Materials for Evaluation for Tenure

Prepared by Dale H. Easley

Fall, 2008

Contents

1  Mission

1.1  Self-Report

The Reformed Tradition

sees vocation as a calling that is external to the person, coming from God. One discerns that calling and finds ones place in the world. The Quaker view is that all of us have an "inner light" that can be made to burn brighter through community interaction and quiet reflection as we discover our true inner selves. This inner light is of God. Schuurman argues that this approach suffers from the weakness of contemporary American society-an excessive individualism. I believe he discounts the importance Quakers put upon community and social justice. In fact, it is a bit startling to think of Quakers as "rugged individualists."

In addition, I believe the Reformed Tradition teachings on vocation must be tempered with a yearning for social justice. To tell a slave that his slavery was chosen for him by God is simply wrong, and to obey ones leaders blindly (such as many Lutherans did who became Nazis) is unacceptable. Fortunately, there are examples like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Lutheran minister, who gave their lives to oppose injustice.

The Reformed Tradition is certainly in agreement with my views on the importance of education and the need to integrate all aspects of our lives. I appreciate how many universities were started by Presbyterians. And I think that trying to integrate faith into all facets of life is a way of reducing the hypocrisy that we are all prone to. Certainly, an understanding of vocation and the Presbyterian tradition is crucial to UD's Mission. However, there are other facets of the Mission that speak particularly to me as a faculty member and an environmental scientist.

Excellence in academic inquiry and professional preparation:

In two of my classes I focus particularly on professional preparation: EVS 495 Senior Seminar and EVS 248 Environmental Geology. In Senior Seminar, Gerry Zuercher, with whom I team-teach, and I require students to perform a job search, prepare a vita, cover letter, and give a presentation. We spend considerable time on the mechanics of making the transition out of UD. In Environmental Geology, I require students to give impromptu talks, prepared presentations, and focus on professional preparation, including quantitative skills.

I have worked with multiple students on independent research projects, resulting in abstract submissions or poster presentations at conferences. In addition, I serve as an editor of Environmental Geology, a leading journal in my field. I review an article on average every six weeks.

Relationships which encourage intellectual, spiritual, and moral development:

I like the faculty at UD and am proud to know many of them. In particular, I am happy about the closeness most of the DNAS faculty feel-often eating together, holding parties and barbecues, and going on trips together. However, I am particularly pleased at the opportunity a small college has given me to establish cross-disciplinary friendships. Paul Jensen and I have shared a tent while camping out in the Boundary Waters and in Wyoming. Jim Sherry and I shared a funky little room at a youth hostel in New Orleans. I've heard them snore, smelled them at their less-than-best, and spent some great times together.

As much as I like the faculty, I came to a small school mainly for the relationships with students. My door is generally open, and students like to come by. In addition, taking students on weekend trips to Chicago and St. Louis, going to Scotland with Alan Garfield, and the trips mentioned above with Jim Sherry and Paul Jensen, all have allowed me to establish deeper relationships with students, both science and non-science majors.

Community where diversity is appreciated and Christian love is practiced:

In my mind, the distinguishing characteristic of Christian love was in Jesus' teaching to turn the other cheek and to forgive seven times seventy times, to judge not that you be not judged. When I first encountered this concept of freely given love in college (having missed it as a child despite being raised Baptist, playing the piano in church, and attending nearly every Sunday), I was attracted to how freeing this concept was-to act rather than react. Frankly, it wasn't until college that I realized that it was possible to both be a Christian and to think. My Baptist church in the South had no black members, and week after week sermons were on salvation, despite nearly everyone there being saved. There was neither ethnic diversity nor diversity of thought.

Fortunately, when I was in fourth grade, my home county integrated the school system. My mom took a job as secretary in what had been the black high school, now a middle school. I would wait for her to get off work and play basketball on the playgrounds, usually the only white kid there. The basketball court was a true meritocracy-it didn't matter your name or skin color, only whether you could play ball. Where I could never fit in at the Baptist church because of my family, on the playground I could master the skills.

As we aged, I saw the impact race had on my friends from the playground. The playground may have been level, but the social playing field was not. I was the only white guy on my eighth grade team to start, and I was the only starter who eventually went to college. I got to know the other guys quite well, occasionally seeing them over thirty years later when I visit my mom. With a bit of nurturing and guidance, they could have done well. I hope UD and I can do better.

While in New Orleans, I volunteered for five years at a GED program, teaching mostly middle-aged African-American women. I've also taken student groups to Haiti, taught two years in Africa and a year in the Middle East. My own kids irritate me sometimes, so I'm not surprised when the students I've taught aren't perfect. Still, I love them. Why else be a teacher?

Stewardship of all God's human and natural resources:

As an environmental scientist, writing about stewardship of natural resources is almost like a theologian writing about God. "Of course I believe!" I've worked to radically reduce photocopying in our department, helped President Bullock create a task force for sustainability, and hired adjuncts to increase our course offerings of stewardship courses. On the human level, I've tried to improve budget transparency through increasing faculty involvement in budget decisions, and I prepared a presentation for class on student debt http://www.geocities.com/daleeasley/Physical/StudentDebt.pdf. In my classes, I discuss water quality, soil contamination, and energy use.

