By Ella Prieto, Editor-in-Chief
President’s Report
President Iuliano began the faculty meeting with an anecdote from the past week. He received a letter from Ridgewood, Connecticut, which began with “I am the luckiest man alive.” The man who sent the letter had seen the Gettysburg College Choir on their tour during Spring Break, and was blown away by their “youthful passion, energy and devotion to their craft” along with their “polite and courteous demeanor.” Iuliano congratulated the Choir on a successful tour and thanked them for representing the College so well.
He then transitioned to a brief report on Artificial Intelligence (AI), introducing Psychology Professor Richard Russell as the lead of the College’s new initiative that aims to contend with the importance of AI in a liberal arts education.
AI at Gettysburg College
Russell took over, explaining his framing in leading the AI workgroup.
“The learning environment has changed. All of our students have easy access to tools that can allow them to complete our traditional assignments in a matter of minutes, even if it normally would have taken them hours, days or weeks,” stated Russell. “This results in the short-cutting of learning. This is why we need to update our pedagogy.”
He emphasized the importance of providing students with guidance, which is currently missing. That is the main purpose of this initiative, co-led by Russell and Chief Information Officer Gavin Foster. The team also includes Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs Michelle Schmidt, Professor of East Asian Studies Junjie Luo, English Professor Melissa Forbes, Director of Educational Technology Eric Remy and Innovation and Creativity Lab Manager Josh Wagner.
The structure of the initiative is informed by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) report. It will not be a permanent structure, however, because AI is still constantly changing.
“This initiative is still being created, and I think it would be better with [faculty] involvement,” concluded Russell. “Please contact me if you wish to discuss AI pedagogy and the broader initiative.”
Provost’s Report
Provost Jamilia Bookwala began her report stating that she has begun meeting with colleagues in the library, chairs of departments and administrative support staff for feedback on the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program (VSIP). She will also be hosting open listening sessions in the following two weeks, asking faculty to attend to voice their concerns if they have any.
Bookwala also followed up on a faculty meeting from Oct., when she addressed criticisms the Provost’s Office had received. The Office is sending out a survey in partnership with the Faculty Council to receive feedback on the Office’s performance, which will come out in the next seven to ten days.
Change in Tenure Home Policy
The Change in Tenure home Policy was officially voted on, after being stalled since Oct. The policy passed with 64 votes. It implements a way for tenured faculty to change their home department.
Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology
Chair of the Psychology Department Nathalie Goubet introduced a motion to establish a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Psychology. This new track would include thirteen courses, compared to the current Bachelor of Arts degree’s ten courses. After a question from the audience, Goubet clarified that because of some prerequisites for classes, the total number of classes needed to take for the BS is about fifteen, which is comparable to a BS in Psychology at similar institutions.
The motion was voted on and received an overwhelming majority, allowing it to pass in the same meeting it was introduced.
Proposed Partnership with Lincoln Intermediate Unit (LIU)
Director of the Center for Public Service Jeff Rioux presented a proposed partnership with the Lincoln Intermediate Unit (LIU). It would begin in the Fall of 2027 and include four or five LIU students who would take classes at Gettysburg. They would take one Gettysburg College class, accompanied by a trained peer-mentor or LIU staff member, and would complete assignments not for credit. Their other classes would be taught by LIU professionals.
Faculty showed great support for the proposed partnership, stating it would enrich the campus and build community relations.
