June 29, 2005

Several changes made in Cowley’s instructional area

Cowley College’s instructional area has been restructured in an effort to expand the efficiency of the department without adding administrative positions.

Sheree Utash, vice president of academic and student affairs, announced the changes, which will take affect immediately. The changes affect the northern campuses as well as the Arkansas City campus.

At the Southside Education Center in Wichita, two people will become directors and two current directors will assume other responsibilities. Southside’s changes:

• Leslie Berryhill, Natural Science Department instructor, will be director of natural sciences, math and education. In addition to a reduced teaching load, she will be responsible for hiring adjunct faculty members within her discipline at the Southside and Mulvane campuses.
• John Thelemann-Williams, formerly the Academic Success Center coordinator, will be the director of language arts and instructional support services. He will have a teaching load of six hours each semester and be responsible for the hiring and supervision of adjunct faculty in English, speech, composition I and II, literature, reading and master student classes, along with supervising the ASC and the tutoring program.
• Ken Spurgeon, formerly the director of instructional services, is now the director of humanities and social, behavioral and business sciences. He will be responsible for the hiring and supervision of social and behavioral science adjunct faculty, humanities, business and criminal justice at the Southside and Mulvane campuses. Ken will also oversee the Interpreter Training and teach US History classes each semester.
• Ray Willis, director of technical computer education, will keep his title and be responsible for hiring adjunct faculty in the computer area for Southside and the Mulvane campuses.

“We’ve given each of these directors a more manageable assignment for providing assistance, supervision, and communication with adjunct faculty,” Utash said. “They also will serve as the liaison for communication to the adjunct faculty by attending department meetings and serving on the instructional team.”

Several changes similar changes are taking place on the Arkansas City campus. They are:

• Janice Stover, formerly the director of instructional activities, is now the director of academic enrichment. She will supervise and hire all adjunct faculty in the areas of humanities and social and behavioral sciences for the Arkansas City campus and the Wellington Center. She also will coordinate all high school concurrent enrollment, oversee the Wellington Center, and oversee the faculty advising portion of the advising system. Stover also will coordinate professional development and training for the college, work with various teams and coordinate all non-credit workshops and seminars.
• Angela Holmes, formerly the coordinator of evening and summer services, is now the director of academic support services. She will hire all adjunct faculty in the areas of math, natural sciences and health for the Arkansas City campus and Wellington Center. She also will oversee the Carl Perkins grant in the capital outlay budget and continue to manage the GED testing, The Underground, and tutoring programs on the Arkansas City campus.

All of these directors will be responsible to attend department meetings, serve on the instructional team, develop and plan adjunct faculty orientation and in-services for all campuses.

• Bruce Crouse, chair of the Industrial Technology Department, will remain as the IT chair, but assume the title of department chair of industrial and career technology. He will have a reduced teaching load in Non-Destructive Testing, and be responsible for hiring and supervision all adjunct faculty in industrial and career programs and related classes for the Arkansas City campus and in Mulvane. He also will be responsible for recruiting efforts, developing partnerships, and certifications of all industrial technology programs. Crouse also will work with area high schools to create an industrial technology track for juniors and seniors.
• Beverly Grunder, chair of the Business and Service Technology Department, will remain as the department chair, but assume the title of department chair of business, computer and information technology. She will have a reduced teaching load in accounting, and be responsible for hiring all adjunct faculty in business, computers and information technology areas on the Arkansas City campus and at the Wellington Center. She will co-chair the Outcomes Assessment Team and work with Utash in overseeing the Workforce Development Center at Strother Field. Grunder will be responsible for business and industry training and oversight of the course schedules each semester and the college catalog from the instructional office.
• Slade Griffiths, director of allied health and an instructor in the Business and Service Technology Department, will become the department chair for allied health. He will oversee the Emergency Medical Technician and Mobile Intensive Care Technician programs, Pratt’s LPN/RN program, and Certified Medical Assistant and Certified Nursing Assistant classes, all at the Winfield Center. He will continue to teach courses in the MICT program.

Utash said the changes should “increase communication and efficiency between departments, campuses and adjunct faculty without adding additional full time administrators.”