Campus News
Outstanding Faculty Service Award Goes to Garcia
(Continued from Bulletin home page)
As department chair, Garcia has overseen the development of the Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice programs during a period of rapid growth and curricular expansion. "She has provided sage and coherent leadership, is always open to new ideas, and carefully mentors new faculty," Berger said. "And, perhaps most important of all, Ana has impressed her faculty colleagues with the way that she manages her department and the amount of consensus building and collaborative leadership that occurs in that context."
Garcia also is currently Chair of Faculty Council. As one of her nominators notes, Ana has redefined the nature of that position "by actively soliciting faculty ideas, and finding ways Faculty Council can support them; by serving as a bridge between faculty and administration, and between faculty and the Board of Trustees; by initiating and facilitating a dialogue and collaboration among different faculty committees; and by keeping in mind that the reason why we are faculty members is, ultimately, because of our concerns with the quality of education our students receive."
"Frequently, recipients of the Faculty Outstanding Service Award also possess certain intangible qualities, and so it is with Professor Garcia," Berger added. "Thus, one of her faculty colleagues observes that Ana's approach to ‘mentoring and welcoming students into her departmental community is one that I believe we should all work to emulate on campus. The strong connections that students feel to the Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice Department and to Arcadia University create a richness in the community as a whole and seamlessly contribute to student satisfaction with their collegiate experience here.'"