Editor's note: This story is the first in a five-part series about the Provost's annual evaluations of deans on Ohio University's Athens campus.
Despite a relatively low response rate, faculty reviews of Ohio University’s College of Fine Arts dean have improved this year.
Faculty members in the college rated Dean Chuck McWeeny higher in 13 of 15 categories this year compared to last, and 78 percent of those who responded said they wanted McWeeny to be reappointed as dean for another five years.
Only 33 of 95 faculty — or 35 percent — responded to the survey, the same response rate as last year. This was the first year staff members were allowed to respond, and nine of 12 turned in evaluations.
“I would love to have a much greater response rate,” said McWeeny, who earned $182,053 this year. “I would like every faculty member to respond, but … at OU, I’ve found that’s just not realistic.”
At 35 percent, the College of Fine Arts has the second-lowest response rate of the Athens-campus colleges and regional campuses reviewed this year. Only faculty in the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine had a lower response rate, at 28 percent, according to a report from Michael Williford, associate provost for Institutional Research and Assessment. Other Athens-campus college response rates were between 42 and 50 percent.
Pam Benoit, executive vice president and provost, evaluated only five main campus deans this year. David Descutner, dean of the University College, and Jeremy Webster, dean of the Honors Tutorial College, do not participate in the evaluation process because their colleges do not have faculty members, wrote Ann Fidler, Benoit's chief of staff, in an email.
Rathindra Bose, dean of the Graduate College; Ben Ogles, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; and Greg Shepherd, dean of the Scripps College of Communication, were not evaluated because they are leaving the university after this quarter. Randy Leite, dean of the College of Health Sciences and Professions, was not evaluated because he was an interim dean for most of the year, Fidler said.
In its evaluation report, the faculty review committee expressed concern that the relatively low response rate did not allow the evaluation to represent all who had an opinion.
Annie Howell, assistant professor in the School of Film, said she never had the chance to participate in the review.
“I remember getting an email that (an evaluation) was coming, but I never received one,” Howell said.
Howell said she did not know if any other professors had not received an evaluation but added she would have completed one if she’d had the chance.
However, one faculty member said the College of Fine Arts’ low response rate was not unusual.
“I’m inclined to say they’re artists, so they’re not in the same groove as other people,” Matthew Ziff, chair of the Interior Architecture department in the School of Art, said of his colleagues. “Artists are artists — they’re eccentric.”
Leadership
Although McWeeny’s “leadership effectiveness” mark increased from 58 to 78 percent this year, his “vision and leadership” mark decreased from 74 to 72 percent. It was the only category in which he received a lower rating compared to last year.
One evaluator stated McWeeny is “…incapable of planning for significant budget cuts.”
Others expressed concerns that some of McWeeny’s proposed changes could threaten the school's accreditation in the future.
“The plans that he has, like merging schools, will hurt academics rather than enhance it,” one evaluator said.
McWeeny responded it is difficult to adapt as the university goes through changes.
“Change is challenging for people,” McWeeny said. “It’s difficult — we’re in the midst of some pretty significant change.”
McWeeny added that criticism is understandable.
“Adaptation to those (changes) is vital to our success,” McWeeny said. “I think it’s not surprising. I think it’s human nature. I think so far, people are understanding.”
Several faculty members declined to comment about either the evaluation or McWeeny’s leadership.
Communication
Evaluators said McWeeny particularly improved his communication skills. Of respondents, 87 percent indicated he was an effective communicator, up from 43 percent last year. In the area of promoting the importance of arts across campus, 87 percent of faculty also said McWeeny is effective.
“I try to work hard every day at that,” McWeeny said. “I have quarterly faculty meetings with each (school). I can always do better at getting more visibility for the school.”
McWeeny's lowest score, however, was in faculty relations; of the faculty surveyed, only 58 percent said they believed he effectively responded to faculty concerns and morale.
In the area of university relations, McWeeny received his second-lowest score. Of the faculty surveyed, 65 percent said they believed McWeeny effectively represents his unit to others at OU.
Faculty comments were mixed on McWeeny’s evaluation.
“… many faculty say they are reluctant to speak up and disagree, in that Chuck tends to quickly belittle and dismiss dissenting viewpoints,” wrote one evaluator.
Some commenters said they believed communication was handled effectively in the College of Fine Arts.
“He is a good listener who creates a sense of inclusiveness with faculty as we all struggle to address difficult issues within the current state of the university,” another evaluator wrote.
Of the faculty who responded, 86 percent said McWeeny effectively utilized affirmative action. Between 71 and 86 percent of faculty said they believed McWeeny is effective in eight other categories, including administrative style, external relations, academic programming and fiscal management.
Successes
McWeeny noted some of his accomplishments during his past five years as dean, including introducing a technology fee for students of the college. Undergraduates pay $50 a quarter, while graduate students pay $75.
“We were the only college in the university that had no technology fee,” McWeeny said. He added the fee pays for a variety of student services, including computers, plotters, printers and projectors.
The fee was necessary to help OU students gain a better understanding of technology used in the industry, McWeeny said.
He also noted several academic reorganizations, including the transfer of the Bachelor of Arts degree program from the College of Arts and Sciences to the College of Fine Arts, and the shifting of the Interior Architecture program into the college from the College of Health Sciences and Professions — a change that has added about 60 students to the school.
“It’s been a huge success,” McWeeny said. “That has been a seamless merger.”
Reappointment and looking forward
In her summary evaluation for McWeeny, Benoit congratulated the dean on his response to university-wide budget cuts.
“You worked diligently throughout the months of contingency planning to help preserve what was most valuable in your college while understanding the significant issues that the budget shortfall presented to the university as a whole,” Benoit wrote.
Benoit appointed McWeeny to five more years as dean of the College of Fine Arts.
McWeeny said his reappointment for five more years was an “honor.”
“It’s a great college — they are great faculty and staff,” McWeeny said. “I’m humbled to be reappointed. It’s an honor to serve the college.”
In a quarter during which OU has seen the departure of 14 leaders — six of them deans — McWeeny said it is not an easy environment for a dean.
“It is what it is,” McWeeny said. “These are the times when we are called to lead the college.”
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