UF provost office offers spring faculty development conversations

December 16, 2005

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida’s Provost Office announces its spring 2006 Faculty Development Conversations series.

The first event will be held Jan. 11 in Room 282 of the Reitz Student Union.

It will feature Samuel Betances, a nationally renowned sociologist, educator and professor. Betances earned his doctorate from Harvard University and is now emeritus professor of sociology at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. As one of America’s foremost communicators on the challenge of casting away barriers to success, Betances will speak on the importance of diversity.

After his speech, Betances and UF faculty will lead a panel discussion on the benefits of diversity to universities and the preparation of tomorrow’s leaders and workforce. These discussions continue in an interactive workshop during the afternoon that focuses on “Women in Leadership and Administration.”

The day’s events will conclude with a third two-hour workshop and discussion on “Empowering First Generation College Students,” lead by Betances.

The second event will be held from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Feb. 8 in Room 282 of the Reitz Student Union.

A panel of UF’s Doctoral Mentoring Award winners will share their theories, methodologies and practices for successful mentoring in a conversation titled “Helping Doctoral Students Finish with Flair.” The conversation will be led by H. Jane Brockmann, professor of zoology; Gregory Neimeyer, professor of psychology; Marianne Schmink, professor of Latin American studies; and William Thatcher, graduate research professor of animal sciences.

Two provosts from other Florida universities will join UF’s provost and general counsel for the third event in the series, which will examine the formidable concerns and arguments
facing academic freedom. It will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. March 8 in Room 209 of Emerson Alumni Hall.

Bonnie L. Yegidis, provost at Florida Gulf Coast University; Lawrence Abele, provost at
Florida State University; Pam Bernard, UF vice president and general counsel; and Janie Fouke, UF provost, will discuss what can be done to save academic freedom. Fouke will moderate and host this conversation with each of the panelists speaking briefly on various topics related to academic freedom.

Registration information for each of these sessions can be found at http://www.aa.ufl.edu/aa/affact/faculty_development/.