CLASS advances under baton of interim Dean Kathleen Rountree
Kathleen Rountree
- December 23, 2010
Kathleen Rountree recently completed her first quarter as interim dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, taking the helm at a time of financial and programmatic change.
From her first weeks on the Hayward campus, Rountree acknowledged recent budget reductions and uncertainties, discussing them in her fall convocation address to college faculty. She also shared tactics for further balancing the CLASS budget while continuing to advance the college. After several months on the job, she remains confident in the direction CLASS is moving.
“CLASS has a tremendous challenge, because it’s at the center of every student’s education, (their) majors and general education,” Rountree said. “That makes our mandate to the university broad and critically important.
“That (also) requires that we look at every available dollar and whether it’s being used in the most important place to meet both student needs and support faculty.”
Prior to her arrival at CSUEB, Rountree, a professor of music, served a three-year appointment as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Ithaca College, a liberal arts institution in New York. Her background in music and organizing public performances, she said, prepared her well for leadership roles by giving her experience in collaborating with colleagues, planning and logistics and interacting with members of the community.
The dean’s strategy for CLASS involves a mix of new offerings, restructuring some existing courses and working more closely with University Advancement on fundraising opportunities. Additionally, she has embraced CSUEB’s path toward becoming a STEM-centered university that graduates technically-competent students in every major, an interdisciplinary approach she said CLASS has long practiced.
“All our disciplines have always had a science and technology component,” Rountree said. “But the level has increased.”
As examples, she mentioned speech pathology and audiology’s foundation in science, criminal justice administration’s increasing reliance on technical analysis of evidence and the need for artists and communicators to use advanced technology from computers to Web-based tools. Read about Rountree’s conversation with President Mo Qayoumi on at Cal State East Bay online.
“We need to teach (students) how to adapt to the technology that will be available in 10 or 20 years,” she said. “Because the technology is going to change at lightning speed in the future.”
Addressing student needs, such as availability of classes that are in high demand, has been an early priority for the dean. Recognizing that selected classes needed for graduation have had waiting lists and that some students have had trouble getting into required courses, the dean and faculty members are exploring offering some larger course sections for classes that are in particularly high demand. Conversely, courses with dwindling enrollment may be reduced.
“It’s not about the class size,” Rountree said. “It’s really about the learning that takes place. One of the things we’re doing is developing online courses. We’re finding there’s an immense student demand.
“We’re looking at new ways of serving the educational needs of the region by offering and developing degrees in social work and public administration, both online, in Oakland and in Concord,” she added.
As savings are realized in some areas, the dean plans to redirect money toward faculty development activities, such as assisting a faculty member invited to present a paper at a conference and adding faculty.
“In 2010-11, we expect to be running a number of hires,” she said. “That will be an exciting process to bring scholars and teachers on to the campus.”
Other previous appointments held by Rountree included the following: associate provost for undergraduate education, University of North Carolina Greensboro (2004-2007); dean and professor of music, College of Performing and Visual Arts (2001-2004), University of Northern Colorado; and associate dean for graduate studies, College of Music and Dramatic Arts, Louisiana State University (1998-2001).
Rountree served on the faculty of Louisiana State University, advancing from assistant professor to associate professor (tenured 1992) to professor. She earned her bachelor of music degree in 1973 from East Carolina University, her master of music degree in 1976 from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, and her doctor of music in 1985 from Florida State University.
“I’m having a blast,” Rountree said. “I’m very happy here. CLASS faculty are incredibly dedicated … to their disciplines and their students. They care, they’re committed and they have energy.”
“There are so many good things we can do in the next few years.”