Three Important Updates

September 1, 2021

Dear Baruch Community:

Now that the semester is underway, I spend half an hour each morning walking through our urban campus. It has been truly energizing to meet students, although I admit that I have proven to be of little use in helping them find their way around being so new myself. The Public Safety staff direct students on the use of the ID Card system, student government leaders answer a range of questions, and I observe strict campus-wide adherence to the mask mandate. Equally important, student spirit is high!

I am writing with some important updates.

Marxe Dean Search Committee Named

We are launching a national search for the next dean of the Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs. Myung-Soo Lee, former interim provost and director of the Weissman Center for International Business, has graciously agreed to chair the search committee. Marxe faculty on the committee include Hector Cordero-Guzman, Diane Gibson, and Sanders Korenman. In addition to two Marxe students, Janet Dewart Bell, Executive MPA alumna and Marxe Advisory Board member, and Stephanie Golob, chair of the Weissman School’s Department of Political Science, will also serve on this important committee.

We have invited five search consulting firms to submit proposals to assist us in this endeavor, and we hope to announce the chosen firm in a few weeks. I would like to offer my thanks to Nancy Aries, Interim Marxe Dean, who continues to lead the school during this exciting process.

Associate Provost Search Launched

Another important search just getting underway is for the Associate Provost for Assessment, Accreditation, and Institutional Effectiveness. Formerly an assistant provost position, the new position has been expanded to include more planning responsibility. The associate provost will be a key partner with me in developing structures and processes for data-informed decision-making across the College. President Wu’s Chief of Staff, Kenya Lee, has graciously agreed to chair the search. The committee includes Dennis Slavin, associate provost for teaching and learning; Cheryl Smith, professor of English; Robert Kunicki, assistant director, student success, assessment, & enrollment initiatives; and Mary Finnen, assistant vice president for finance. This group has the diverse expertise needed to identify the most well-suited candidates for this position.

Hybrid and Online at Baruch Advisory Council

I would also like to update faculty and staff on the work of last year’s Hybrid/Online Instruction Programming Working Group. The Hybrid/Online Instruction Programming Working Group consisted of faculty, staff, and administrators who were tasked with identifying both the short-term needs and longer-term opportunities for improving online teaching and student services in all forms, including fully online asynchronous instruction, remote synchronous, HyFlex, and hybrid modes. Myung-Soo Lee, who was then serving as interim provost, and Ann Clarkson, associate dean and director of Continuing and Professional Studies, led the group’s efforts. Across its four subcommittees, this expansive group identified challenges and opportunities to online and hybrid instruction.

In order to implement their recommendations and further advance excellence in Hybrid and Online at Baruch, I have convened a smaller task-oriented group charged with identifying best practices in the field, articulating the defining characteristics of Hybrid and Online at Baruch, and a laying the foundation for an Office of Hybrid and Online Education. The Hybrid and Online at Baruch Advisory Council is led by Allison Lehr Samuels and includes both faculty and professional staff: Lisa Blankenship, associate professor of English and director of the First Year Writing Program; Ted Joyce, professor of economics; Kannan Mohan, professor of information systems and statistics and associate dean, Zicklin School of Business; Mike Richichi, assistant vice president of information technology and deputy CIO; Sharon Ricks, director of academic advising; Thomas Teufel, professor of philosophy; Don Waisenen, professor of public affairs; and Annie Virkus-Estrada, associate dean of students and academic integrity officer. Members of this group will be communicating with the campus constituencies they represent throughout the fall semester.

Looking Forward to Meeting You

I am commencing a listening tour to learn more about both the institution and you as individuals. This has already begun with the senior staffs in each of the schools. Kara-Ann Pearson, my executive assistant, is working with the individual departments to find a time to meet during a regularly scheduled department meeting. We are spreading these visits to the 21 academic departments across the academic year. Please understand that there is no “priority order” here—the visits are being scheduled based solely on meeting logistics.

I am very much looking forward to meeting all of the faculty and academic staff!

With warm best wishes,

Linda Essig
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs