Chairman Woodcock's Corner

The 1999/2000 academic year has been remarkably busy in the Biology Department, and very successful in many respects. A major event was the Academic Quality Assessment and Development (AQAD) review mandated by the trustees for all UMass programs on a seven year cycle.  We were a guinea pig department, in the first round of reviews.  The assembled self-assessment document was two-inches thick, and was sent to four distinguished biologists at peer institutions in the USA.

This March the external review panel visited for two days of intensive meetings with students, faculty and administrators.  The reviewers report was a strong vindication of the strength of the department, and its crucial need for more faculty to balance the huge increase in student interest. Here are a few excerpts from that report:
 
"The AQAD review team was simply overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and commitment that the Biology faculty have throughout their ranks for teaching at the undergraduate level" ... "Undergraduates respond to this special commitment on the part of the faculty in a very positive way." ... "The excellent attitude by the entire Department should not be taken for granted and should not be squandered." ... "A minimum of one new faculty must he hired each year for the foreseeable future ... "Department members need to be acknowledged for their outstanding achievements, ... to be assured that the University recognizes the centrality of basic biology in the mission of the University, and to have the University take whatever steps are necessary to adequately support the Biology Department".  For the text of our self-assessment or the full external review, Email chair@bio.umass.edu.
 
The process now moves to the Dean and Provost and ultimately to the President and trustees.  We must make sure the administration is aware of the recommendations of the report, and look forward to a stronger level of support for our work.

Several Biology faculty were recognized for their extraordinary contributions in teaching, research, and advising:  Elizabeth Connor, College Outstanding Teacher Award ('99); Lawrence Schwartz, Samuel F. Conti Faculty Fellowship ('99) and Distinguished Faculty Lecture ('99); William Bemis, Samuel F. Conti Faculty Fellowship ('00); Bruce Byers, Outstanding Academic Advisor of the Year ('00); Elsbeth Walker, Lilly Teaching Fellow ('00).
 
Finally, we were a recipient of an $88,000 Beckman Fellows Award for the support of undergraduate research. It has been a challenging and rewarding year, and, as usual, a great privilege for me to chair such an active and committed group of students, faculty, and staff.