Ithaca College

I am delighted to announce the selection of three outstanding faculty members to newly created positions within the Division of Academic Affairs. Brad Hougham, associate professor of performance studies in the School of Music, will serve as associate provost for faculty affairs; and Jeane Copenhaver-Johnson, associate professor of education in the School of Humanities and Sciences, will serve as associate provost for academic programs. Sue-Je Gage, associate professor of anthropology in the School of Humanities and Sciences, will serve as faculty advocate.

These positions—each of which is designed for a current, tenured faculty member—were developed through thoughtful discussions and collaborations with leadership in the schools, the offices and centers within academic affairs, and Faculty Council, and I am pleased with the open and honest dialogue that has led to their creation. Each appointee will serve for a three-year term, with the possibility of renewal.

Brad has extensive knowledge of and experience with matters related to faculty growth and development, including four years of service as chair of the All-College Tenure and Promotion Committee, three years on the Faculty Development Committee, and three terms on the Academic Policies Committee that included four years as chair of the Policy Subcommittee. He is currently a member of Faculty Council and has served as a chair or member of numerous faculty search committees and School of Music colleague evaluation committees.

In his role as associate provost, Brad will provide leadership in advancing faculty-centered initiatives across the division, supervising the director of the Center for Faculty Excellence, director of the Center for Academic Advancement, and director of corporate and foundation relations and sponsored Research. His responsibilities will include managing faculty recruitment, development, and retention processes in collaboration with relevant offices and committees across campus; overseeing department chair development opportunities; handling all student appeals and related matters as the provost’s designee; and serving as primary manager of all Academic Affairs policies.

Jeane’s experience with curricular development and assessment at both the undergraduate and graduate levels includes service as acting chair of the Teacher Education Graduate Programs, as co-chair of the School of Humanities and Sciences General Education Committee, and as a member of the All-College Teacher Education Committee. She has experience with national professional accreditation, articulation agreements, and partnering with local school districts. Currently a member of the School of Humanities and Sciences Faculty Senate, she has also served as department chair and as interim associate dean.

As associate provost, Jeane will provide leadership in advancing undergraduate curricular initiatives across the division, supervising the registrar, college librarian, director of state grants, assistant provost for international programs and extended studies, director of the Integrative Core Curriculum (ICC), and Ithaca Seminar coordinator. She will oversee undergraduate and graduate academic program planning, assessment, and review in collaboration with relevant offices and faculty committees across campus; serve as liaison to the Middle States Association and the New York State Department of Education; provide supervisory oversight for relevant offices and college-wide academic programs; and assume responsibility for the Division of Academic Affairs in the absence of the provost.

Sue-Je has spent this past year serving as an Ithaca College President’s Fellow, conducting research on building and illuminating pathways to better acknowledge, address, and potentially resolve conflicts and challenges at the college. She holds an ombudsman certificate from York University and a certificate in engaging conflict and mediation from the University of Turin and the Torino World Affairs Institute, and is a volunteer mediator with the local Community Dispute Resolution Center. She has served on the School of Humanities and Sciences Dean’s Advisory Committee as well as on a number of other department, school, and college-wide committees.

The faculty advocate position was created in conjunction with Faculty Council, whose executive committee approved Sue-Je’s appointment. It is intended to serve as an approachable, impartial, and neutral listener, counselor and fact-finder for faculty members, helping to mediate conflicts, provide feedback, and suggest referrals to other resources as needed. Sue-Je will be charged with addressing concerns from faculty related to bias—including but not limited to the tenure and promotion process—offering guidance to chairs, deans, and the provost in addressing individual and collective faculty concerns; and providing feedback and mediation regarding employment-related concerns of faculty at all ranks. She will serve as an ex officio member of Faculty Council.

Please join me in congratulating Brad, Jeane, and Sue-Je and in thanking them for taking on these critical roles serving our students and faculty.

La Jerne Terry Cornish
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs