Dean of the Faculty Rena Fraden's
Welcome Address to Faculty

Dear Colleagues:

Welcome back or welcome anew to Trinity and the academic year 2009-10.

What a very short summer it has seemed this year in Connecticut, with the weather decidedly un-summer like for most of May, June, and July. But summers, I suppose, are meant to feel short, if not also to be so, summers coming always in the middle, squeezed by early falls, or late springs, the memory of an overly long winter, the fear of another one in New England worse than the one before.

But even if short, it is enough time still to catch our breath. I briefly got to inspect the roof repair of Clement, and to hear the science poster session of students working here in the summer – such great projects! I met with almost half of the faculty in small sessions in my office, the topic being, of course, the economy.  But I also got to hear music on the Green at Bushnell Park on a Monday night, embarked on a reading of the rather interminable but sort of darkly fascinating Bolaño novel, 2666, pounded out an article just before its deadline, took a short trip to the post-colonial island of Vieques, where I read Field Notes from a Catastrophe on a beach just a few kilometers from unexploded Marine bombs left behind from war exercises, and then spent a week eating, swimming, writing, talking, and eating some more with friends outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico. I cannot complain. It was a full summer, no matter the weather. I trust yours was as well.

I wanted to take this opportunity to remind old and new alike of a few updated websites that support our common practices and pursuits. The first is our Common Hour (Tuesdays and Thursdays at Noon). I have already put the Faculty Research talks on my calendar. I very much hope that you might too keep these dates free to hear about what your colleagues did during their summer or sabbatical:

• Common Hour:  faculty research talks and other events.
• Faculty Travel and Research:  Dates to apply for travel to conferences to talk to others in your field and to support research projects. (We do not like to say no and fortunately, even in hard times, have almost always been able to say yes.)
• Austin Arts Center: Family Weekend: Fräulein Maria, which I saw at Joe’s Pub in New York (it is great fun).

As we go about our daily work life, so soon to begin in earnest, there is no question that we will all be thinking about our budgets – at home and at work. I have been very grateful to all the faculty who made time during the summer to meet with me and the associate deans to talk through why we are where we are and how we might proceed from here. The ideas faculty have had about how to cut and how to spend have been important for me to hear as I prepare for meetings with the Planning and Budget Committee. I will hold two more meetings – during the first weeks of school – for anyone else who wants to see the numbers and discuss our options. We’ll get those dates to you as soon as we can. There is still time, but not a lot, to let us know what you are thinking – those of you whom we met in the summer and those we will see in September.

I believe there will be ways to cut the budget without having to make hasty decisions about programs, departments, the curriculum, general education requirements, or faculty positions, but it has become clear to me that now is as good a time as any to take a sweeping look at all that we do in order to reassess, reconfirm, or change our present course. I will have more to say about this in my faculty address.

But in the meantime I wanted to let you know that, in spite of the budget, I still plan to hold faculty dinners at my house this year – to discuss not how to cut – but how to do what we do better, with less money, but with more creativity, more connectivity, and more excitement about what we may dream up. I do not believe that it is cost-effective to cut the few occasions which bring us together – where ideas are generated and erupt into possibility. So there will still be dinners, though we’ll cut the budget by serving food only from small-time (usually great tasting) take-out Hartford restaurants.  And the Labor Day Party at my house will go forward, with green chile powder I brought back for the stew. Only this year, in order to cut costs the invitations will only arrive via email. Don’t delete before reading! I don’t think it makes sense to conserve on basic hospitality, no matter the economy, no matter the weather. It will be good to see you on Labor Day and take a collective deep breath before it begins – again.

As always,

Rena Fraden