Zeal for life-long learning and service:

When Paul Jensen and I were driving a van of students back from the Boundary Waters, one of the students asked Paul, "How do you and Dale find so much to talk about?" Paul's answer was, "We read." When I was a kid, my mom arranged for the book-mobile, a portable library, to stop at our house in the country. On the day it came, I would read multiple books. My mom encouraged my reading, and that was my favorite pastime then and now. I've also taken multiple courses in personal growth, stand-up comedy, dance, and appreciation of movies, and been in multiple book clubs, a micro-lending organization, two Haitian development organizations, and many professional organizations.

1.2  Assessment by Others

1.3  Materials that Evidence My Integration of Faith and Learning

My father was very sure about certain matters pertaining to the universe. To him, all good things-trout as well as eternal salvation-come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy.

2  Teaching/Learning

2.1  Peer Assessment

2.2  Department Head Assessment

2.3  Student Assessment

2.4  Self Assessment

3  Advising/Service to Students

3.1  Department Head Assessment

3.2  Advisee's Assessment

3.3  Self-Assessment

4  Scholarship

4.1  Record of Activities and Products

Editor for Environmental Geology:

The field of environmental geology is broad, and I have trouble keeping up with all of it. My role as an editor for the journal Environmental Geology helps me make sure that I regularly delve into articles rather than perusing them casually. I typically review an article every six weeks or so.

AWRA:

The American Water Resources Association is the professional organization for which I've had the most interest in recent years, attending conferences, having students submit presentations, occasionally editing an article, and presenting work myself.

Student Research:

I like working with undergraduates. The Mississippi River Research Consortium provides a great outlet for student research, and I have begun attending it the last couple of years, students in tow.

4.2  Evidence of Assessment by Outsiders

4.3  Self-Assessment and Development Plans

5  Service

5.1  Record of Activities and Products

Departmental:

I currently am head of DNAS. Prior to that, I was a member of the botany search committee, assisted with the summer teachers program at the Audubon Center of the North Woods, and helped in organizing social events for the department. As Head, I led the search for an environmental chemist, resulting in the hiring of Adam Hoffman, continue with the search for an additional math faculty member, led the revision of the biology curriculum, pushed through the hiring of Cheryl Moonen as secretary, helped create a welcoming environment in the new science building, reached out to colleagues in other departments, worked with Admissions to improve recruitment, helped create the Chlapaty Scholars for environmental sustainability, and have tried to make myself accessible to my departmental colleagues.

University:

I have served for two years as chairman of the Curriculum Committee, am co-chair of the Calendar (4-1-4) Committee, and am a member of the Honors Committee. I have had two specific goals with committees: make meetings as productive and efficient (short) as possible, and reduce waste of paper.

Community:

I have given talks to the Audubon Society and the Great Decisions Series, spoken at my daughter's school and at Grant Park, and volunteered at Hillcrest Family Services. In addition, I have led a field experience at Jefferson Middle School on the use of GPS and mapping and provided mapping materials for the Urban Youth Program of the Dubuque County Extension.

Profession:

As mentioned previously, I am an editor for Environmental Geology. I arranged for UD to sponsor a refreshment table at the Mississippi River Research Consortium. Each fall, I've arranged for our EVS students to become certified in IOWater, the state program for keeping track of water quality in Iowa. I also was invited and spoke at the Iowa Department of Economic Development's Sustainability Educator Roundtable.

5.2  Self-Assessment

5.3  Acknowledgments by Those Served

6  Additional Administrative Duties: DNAS Head

6.1  Evidence of Administrative Effectiveness

Curriculum Revision:

One of my first tasks as DNAS Head was to arrange an off-campus Saturday meeting to hammer out revisions to our biology curriculum. We created two tracks: a pre-health-professions track and an ecology track. In the process, we further differentiated the ecology track from the EVS degree. We also separated science majors from the general-degree-requirement population in our introductory biology class, putting our majors instead directly into Zoology. I have created handouts for students and faculty on the degrees and created a poster for the hallway detailing the different tracks and the course offerings.

Budget Management:

Money seems to be an issue in every family and institution, and in DNAS it is no exception. The DNAS supply budget sometimes seemed like a first come, first serve process. This fall, I created a more proactive approach that includes accountability to other faculty, generally in groups of three or four. For example, three faculty teach our four-course biology core. Money was set aside for these four courses, and the three faculty must agree on how it is to be spent.

Grant Writing:

Grant writing has not been my strength, but I find it easier to prepare a grant to benefit others. Successful grants include two Tech Mini-grants totally $2,500 to buy equipment for DNAS, multiple Wendt grants for field-trip support totaling more than $10,000, an Iowater grant of $1,000 to buy new waders for the department, and a Monticello College Foundation grant of $5,500 to provide scholarships for students,

Hiring:

I am particularly proud of two hiring decisions: Cheryl Moonen and Adam Hoffman. Hiring Cheryl required working with Rima Britt to make it happen. Hiring Adam was a long, tedious process with a happy ending. Our attempt to hire an environmental chemist was put on hold after we had already advertised, resulting in our losing our initial choices. However, Adam was just finishing his Ph.D. at UW-Madison, and applied at just the right time. I think he is going to work out wonderfully.

6.2  Self-Appraisal

6.3  Professional Development Plan

6.4  Confidential Faculty Evaluations