The Magazine of Rhodes College • Fall 2009 A Defi ning Decade President William E. Troutt Marks 10 Years at Rhodes FALL 2009 Contents VOLUME 16 • NUMBER 3 2 A Defi ning Decade President Troutt Marks 10 Years at Rhodes 12 It Costs How Much? College costs explained 2 14 Rhodes Welcomes New Board Chair Bill Michaelcheck ’69 heads Rhodes Board of Trustees 15 Learning from the Past Four students delve into different cultures 20 Teaching and Learning Professor Andrew Michta returns to Rhodes 14 24 Alumni News Class Notes, In Memoriam On the Cover A Defi ning Decade—William E. Troutt, the 19th president of Rhodes, celebrates 10 years in offi ce. (See story on page 2.) Photography by Allison Rodgers 15 20 Online is published three times a year by Rhodes College, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112 Visit the Rhodes Web site at rhodes.edu to fi nd current campus, as a service to all alumni, students, parents, alumni and athletic news, upcoming events and much more. faculty, staff and friends of the college. Fall 2009—Volume 16, Number 3 Get up-to-the-minute news with a RSS feed. EDITOR Go to Rhodes.edu/6208.asp Martha Hunter Shepard ’66 GRAPHIC DESIGNERS See more at rhodes.edu/magazine Larry Ahokas Robert Shatzer Rhodes Online offers Web-only content extras. CONTRIBUTORS Visit rhodes.edu/magazine to see and hear these special Justin Fox Burks, features: Daney Daniel Kepple, Allison Rodgers, Marci Woodmansee ’90 Photo Album LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Please address postal correspondence to: • President Troutt’s fi rst 10 years at Rhodes Martha H. Shepard, Editor, Rhodes Magazine, • A Middle Eastern fashion show from Professor Dee Rhodes College, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112-1690 Birnbaum’s collection E-mail: [email protected] • Zach Albert’s ’10 journey in Holocaust studies Phone: (901) 843-3544 Fax: (901) 843-3579 • A guide to Nathan Corbitt’s ’11 research of Rhodes’ Vanuxem CLASS NOTES: fossil and mineral collection Please send all Class Notes including marriages, births and obituaries to: Videos Alumni Offi ce, Rhodes College, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112-1690 • President Troutt brings down the house as the Wizard of Oz Phone: (901) 843-3845 at Kappa Delta All-Sing 2008 Fax: (901) 843-3947 E-mail: [email protected] • Professor Andrew Michta lecturing at the Warsaw Transatlantic Forum, March 2009 RHODES ALUMNI OFFICE: 1 (800) 264-LYNX Campus News RHODES ADMISSIONS OFFICE: 1 (800) 844-LYNX • What Does the Rhodes Class of ’13 Look Like? POSTMASTER: • Rhodes Among Teach For America’s Top Contributors Send address changes to: RHODES, 2000 North Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112-1690 In Print CHANGE OF ADDRESS: New books by faculty and alumni Please mail the completed form below and label from this issue of RHODES to: Alumni Offi ce, Rhodes College, 2000 North Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112-1690 Name Street City State Zip Home Phone Business Phone E-mail Employer The portrait of Spence Wilson on the summer 2009 cover was by artist Tom Donahue Title A DEFINING DECADE President William E. Troutt Marks 10 Years at Rhodes By Martha Hunter Shepard ’66 ALLISON RODGERS uring the nine months between becoming the D19th president of Rhodes College in July 1999 and his inauguration in April 2000, Bill Troutt established a solid reputation as “listener in chief.” His approach was to take time to listen to people—faculty, staff, students, parents and alumni— all the while envisioning the college’s future. He began those conversations with the question, “How can we make Rhodes the best it can be?” He was on the way to leading an already excellent institution to one that would become extraordinary. During Troutt’s “listening tour,” themes began to emerge: • Faculty and staff members wished for more time to mentor students. • The student services division aspired to expand residential programming. • Everyone acknowledged the need to recruit and retain outstanding faculty by providing them the resources needed for happy and productive professional lives. • There was an equally widespread call for curricular revision. • The need for a new library was high on the wish list, but it didn’t stop there. The faculty requested that the college stay up-to-date with resources for both traditional learning and technology support. President Bill Troutt { 2 } F A L L 2 0 0 9 • R H O D E S rhodes.edu • Many felt that the college should interact more with CLARK TREY the Memphis community. • The development of more opportunities for study abroad was another priority, along with increasing the diversity of the campus population. As one community member phrased it, “It is vital to a liberal arts education that students be exposed to a broad range of ideas and cultures.” In his inauguration speech, Troutt articulated his conclusions and goals gathered from those listening tours in what he called “Ten Steps Forward