Faculty

The president of Coppin State University says he won't be derailed by a recent vote of no confidence from faculty members and promises rapid efforts to improve communications with those who have criticized his leadership. "I certainly take all of the issues, whether it's budget or academic affairs, seriously," said President Reginald Avery in an interview Friday. "I just think there has been a lack of communication, and if I need to do more to improve that, I will. " Avery said he wants to hold a town hall meeting as early as next week and will also hold meetings with smaller groups of faculty to hear their concerns.

The Rev. Thomas Walsh, a Franciscan friar and pastor of a Rosedale congregation who had been the longest-serving Archbishop Curley High School religious faculty member, died of a heart attack Saturday at Union Memorial Hospital. He was 60. The pastor of the Roman Catholic Church of the Annunciation, he had spent more than 25 years as a teacher and guidance counselor at the Northeast Baltimore boys school, which will be closed Friday to honor his life and to allow students to attend his funeral.

Carolane Williams does not flinch when confronted with the particulars of her difficult year, which included an employee uprising and unwanted scrutiny from the leader of the state. "I knew I was going to have to tough it out," says the woman who has led Baltimore City Community College for the past five years. She regards the backlash as a natural byproduct of bold leadership, though others have accused her of pressing ahead on questionable decisions without regard for useful input.

A significant issue that permeates higher education is the need for better preparation for a substantial sector of the instructional workforce: occasional, part-time, and non-tenure-track instructors, known generally as adjunct faculty. Most colleges and universities rely upon this group to offer numerous courses to both undergraduate and graduate students, since it offers universities a means to serve a rapidly growing number of students in a cost-effective manner. However, little attention has been paid to ensure that adjunct faculty members have the tools they need to be effective in the classroom, and this cohort is often viewed as an appendage rather than as a vital component of a campus community.

Marilyn L. Dannenfelser, who during her more than four-decade career served as an aide to six presidents of Towson University, died Saturday of breast cancer at Gilchrist Hospice Care in Towson. The Riderwood resident was 63. "Marilyn was the heart and soul of Towson University," said Maravene Loeschke, the university's president. "She had the ability to make everyone feel respected, valued and even calmer when needed. She was a woman of talent, character and grace. " "She was a great person in her ability to make a president a president," said Susanna F. Craine, former longtime Towson spokeswoman.

Baltimore International College is set to hand over control of its operations to Virginia's Stratford University after restructuring its debt and receiving approval from the required accrediting agencies. The downtown culinary college held its final graduation Dec. 10 and will officially become a branch of Stratford on Jan. 1. Baltimore International students will be able to continue their classes at Stratford in January, and the branch will begin admitting new students in February.

Dr. Duane Anthony Sewell, a highly regarded head and neck surgeon and researcher who was also a member of the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, died Nov. 26 of gastric cancer at his Mount Washington home. Dr. Sewell was 44. "I can't think of anybody who better exemplified what it means to be a physician than Duane Sewell. He combined excellent surgical and research skills, and making his patients extraordinarily comfortable," said Dr. Kevin Cullen, director of the University of Maryland's Greenebaum Cancer Center.

I applaud the editorial in the September 28 Sun, "Fixing BCCC. " I am a nine-year adjunct instructor at Baltimore City Community College and see first-hand the problems there. Adjuncts represent the largest body of employees at the college, numbering about 600 people. We are voiceless, however, as we are underpaid and underappreciated. My salary is still below $2,000 a course, even with almost 10 years of faithful teaching. We are occasionally not paid on time, with no explanations.

Concerned about the academic achievement of students at Baltimore City Community College, Gov. Martin O'Malley has overhauled its board of trustees, replacing the majority of its members. "The governor has been monitoring the overall situation at BCCC, particularly student achievement and the relationships between faculty, students and administration," said Raquel Guillory, a spokeswoman for the governor. "The governor has been disappointed with the lack of progress, and he believes now is the time to infuse the board with new leadership.