2024-25 Faculty Rep to BOV Nominee Statements
Please read and consider the statements of those currently running for elected positions within the Faculty Senate.
Eve Danziger
Professor
Department of Anthropology
Arts & Sciences
Thank you for the opportunity to stand for this important role. My qualifications include a history at UVA that goes back to 1998, and recent experience both as Chair of Anthropology (2015-2020) and as Director of the Interdepartmental Program in Linguistics (2021-22). As Anthropology Chair, I steered my department successfully through several crises, including the initial months of the covid lockdown. I believe that my colleagues recall my leadership with approval, and that those in the Deans’ office found me a reliable and amicable working partner.
TAs a leader and facilitator, I am inclined toward consultation and the consolidation of incremental improvements rather than to pushing forward with radical changes based on an individual vision. I am concerned to create a collegial climate for all, and to work against the propagation of wide differences in the respect accorded to colleagues in different roles. I believe that it is also time to look closely at staff support in the various departments, where – at least within Arts & Sciences -- an increasing service burden has been imposed on the tenure-track faculty even as our numbers decline. My academic specialty (linguistic anthropology) requires both an orientation to solving logical and logistical problems, and a high dose of empathy for and interest in my fellow human beings. Serving as Faculty Representative to the Board of Visitors would be an opportunity to use these talents in the service of important larger goals. Thanks again for the opportunity to stand!
Michael J. Kennedy
Professor, Dept. of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education
School of Education and Human Development
Chair, 2023-24 Faculty Senate
In the spring of 2022, I was chosen to become your Faculty Senate Chair-Elect. I was compelled to make a big commitment and contribution to our great faculty with my time, energy, and skills. Of course, as is the case with most “big” service, I truly had no idea just how all-encompassing this role can be. Now… I know. It has been an honor, and if I could go back in time, I would say, “do it anyway – your colleagues are worth your effort, and they will support you in ways never imagined.”
The biggest lessons learned these two years are the essential nature of relationships and responsive communication with those who do and do not share my worldview, and the critical role of faculty leaders in helping the Board of Visitors and University administrators understand faculty perspectives. Building and maintaining respectful relationships is an essential pathway to ensuring responsive communication takes place, and is work for which I am particularly well suited (credit years as a Special Education teacher). I am a firm believer in the power of listening – especially to those with whom I disagree – with the intent of seeking to understand their perspective(s). We are fortunate to have talented and dedicated citizen leaders serving on our BOV. If elected, I will represent faculty perspectives respectfully and clearly as we collaboratively work to educate students, conduct world class research, serve the local and world community, and provide world-class clinical care. I ask for your support and vote.
Charlotte Hilary Matthews
Associate Professor
School of Continuing and Professional Studies
I believe in the nobility and necessity of community engagement. I am passionate about the University’s desire to do good. An active listener and creative thinker, I will offer distinctive gifts to the meetings of the Board of Visitors.
My dedication to the craft of teaching has been recognized through my receipt of the Adele F. Robertson Award. My students in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies tend to be older, more diverse, and quite likely first generation college students. I would be able to bring their unique perspectives and dreams to the attention of the Board of Visitors.
I have a long relationship to the University as daughter of an alumnus, an alumna myself, mother of a current student, 17-year faculty member, and a long-standing resident of the Charlottesville community. My commitment and service to the University has been affirmed through my induction into the Raven Society.
I am a woman of strength and resilience who has thrived despite treatments for advanced cancer amidst single parenting. Through losses and challenges. I have been promoted from adjunct instructor to assistant professor to associate professor. I will use my gifts of deep listening, active reflection, and insight to build a more compelling and communal relationship between the Board of Visitors and The Faculty Senate.
Sue Saliba
Professor of Education
School of Education and Human Development
Co-Chair FS Academic Affairs Committee
I am honored yet humbled by the nomination to serve as the representative for the faculty and Faculty Senate to the Board of Visitors for the upcoming 2024/2025 academic year. As a triple Hoo, holding BSEd, MED, and PhD degrees and a member of the faculty since 1989, I am deeply committed to the excellence of the University of Virginia. I view this opportunity as crucial in ensuring that the faculty's perspectives are heard, especially in decisions with lasting implications.
My background and work are in sports medicine. I have worked clinically as an athletic trainer and physical therapist in the UVA Athletics Department and I am currently a tenured professor in the School of Education and Human Development within the Kinesiology Department. I am a co-director of an active research lab and spend my days teaching and advising undergraduate, masters, and doctoral students. This multifaceted involvement allows me to maintain a holistic perspective on key issues within the University. Additionally, I have held leadership roles in academic policy and presently co-chair the Academic Affairs Committee in the Faculty Senate.
If chosen as the BOV Representative, my primary objective is to faithfully represent the broader faculty community. My connections across various schools will be particularly valuable in amplifying diverse voices. I firmly believe that this role should prioritize conveying the collective opinions of the faculty, emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives in decision-making.