TODAY’S EDITION See page 2 for promotion-and- SPECTRUM tenure information. VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY VOLUME 21 NUMBER 30 THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 1999 Board adopts American history academic requirement By Larry Hincker through pre-college coursework and others will administered by Virginia Tech, or through a types of tests,” said Ron Daniel, associate The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors take classes at Virginia Tech. program of instruction at Virginia Tech. provost for undergraduate programs. The has adopted a requirement that all Virginia “The objective is to ensure that Virginia If students can not demonstrate the expected on-line course currently is envisaged as a Tech graduates have a “significant Tech graduates have a significant level of achievement level, they must take the one-semester-long exploration of American knowledge of American history.” The competency in American history. If they already university’s existing two-semester American history that students could take without requirement begins for students entering in have these proficiencies, as many of our students history sequence, or take the university’s on- impacting other requirements of the core fall of 2001. do, they can test out,” said Peggy Meszaros, line American history course (currently under curriculum. “Critical concepts of American history university provost and senior vice president. development), or transfer an acceptable course Proficiency tests conducted are are necessary for responsible citizenship Students can demonstrate knowledge of from another college or university, or complete expected to be conducted this fall to reveal and participation in a democratic society,” the American history material by achieving a other Virginia Tech courses that are deemed to the extent to which new programs might be said Heywood Fralin, chair of the board’s high score on the Virginia Standards of Learning satisfy the requirement for U.S. history. needed. Then several pilot programs will be Subcommittee on Academic Affairs. achievement test (exact score to be determined), “Our History Department faculty members conducted and evaluated during Fall 2000 Students will be able to satisfy the through equivalent reporting from other states, are currently developing a self-paced on-line semester to accommodate the Fall 2001 requirement in many ways. Some may through U.S. History advanced placement or American history course and a university implementation date. demonstrate college-level proficiency History SAT II, through testing developed and proficiency test that could serve in lieu of other BOV honors Mitchell to speak Flight Time at Graduate Chichester, Tech cadets recently had the opportunity to fly in a C130 Hickam transport. Commencement By Julie Kane By Larry Hincker (J. McCormick) University Distinguished Professor The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors James K. Mitchell of the Via Department of has granted the 1999 University Civil and Environmental Engineering has Distinguished Achievement award to been chosen to speak at the 1999 Graduate Virginia Senator John H. Chichester of Commencement ceremony on May 14. The Fredericksburg. event will be held at 4:30 p.m. in Cassell Chichester, the Virginia Republican Coliseum. Party’s senior senator, represents Virginia’s Mitchell, who was elected a member of 28th Senatorial District. He currently co- the National Academy of Engineering in chairs the Senate Finance Committee and 1976, joined the Virginia Tech faculty in serves on three other committees: 1994 as the first Charles E. Via Jr. professor Agriculture, Conservation and Natural of civil engineering. He came to Tech from Resources, Commerce and Labor, and the University of California at Berkeley, Education and Health. where he held an endowed chair and con- Chichester attended Virginia Tech in ducted research in both the Institute of Trans- the 1950s. Through his alumni status he has portation Studies and the Earthquake Engi- remained close to the university and higher neering Research Center. education. He currently serves as treasurer Mitchell had been on the Berkeley fac- of the Southern Regional Education Board ulty since 1958, after receiving his doctor of (SREB) and he chaired the Commission on science from the Massachusetts Institute of the Future of Higher Education in Virginia, Technology in 1956 and serving on active which completed its work in 1996. duty in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (See BOV on 8) (See MITCHELL on 5) Forestry name Presidential Search Forum changed; now Scheduled for Saturday Natural Resources The Virginia Tech Presidential Search Committee will hold a public forum By Lynn Davis Saturday, May 1, to hear comments from The Board of Visitors has unanimously faculty and staff members, students, approved