By . Published on December 20, 2022

December 11, 2022

Greetings, Colleagues,

First, announcements: The Academic Affairs Council wrote to share the draft proposal for a curricular requirement in race, power, privilege, and colonialism.  As of right now, we plan to bring this legislation, as amended, given feedback over the next month, for a first reading at the January 2023 faculty meeting. Additional readings are planned for March and April.


We would be pleased to discuss the proposal with you and answer any questions that you have. There will be several opportunities for faculty to discuss the proposal before the January faculty meeting: 

  • This coming Monday, December 12th, from 11:30 am-1:00 pm in Commons #201 and #226, we will be available to answer questions and receive feedback (charge your lunch to DOF).
  • On Tuesday, December 13th, 11:30 am-1:30 pm division chairs will be available in the Mays Center (charge your lunch to DOF). 
  • On Wednesday, December 14th, this will be discussed at the Chairs’ meeting.
  • On Tuesday, January 10th, 11:00 am-1:00 pm division chairs will be available at a location to be determined.

We also welcome faculty to reach out to their division chair individually. Division chairs are happy to set up one-on-one meetings or come to academic unit meetings in December, January, or February, if requested.

Darren Gallant from the Center for Global Education sent along the call for proposals for the 2024 Short Term Off-Campus Study and Extra Cost courses and the 2024 Fall Semester Abroad a bit early. You may have some downtime this break to consider, “where in the world would I like to teach Bates students?” To help you consider these options, he will be hosting information sessions on the proposal process.

2024 Short Term Off-Campus/Extra Cost Proposals have two deadlines: 


2024 Fall Semester Abroad Proposal deadline is May 1, 2023.

Short Term and FSA Information Sessions

During these sessions, I’ll discuss the goals of these programs, how to plan and think about the proposals, make connections to partners, and answer any questions.

  • February 2, 2023, at 4:30 pm in 113 Roger Williams Hall, Faculty Lounge
  • March 29, 2023, at 4:30 pm in 113 Roger Williams Hall, Faculty Lounge

Reminders for these deadlines and information sessions will come again in January and as the winter term progresses. If you have any questions or would like to meet and discuss a proposal, please let me know.

The Committee on Faculty Governance would like to bring to your attention a change to guidelines for submitting materials for faculty meetings. We are introducing these guidelines so that there is adequate time to review and prepare the presentations before they are shown at the faculty meetings.

For the January meeting on Tuesday, January 17, all materials—including presentation slides accompanying reports or proposals—need to be submitted to CFG by Thursday, January 5th. Please note that this is later than the previously stated December 19 deadline to account for the impact on workflow due to the winter break.

After the January meeting, colleagues must submit all materials, including presentation slides and supporting information, by the deadline set by CFG. (These deadlines will normally be indicated in the previous month’s meeting packet.)


Andrea Conklin Bueschel ’90 and Gregory Ehret ’91, P’23, Co-Chairs, Presidential Search Committee, wrote to share an update on the progress of the search for Bates’ next president.

In September they announced the composition of a Presidential Search Committee and the Board of Trustees’ charge to the committee. The committee is made up of faculty, staff, students, and trustees – including eight alumni and four Bates parents – who will evaluate candidates for the position and make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees. The committee has met several times already, and we are thrilled with the many perspectives represented by members and grateful for their commitment to this important project.

Thanks to the input of many in the Bates community, we developed a leadership profile that has been posted to the presidential search website and shared with potential candidates. We appreciate the significant engagement of the Bates community in the shared work of identifying the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for Bates and what kind of president we need to lead us through them. Over 300 faculty, staff, students, trustees, alumni, and parents participated in listening sessions, completed a survey, or shared their thoughts with us via email.

Our search partners at Isaacson, Miller have been working closely with their extensive network to identify qualified candidates and follow up on nominations of, and inquiries from, potential candidates. The IM team recently provided an update on these efforts to the search committee. They reported that there is strong interest in the opportunity at Bates among a talented and diverse pool of candidates. The committee also heard about the specific strategies that Isaacson, Miller is deploying to ensure the strongest, deepest, and most diverse group of candidates possible.

Looking ahead, the search committee will begin a thorough assessment of the candidates in January. There will be several rounds of interviews, as well as rigorous referencing for the strongest candidates. Candidates’ identities will remain confidential throughout the process in order to attract the strongest and most diverse pool. Our hope and expectation is that an announcement of Bates’ ninth president will take place in early spring 2023.

We will be in touch again in the new year to provide another update on the work of the search. In the meantime, we can always be reached at presidentialsearch@bates.edu if you have questions or comments.

Jay Phillips and Chris Streifel of Facilities Services wrote in reference to a campus wide survey that Facilities Services conducted earlier this Fall to obtain feedback on our performance in providing our services to students, faculty, and staff. We write to thank the 361 respondents for taking the time to complete this survey and to share the results.  Attached is a report of the findings from this survey presented with help from our colleagues at Institutional Research, Analysis, and Planning.  We greatly appreciate their help with the survey.  

We are very pleased with the quantity and quality of the survey responses and are happy to report an overall customer satisfaction rating of 83 percent for the services we provide. 

