Records of the Dean of the College

The date range of these records from the Dean of the College is July 1, 1986, through June 30, 1992. The approximately 20 linear feet of material came to the Archives in various accessions (see listing below).

The files are primarily those of Dale Marshall. As in the case of the previous dean, materials of an Acting Dean and/or Associate Deans are not marked separately except in cases where origin of file is clear. (See folders with Alan Shuchat in parenthesis.) In general, the records are arranged alphabetically in a single subject file. In instances of more than one folder per subject, the files are arranged chronologically. Restricted materials were removed from the main sequence. Notice of removal is given with and explanation of location and method of access. Faculty Records Office files are a separate sub-series.

These records include, in large measure, materials relating to faculty, academic departments and curriculum, as well as the Center for Research on Women, the library and the Registrar. There is correspondence and meeting material (agendas, minutes and handouts), as well as, dean’s office and academic department budget materials. The records contain proposals and discussions of courses and research projects, as well as reports and evaluations.

The core responsibilities of the Deans’ office continue from year to year, but the emphasis may shift. Marshall’s files indicate that curriculum concerns continue, but the proliferation of the new and experimental has slowed. The curriculum was far broader than it had been 10 or 20 years earlier, and in this period multicultural courses were the focus. Information can be found in folders ranging from the Academic Department files, through the curriculum focused committees to files of multicultural syllabi. In fact, multiculturalism was found in many aspects of college life, not just the academic. The college emphasized the diversity of the community and made great efforts to strengthen it. The records include files on racism and anti-Semitism and minority recruitment, hiring and retention.

The balance between teaching and research became a great concern of the faculty who felt their teaching load was greater than that of other colleges and universities. These records contain materials on faculty staffing and faculty workload reduction.

The recognition of the need to allow the faculty more time for research and other professional work led to new opportunities for students to take part in that research and other experiential learning situations. Numerous grants funded research work and internships. The files of the Dana Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and others indicate growth in this area. The Pew Trust funded many science and mathematics projects through the New England Consortium for Undergraduate Science Education (NECUSE).

Marshall's records, like Maud Chaplin's, span the end of the decade and include the files relating to the reaccreditation process.