NewsUpper SchoolStudent LifeServiceAcademics
Academic Committee Unites Department Heads and Curriculum
May 1, 2000 8:00 AM
By Stefan Eady - Faculty
The Academic Committee, a modified version of the current Curriculum and Department Chair Committees, will be established for the 2000-2001 school year. The change significantly reduces the size of the Curriculum Committee and allows for the inclusion of two student representatives.
“The committee had become a bit unwieldy,” Sam Moss, dean of studies and college guidance, explained. “The main reason for the restructuring, though, came out of the strategic plan’s charge for the department heads to become more involved in the Middle and Lower Schools and be responsible for curriculum coordination among the three schools. Since the department heads are now going to be more responsible in those areas, it was not necessary to have as many representatives from each school.”
The purpose of the committee will be to oversee curriculum and graduation requirements, academic policies and procedures, the faculty in-service training program, and faculty evaluation procedures. The committee will present its recommendations to Headmaster David Rhodes, who may refer recommendations to the Executive Committee, the senior staff, or the president, as he deems necessary and beneficial.
The committee will be chaired by Moss and will be composed of the department chairs, the Lower and Middle School principals, a Lower and Middle School faculty member, the academic dean, two students, the headmaster (ex-officio), and the president (ex-officio).
Sally Rudert, academic dean, will chair the Department Chair Subcommittee, formerly the Department Chair Committee.
“I will continue to work closely with the department heads in making recommendations to the academic committee,” Rudert said. “I look forward to working with the heads of house as well, as we work to improve the academic standing of each student in every house.”
Each department chair’s responsibilities will include providing creative and responsible leadership for his or her department in the areas of curriculum, instruction, and personal and professional growth. The chairs will play an integral role in implementing school policy, exercising supervisory responsibilities, and evaluating department members.
A notable change in the function of department heads is the extent to which they will be involved in the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools. Chairs will monitor all three schools by evaluating department members and visiting classes, having overall knowledge of what transpires in the department, ensuring that departmental grades are in line with the school’s grading standards and practices, serving as representatives of their department on the Academic Committee, coordinating curriculum development for all grade levels, and working to assure a smooth transition from one grade level to the next.
“These changes will give the department heads the authority they need to meet their responsibilities in the school while at the same time make it easier for us to make necessary and innovative changes in our academic programs in all three schools,” President David Hicks noted. “This had to be done in preparation for a thorough look at our curriculum and academic policies, which I fully expect to see next year.”
“The committee had become a bit unwieldy,” Sam Moss, dean of studies and college guidance, explained. “The main reason for the restructuring, though, came out of the strategic plan’s charge for the department heads to become more involved in the Middle and Lower Schools and be responsible for curriculum coordination among the three schools. Since the department heads are now going to be more responsible in those areas, it was not necessary to have as many representatives from each school.”
The purpose of the committee will be to oversee curriculum and graduation requirements, academic policies and procedures, the faculty in-service training program, and faculty evaluation procedures. The committee will present its recommendations to Headmaster David Rhodes, who may refer recommendations to the Executive Committee, the senior staff, or the president, as he deems necessary and beneficial.
The committee will be chaired by Moss and will be composed of the department chairs, the Lower and Middle School principals, a Lower and Middle School faculty member, the academic dean, two students, the headmaster (ex-officio), and the president (ex-officio).
Sally Rudert, academic dean, will chair the Department Chair Subcommittee, formerly the Department Chair Committee.
“I will continue to work closely with the department heads in making recommendations to the academic committee,” Rudert said. “I look forward to working with the heads of house as well, as we work to improve the academic standing of each student in every house.”
Each department chair’s responsibilities will include providing creative and responsible leadership for his or her department in the areas of curriculum, instruction, and personal and professional growth. The chairs will play an integral role in implementing school policy, exercising supervisory responsibilities, and evaluating department members.
A notable change in the function of department heads is the extent to which they will be involved in the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools. Chairs will monitor all three schools by evaluating department members and visiting classes, having overall knowledge of what transpires in the department, ensuring that departmental grades are in line with the school’s grading standards and practices, serving as representatives of their department on the Academic Committee, coordinating curriculum development for all grade levels, and working to assure a smooth transition from one grade level to the next.
“These changes will give the department heads the authority they need to meet their responsibilities in the school while at the same time make it easier for us to make necessary and innovative changes in our academic programs in all three schools,” President David Hicks noted. “This had to be done in preparation for a thorough look at our curriculum and academic policies, which I fully expect to see next year.”
