Past Chair of the Faculty Council, Professor, Department of American Studies
College of Liberal Arts Representative
May 2, 2016 Statement for Election for Faculty Council Chair Elect
Thank you very much Jody. I want to thank you and all the members of the Faculty Council Executive Committee for the recommendation that I stand for election for this important position. It’s really an honor to be here.
Jody suggested that I say a few words about myself. I’m currently Professor of American Studies and Geography, and in the middle of my second term as Chair of the Department of American Studies. I also hold what might be best described as a courtesy appointment in the Harry Ransom Center, where I am Academic Curator of Photography. Between these positions, I’ve handled a vast array of administrative duties, including curriculum design, hiring, promotion and tenure, and development, and over the past 8 years, I’ve worked closely with other department chairs, deans, center directors, donors, and alumni. Next year will be my third on Faculty Council.
Since arriving in Austin 16 years ago, my research and teachings have been squarely in the humanities, but my early training was in social and physical sciences. That’s perhaps why, when I think of our university, the model that comes most immediately to mind is an ecosystem. With UT’s vast array of constitutive elements—departments, centers, research labs, colleges, schools, museums, degrees, majors, athletics—it’s often easy to forget about their interconnections. But the critical thing about the university, like any ecosystem, lies in how each element relates to and affects other elements. Thinking of the university as an ecosystem helps us recognize two more things: One, their dynamic nature—invariably, they are subject to periodic disturbances and are often in the process of recovering from some past disturbance; and secondly their fragility—often those disturbances can threaten the diversity that is so central to health of the system.
I’m reminded of this fragility when I think about the past several years, in particular the misguided legislation to permit concealed handguns in our campus buildings, and the repeated attempts to fire our previous university president. We’re still waiting to learn how campus carry will play out, but I can tell you that I’m proud of the work of this Faculty Council in sending an unambiguous message of opposition to Senate Bill 11, and very strong support for our campus leadership. What’s more, my reading of our university’s history shows that this ecosystem’s sustainability is never guaranteed—it was seventy-two years ago, after all, that the UT board of regents fired President Homer Rainey after a lengthy battle over academic freedom. Rather, sustainability and forward movement are achieved through the vigorous and collective efforts of both our faculty and administration.
I’m honored to be nominated for this important position and, should the voting members of the faculty select me as Faculty Council Chair Elect, I’ll work hard on behalf of an amazing educational environment that means so much to me—and to all of us here today. Thank you.