments.”
Responsibility for language teaching was transferred to the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures and the English Language Institute was separated. A number of existing faculty appointments were converted into joint appointments with other units, including the Residential College, English Language Institute and the departments of Germanic Languages and Asian Languages. New joint appointments were created between the Program in Linguistics and the departments of English and Romance Languages.
Many of the Program’s faculty have joint appointments, but it also has 100-percent tenure-track positions. It recently added three internationally recognized faculty and several promising new assistant professors. Ten faculty members hold appointments in the Program and 11 have joint appointments.
“While linguistics traditionally has been a graduate discipline, the University’s program has created an innovative undergraduate concentration that integrates courses in psycholinguistics, anthropological linguistics and language-specific linguistics,” Cantor said. “It offers a number of freshman, sophomore and upper-division courses. It currently enrolls the largest number of undergraduate concentrators of any linguistic program in the country, a strong graduate program and a faculty of considerable distinction.
“LS&A Dean Shirley Neuman and the College’s Executive Committee support the recommendation for departmental status.”
Administrative appointments
The Regents approved the following administrative appointments:
Marilyn Knepp, assistant provost for university budget and planning, was appointed associate vice president for university budget, planning and administration, effective Sept. 1.
William C. Martin was named the Donald R. Shepherd Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, effective Aug. 1, for a five-year term. He was appointed interim athletic director March 6.
Kathy A. Okun, assistant dean at the Law School, was appointed associate vice president for development, effective Sept. 1.
Academic administrative appointments
The Regents approved the following academic administrative appointments:
Susan H. Brown, associate professor of kinesiology, also will be associate dean for research in the Division of Kinesiology.
John R. Chamberlin was reappointed associate dean of the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, effective Sept. 1. He also is professor of political science and of public policy.
Elrie LaBrent Chrite was appointed assistant dean for global student development at the School of Business Administration, effective July 1, 2000–June 30, 2003. He also will be director of the Southern African Initiative at the Center for Afroamerican and African Studies and continue as an adjunct assistant professor at the Business School.
Mary C. Erwin, assistant director of the University of Michigan Press, was appointed interim director, effective Aug. 4, 2000–Aug. 3, 2001.
Lauren Friesen, assistant professor of theatre and dance, U-M-Flint, will be chair of the Department of Theatre, effective Jan. 1, 2001–Dec. 31, 2003.
Carolyn M. Gillespie, was reappointed interim chair of the Department of Communication at U-M-Flint, effective July 1. She also is associate professor of theatre and chair, Department of Theatre.
A. Melissa Harris, associate professor of architecture and assistant dean for academic affairs, was appointed associate dean for academic affairs in the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, effective Sept. 1 for a five-year term.
John A. Helmuth, chair of the Department of Accounting and Finance and associate professor of finance at U-M-Dearborn, also will be acting assistant dean at the School of Management, effective Sept. 1.
Capt. Dennis L. Hopkins was appointed chair of the Naval Officer Education Program, effective Aug. 1, 2000, for a three-year term.
Swatantra K. Kachal was reappointed chair of the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering at U-M-Dearborn, effective July 1, 2000–June 30, 2003. He also is professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering.
Gautam Kaul, the John C. and Sally Morley Professor of Finance, was reappointed associate dean of the School of Business Administration, effective Sept. 1. He also is professor of finance.
Diane M. Kirkpatrick, professor emerita of history of art, was appointed interim chair of the Department of History of Art, effective Aug. 1.
Benjamin Lev, professor of operations research at U-M-Dearborn, also will be acting chair, Department of Management Studies, effective Sept. 1.
Pankaj K. Mallick was reappointed director of interdisciplinary programs in the U-M-Dearborn College of Engineering and Computer Science, effective Sept. 1, 2000–Aug. 31, 2003. He also is professor of mechanical engineering.
Kenneth L. Modesitt was reappointed chair of the Department of Computer and Information Science at U-M-Dearborn, effective July 1. He also is professor of computer and information science.
Margaret E. Norgren, assistant to the dean in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, was appointed assistant dean for operations in LSA, effective July 1, 2000, for a five-year period.
Mary E. Periard, interim dean of the School of Health Professions and Studies at U-M-Flint, will continue as interim dean, effective July 1. She also is associate professor of nursing.
Howard G. Rush, associate professor of laboratory animal medicine, was appointed interim director of the Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, effective July 1.
Gifts
U-M Regents, at their Sept. 21–22 meeting, formally accepted a total of $50,688,255 in gifts received by the University in June, July and August of this year.
The total included $22,707,159 from individuals, $7,735,030 from corporations, $14,184,721 from foundations, and $6,061,345 from associations and others.
(To be continued in the Oct. 2 issue)
