The College of Fine Arts: Dr. A.C. "Buddy" Himes, Dean

Dr. A.C. Himes

Dean's Message to the Faculty

Synopsis from
Management and Leadership Presentation
to
Faculty of the College of Fine Arts

A.C. “Buddy” Himes, Dean
August 23, 2007

What you can expect from me:
I’m about a management style that is based on an understanding of what is motivational-- meeting psychological needs, instilling confidence, communicating with tact, and setting examples of mutual support.

To these ends my goal is to meet each and every faculty member personally. I’d like you to bring an up-to-date resume and meet with me 10-15 minutes. This is not any type of evaluation. I just want to get to know the people of the college, understand your strengths, and areas of expertise and creative interests.

Also, I’m interested in a mentoring program. Not so much at the college level, but at the departmental level. I believe the threshold level is creating a culture in which new faculty feel accepted and valued by their faculty colleagues. And this might already be going on. But, I want to go beyond this with connections made with infrastructures within the community and to assist new faculty in making connections with others in the community with which they have things in common. I’m interested in hiring good faculty and keeping them here.

What I expect from you:
Let me also assure you that this is not just a lot of nicety that lacks the ability to deal decisively with the rigors of the modern University! I’m also about high standards. I believe in rigorous academic standards for faculty.

I place a high value on:

Quality of teaching... that which is challenging, engaging. I will assure you that I will never have a conference with you for holding high expectations for students. I believe students will aspire to what ever level you set for them. I may, however, have a conference with you for not having high enough expectations for students. I think the ability to attract and retain students goes hand and hand with this. You heard the president and the provost talk about the importance of numbers already this morning.
More than collegiality, I’m about cooperation, mutual support, teamwork, being willing to compromise some small part of your program in order for great gains to be made for the College overall. I’m also about taking responsibility for your area... not holding up some other office that may be waiting on you for information.
I will tell you I am NOT about ego! I’m about putting aside the narrower interests of the individual in favor of the common good of the whole.
I’m about scholarly or creative productivity which achieves peer acclaim. Or, taken to the next level- results in national visibility. Or, taken to yet the next level- brings resources into the unit. In particular, it appears to me that there is opportunity for grant writing that the college could take better advantage of.
I’m also about the terminal degree in your respective field.

I’ll close this part by saying don’t do these things just because the dean has an expectation of them. Do these things for yourself. These things open doors of opportunity-- not only here, but wherever your career may take you in the future.

Long range vision and goals:
I would like very much to be able to provide recognition and reward for this type of achievement. This would include endowed professorships, or teaching excellence awards. I’m interested in something that elevates the status of high achievers within their department-- something that identifies a visible a role model for other faculty coming along. Something that only the college could provide that goes beyond tenure or promotion. This would all have to do with my vision for a Dean’s Advisory Board that I’ll go into at another meeting.

Let’s make it a GREAT year!

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Stephen F. Austin State University

Dr. A.C. Himes

Dean's Message to the Faculty