To Advance Rhodes.” Several months later, 10 planning initiative committees were formed, each chaired by a faculty member, to make recommendations on how to achieve the 10 steps outlined in his inaugural address. From those groups emerged the Rhodes Vision, a statement of the college’s mission along with four “strategic imperatives” on how Rhodes would achieve its goals. Adopted in 2003 by the Board of Trustees, the Rhodes Vision set the tone for what has come to be a Carole and Bill Troutt, summer 1999 defi ning decade in the college’s history. Working Together The Rhodes Vision For Bill Troutt, it’s always been about Rhodes Rhodes College aspires to graduate students with community members working together, with the college a lifelong passion for learning, a compassion for benefi ting from their solid interactions with one another, others and the ability to translate academic study and with Memphis and the world, all centered on a beautiful personal concern into effective leadership and action campus that inspires everyone to strive for excellence in in their communities and the world. We will achieve all they do. our aspiration through four strategic imperatives: For openers, in 2001, students were greeted with a totally renovated Stewart Hall and brand-new East Student Access Village, an apartment-style residence hall for juniors To attract and retain a talented, diverse student body and seniors. In 2005, after three years in the making, and engage these students in a challenging, inclusive the college celebrated the opening of the Paul Barret Jr. and culturally-broadening college experience Library, a state-of-the-art facility made possible by a $35 million bequest of Paul Barret Jr. ’46. It was the largest Student Learning gift in the college’s history. In ensuing years, McCoy To ensure our faculty and staff have the talent, Theatre doubled its size, thanks to funding from the the time and the resources to inspire and involve our McCoy Foundation, a new outdoor track was installed, students in meaningful study, research and service the Lynx Lair in the Bryan Campus Life Center was redesigned and Burrow Hall became the place where Student Engagement students could conduct the business of being a student. To enhance student opportunities for learning in Across the board, representative members of the entire Memphis Rhodes community, including students, were involved in each project. Student Inspiration Says Allen Boone ’71, vice president for Finance and To provide a residential place of learning that inspires Business Affairs: integrity and high achievement through its beauty, its “Students were involved in focus groups on products/ emphasis on values, its Presbyterian history and its merchandise for the bookstore. They also served on the heritage as a leader in the liberal arts and sciences steering committee for the creation of the new Campus Master Plan, were involved in selecting furniture for Barret Library (in addition to the developmentTim Huebner of in class rhodes.edu F A L L 2 0 0 9 • R H O D E S { 3 } TREY CLARK TREY the program requirements for the building—study rooms, coffee shop, etc.) and gave input on classroom furniture during the production of the Academic Space Plan. Students were also extensively involved in the production of the Residential Master Plan, the results of which led to the construction of East Village and the Stewart Hall renovation, and improvements to various social spaces and other general residence hall improvements such as improved laundry facilities and reduced density.” In another matter, one student, who knew Troutt would listen to her, literally took things into her own hands. While the president and the Athletics Department staff were very much aware that the outdoor running track was in a state of disrepair, runner Amy Paine ’03, with a piece of the damaged track in hand, visited with Troutt to discuss the situation. Her graphic demonstration was greatly appreciated, and the track was completed the following fall. There’s more. When several students wanted to Inauguration Day, April 14, 2000 renovate the Lair, they organized, sought the help of A Decade of Learning Opportunities JUSTIN FOX BURKS Academically, and in terms of service, the world has opened up to Rhodes students in the last decade. Some of the programs include: • Rhodes CARES (Center for Academic Research and Education through Service), funded by a grant from the Robert and Ruby Priddy Charitable Trust, strengthens undergraduate research and service tied to scholarship. It encompasses programs such as: Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies: A summer research opportunity in Memphis and the Mid-South Rhodes St. Jude Summer Plus research program: An intensive research program pairing Rhodes students with St. Jude researchers Speaking to students at a leadership seminar Rhodes/UT: An intensive research program pairing Rhodes students with University of Tennessee neuroscience researchers.