a name change for the College of alumni, and the general public on factors Forestry and Wildlife Resources to reflect Domenech chosen to speak May 16 to be considered in conducting the search, more accurately its mission amid the chang- and the criteria by which presidential ing times. Effective May 24, the college will at Northern Virginia Commencement candidates should be evaluated. be called the College of Natural Resources. The forum will be held in Squires College Dean Greg Brown said, “Our By Carolyn Fray Brush Mountain Room from 9:30 a.m. to name has served us well for many years. Daniel A. Domenech, superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools, the nation’s twelfth noon. Times and public perceptions, however, largest school system, will be the Commencement speaker at Virginia Tech’s Northern Virginia Individuals interested in speaking at change, and I am confident that as we enter Center ceremony on Sunday, May 16, at 7:30 p.m. the forum must sign up to speak by April the 21st century, our new name will provide The ceremony will be held at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center, 5000 Seminary Road. 30. To register, contact the search- the college with more visibility while not Domenech will address the challenges and goals for public schools in the 21st century including committee office at 1-5695 or e-mail diminishing any of our respective programs.” school funding, the role of technology, and meeting the expectation for increased academic [email protected]. Speakers will be limited The name change went through the col- achievement for all students. to five minutes. (See FORESTRY on 8) (See DOMENECH on 5) 2 SPECTRUM THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 1999 PROMOTION, TENURE, CONTINUED APPOINTMENT, AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROMOTION LISTING, 1998-99 Promotion with Tenure to Associate Pro- management; Brian M. Tissue, chemistry; Eric Klaus D. Elgert, biology; Edward F. Fern, Hansbrough, Technical Services/University fessor, Collegiate Faculty Watkins, philosophy; Bruce W. Zoeklein, food marketing; Lawrence S. Grossman, geography; Libraries; Tamara Kennelly, Special Gregory Amacher, forestry; Sheryl B. Ball, science and technology. Raman Kumar, finance, insurance, and business Collections/University Libraries. economics; Jan H. Bohn, mechancial Tenure, Collegiate Faculty, 1998-99 law; Joseph Loferski, wood science and forest Administrative Promotion to Extension engineering; Terry L. Clements, landscape Kathryn C. Albright, architecture; Flynn products; Harold W. Mick, mathematics; Lamine Agent, Extra-Collegiate Faculty architecture; Eloise J. Coupey, marketing; John L. Auchey, building construction; Thomas E. M. Mili, electrical and computer engineering; John W. Blankenship, 4-H/Tazewell J. Dascanio, large-animal clinical sciences; Cousins, civil and environmental engineering; Douglas J. Nelson, mechanical engineering; County Extension Office; Marilyn A. Jarvis, 4- Hayward Farrar, history; Richard M. Goff, Naraine Persaud, Efstratios Nikolaidis, aerospace and ocean H/Loudoun County Extension Office; Michael engineering fundamentals; Carola A. Haas, Promotion with Tenure to Professor, engineering; David H. Radcliffe, English; J. Parrish, agriculture and natural resources/ fisheries and wildlife sciences; James Roger Collegiate Faculty Frederick M. Richardson, accounting and Dinwiddie County Extension Office; Regina Harris, horticulture; Donald E. Hatfield, Mitzi Nagarkatti, biomedical sciences and information systems; Leonard M. Scigaj, M. Prunty, agriculture and natural resources/ management; Brian J. Love, materials science Pathobiology. English; Tarun Sen, accounting and information King George County Extension Office; Calvin and engineering; Lisanne E. Lyons, music; Eva Promotion to Professor, Collegiate Faculty systems; Kusum Singh, educational leadership C. Schiemann, agriculture and natural resources/ Marand, chemical engineering; Steve L. Susan B. Asselin, teaching and learning; and policy studies; Mark M. Smith, small-animal Virginia Beach City Extension Office; Teresa McMullin, fisheries and wildlife sciences; Osman Balci, computer science; Christopher clinical sciences; Sandra M. Stith, human W. Weaver, 4-H/Isle of Wight County Extension Thomas H. Mills III, building construction; Beattie, mathematics; Jeffrey B. Birch, statistics; development; Anbo Wang, electrical and Office. Christopher P. Neck, management; Rachel Dusan Borojevic, electrical and computer computer engineering; Jeffrey R. Wilcke, Administrative Promotion to Senior Parker-Gwin, sociology; James A. Parkhurst, engineering; Darrell J. Bosch, agricultural and biomedical sciences and pathobiology; Tony K. Extension Agent, Extra-Collegiate Faculty fisheries and wildlife sciences; F. William applied economics; Barbara F. Carlisle, theatre Wolf, A.H.