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Departmental Governance & Long-Range Planning

Departmental Goals and Objectives

The Department head is Dr. Ronald Kander. He is assisted by three Assistant Department Heads, elected at large from the faculty, for three years. Their terms are staggered so that only one is elected each year. The ADHs handle Budgeting, Editing of the Departmental Website, Departmental Prizes and Awards, Scheduling of classes, Liaison with recruiters, Dean’s office; preparation of Departmental Reports.

The Faculty elect a representative to the JMU Faculty Senate; The Department Head appoints faculty to serve on the Dean’s Faculty Advisory Committee, the College Diversity Committee, and other committees. Click here for the meeting times and places of these groups

Academic Groups

Curricula for the separate degree programs [BS and BA in Geography, BS in ISAT, and MS in ISAT are decided by Academic Groups. Within each program, smaller academic teams design various aspects of the course sequences across the major. Membership in these groups and teams is for the most part open and voluntary.

Geography

Working Group on Reform of Geographic Science Program Global Studies Group [Environmental Concentration faculty meet with ISAT Environmental Faculty; Applied Geographic Information Systems Concentration Faculty meet with ISAT Information & Knowledge Management Faculty]

Integrated Science and Technology

For the ISAT BS degree there are the following academic teams:

• Foundations - Considers the common core of courses for Freshman and Sophomores
• Analytical Methods - Considers foundational courses in Applied Calculus and Physics, Instrumentation and Statistics
• Social Context Considers foundational courses in Technology, Science & Society; and Political Economy of Technology and Science, as well as upper divisional integration of these topics into the curriculum as a whole. Approves occasional co-concentrations in Social Context.
• Bioscience - Considers the Bioscience Sector and Concentration [junior and senior year]
• Energy - Considers the Energy Sector and Concentration [junior and senior year]
• Engineering & Manufacturing - Considers the Engineering & Manufacturing Sector and Concentrations [junior and senior year]
• Environment - Considers the Environment Sector and Concentration [junior and senior year]
• Information & Knowledge Management - Considers the Information & Knowledge Management Sector and Concentration [junior and senior year]
• Telecommunications - Considers the Telecommunications Sector and Concentration [junior and senior year]

Standing Faculty Committees consider cross-cutting issues:

• Curiculum & Instruction Committee Approves all new courses and program changes
• Departmental Governance

Ad Hoc Task Forces consider other issues:

• Senior Project Task Force: Currently engaged in discussions on support of integration in senior projects.