These survey results will help us focus on areas for improvement and areas of continued emphasis in the coming year. Some of the most valuable information from the survey was found in the customer comments.  Here are some specific updates  based on that feedback:

  • Water Fountains/Bottle Fillers
    • A preventive maintenance program has been established for bottle-filling stations on campus. We expect this will result in better function of these units over time.
      • If you experience a water fountain or filling station not functioning properly or having a very slow flow rate, please submit a work request, and our technicians will replace the filter and address this issue. It is as easy as texting 207-786-6449 with your name, the building, and the location.
    • Our construction and renovation standards have been updated to include the provision of accessible fountains and bottle fillers in new or renovated buildings. 
  • Snow Removal
    • We have more strategically aligned snow removal efforts for the core of campus, including some process changes, additional equipment, and enhanced communication. While it is difficult to predict freeze/thaw cycles or know what type of precipitation a Maine winter will bring us in a changing climate, we are better positioned than ever before for this upcoming season.
      • Facility Services has published a preferred walkway map on our website to identify the safest routes across campus during inclement weather conditions. 
  • Cleaning of Offices
    • Unless specifically requested by work order, Facility Services does not regularly provide cleaning services and waste removal for offices in academic and administrative buildings. 
    • Centralized trash and recycling facilities are located on each floor in a building.
    • Upon request, your building custodian can assist you. 
  • Garcelon Field
    • Replacement turf at Garcelon Field is currently in design development for execution within the next few fiscal years.
  • Capital Project request/involvement
    • More information about our Capital Planning and Construction area can be found on our website, including instructions on how to make a request.
      • For Faculty and Staff, capital project requests are strongly encouraged to be endorsed or made by a department head, or someone authorized to make financial decisions on behalf of the department. 
      • Students should work through the Campus/Facility Development Committee, part of the Bates College Student Government.
  • Communication
    • While the majority of you told us communication was good for overall work order performance, we heard there is a need to do better when a schedule is changed. We are reinforcing our automated communication processes within our Facility Services team to better inform customers of work order status.


Erin Brown from Advancement wrote on behalf of the entire Community Giving Campaign committee to extend their heartfelt thanks for your generous support of this year’s CGC campaign.  Collectively we raised $34,062 from 179 donors!  They cannot thank you enough for what you have done to support the greater Lewiston/Auburn communities and will have one final raffle drawing that is set for this week.  Congratulations to all the prize winners.

Mike Hanrahan from ILS wrote to announce that the winter 2023 courses are now available in Lyceum. If you’d like content restored from a previous course, please complete this simple web form.  To help avoid confusion, the winter Lyceum courses include student enrollments. You can hide your course from student view as you prepare for the semester: see this help sheet with instructions.


Colleen O’Loughlin, on behalf of CFG, wrote to thank everyone who participated in the brainstorming session at the November faculty meeting. Please find the slides submitted during the brainstorm in this folder. If you do not see a slide you submitted in November, please re-share the slide with Lori Ouellette (louellet@bates.edu) and she will make sure they are added.

Steve Engel of the Dean of the Faculty’s Office wrote to alert us that the email below was sent to students December 6, at about 9:30 AM. It reminds students that as they are adjusting their Winter 2023 course schedules during add/drop (which opened yesterday, December 5) that for crosslisted courses they need to pay attention to the XL columns in the Course Schedule to understand if there are any available seats in a course. The definitions of the columns (which is in the email below that was sent to all students) is also explained in the following places:

1) It is at the top of the Course Schedule on Garnet Gateway. So if a student logs into Garnet Gateway and searches for courses, at the very top of the Course Schedule is a key that defines the Columns (CAP, ACT, REM, XL CAP, XL ACT, and XL REM).

2) The “How to Register” Video, which is at both the Student Advising Portal and the Academic Advising Portal (for Faculty and SSAs), explains this information.

3) Steve sent an email to all faculty on Thursday, October 27, 2022 with an infographic that explains this information, which you can reference if you have questions from advisees.

Malcolm Hill from the Dean of the Faculty’s Office wrote, as he mentioned at the faculty meeting in September, we are hosting a number of opportunities to gather throughout the academic year so that we may get to know new members of our community and strengthen interpersonal connections with colleagues. The first “Bates Out & About” was at Baxter, and the next opportunity to gather will take place next Thursday (12/15) at Side By Each in Auburn from 4:30-6 pm. He will send out a reminder this week and hope you can come to meet and unwind a bit to celebrate the end of the semester and the upcoming break.  He will send out a calendar invitation with some of these details.


Next, upcoming events.

Candles and Carols
Sunday, December 11, 7:00 p.m.
Peter J. Gomes Chapel
An annual tradition celebrating the season with multifaith readings and music including Christmas hymns, Bates acapella groups, and the College Choir.


Healthy Substance Use Group
every Thursday – 11:30-12:30
Commons 211
Looking for a supportive space to talk about your relationship with substances and have regular thoughtful check-ins?  Professor Stephanie Kelley-Romano (SKR), Bates Health Services, and the Multifaith Chaplaincy are holding a Healthy Substance Use Group once a week.  Faculty, staff, and students are all welcome. Drop in for any amount of time you can.  Whether you are in recovery or simply looking to redefine your relationship with substances, feel very welcome to come and join this warm community as you process!

DE-STRESS FEST!

Morning Mug Mingle
Wednesday December 14
 8-9:30 am – Dana 216
Drop in to fill your cup and enjoy a light breakfast.

Grab a coffee and snack and go or stay to grade in community.
Friday, December 16 – 9-11 am
Dana 219

Why do students get all the fun de-stress events during finals week? This is a stressful time for educators too. Pick up a finals week grading survival kit at any of the on-campus events or just drop by CITL during the week.

Bates Out & About
Thursday, December 15
Side By Each in Auburn
4:30-6 pm
Meet and unwind a bit to celebrate the end of the semester and the upcoming break

Winter ’23 Guilt-Free Book Club
February 8, March 8, and April 5
The votes are in and James M. Lang’s Distracted is the Winter semester Guilt- free book club selection. Register for Winter ’23 Guilt-free Book Club and receive a free copy of Distracted in January. We will divide the book into thirds and discuss 3 chapters in each session:

Categories: commons-cal-AY23