USCTIMES
SEPTEMBER 2014 / VOL. 25, NO.8
THE WORK ISSUE Office Space
The American Dream
Unfinished Business
Sneak a peak at some of the most interesting offices on campus, page 2
Enjoy a provocative conversation about hope, freedom and economic security in the 21st century, page 10
Five emeritus professors discuss academic life after the academy, page 14
USC TIMES / STAFF
USC Times is published 10 times a year for the faculty and staff of the University of South Carolina by the Office of Communications & Marketing. Managing editor Craig Brandhorst Designers Philip Caoile Michelle Hindle Riley Contributors Glenn Hare Thom Harman Chris Horn Page Ivey Liz McCarthy Steven Powell Photographers Kim Truett Circulation Carolyn Parks Printer USC Printing Services Campus correspondents Patti McGrath, Aiken Candace Brasseur, Beaufort Cortney Easterling, Greenville Shana Dry, Lancaster Jane Brewer, Salkehatchie Misty Hatfield, Sumter Annie Smith, Union Tammy Whaley, Upstate Jay Darby, Palmetto College Submissions Did you know you can submit photos, stories or ideas for future issues of USC Times? Share your story by emailing or calling Craig Brandhorst at craigb1@mailbox.sc.edu, 803-777-3681.
The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, sexual orientation or veteran status.
FROM THE EDITOR
IT TAKES A CAMPUS
You do it, he does it, she does it, we all do it — many of us all day, five days a week, year-round. Sometimes we do it at night, too, sometimes even on weekends. In the best case, we do it together and accomplish greater things than we ever would on our own. We’re talking about work, of course, and if USC Times can’t manage to throw together an issue devoted to such a universal and important pursuit, we might as well turn in our type. Funny thing, though: putting out a work issue proved to be, well, a lot of work. First, we had to coordinate the photo shoot for our cover, which involved finding a vintage 1970s desk and chair, getting both to the Horseshoe, setting everything up as a sort of popup outdoor office, hoping it didn’t rain, sweating in the intense August humidity for a bit, then photographing our hastily assembled stage set in the best light possible. And that wasn’t even the hard part. Thanks to the good folks at USC’s Consolidated Services warehouse, who supplied us the surplus furniture (see page 9 for a photo of manager Randy Wise), and the equally good folks at USC Maintenance Services, who literally did the heavy lifting (see back cover), the shoot came off easier than expected. The latest installment in our Meet & Three roundtable series proved a little trickier, though not because anything went wrong. Our in-depth conversation on the status and future of the American dream (page 10) featured three outstanding faculty members from around the system and was graciously hosted by alumnus and restaurateur Kevin Varner, ’93, at the HunterGatherer Brewery & Ale House. The working lunch yielded two-plus hours of fascinating conversation and served to introduce a few scholars from different disciplines to each other, which is never a bad thing. The problem? Figuring out which stuff to cut. Even in our expanded back-to-school issue, we had to shed about 9,000 really good, really smart words, which from an editor’s perspective, is always going to hurt. Even so, we think it’s an excellent read. Our photo essay of campus offices (page 2) was relatively easy to shoot, or so our photographer, Kim Truett, modestly assured me. Deciding which offices to shoot was the tough part. Considering the size of campus, and the endless creativity of our faculty and staff, we’re sure we missed dozens of cool and interesting workspaces. Maybe if we get a good response we’ll feature a few more in the future. If nothing else, we’d love to see your homes away from home. Elsewhere, our feature on emeritus faculty who keep busy teaching, researching and mentoring junior faculty long after retirement made us feel a little lazy by comparison (page 14). Our tribute to campus staff, on the other hand, just made us feel proud and even gave us the chance to salute our own administrative assistant extraordinaire, Carolyn Ash. Flip to page eight to meet a few other extraordinary staff members and read their thoughts on working at USC. In the interest of staying current, we also talked each of them into submitting a selfie. In the end, as always, the hard work was all worth it. We put together a pretty smart issue, we think, met a bunch of dedicated university employees and were reminded yet again why last month Free Times voted the university Columbia’s “Best Place to Work” for the third straight year. So please, sit back, turn the page and take a few minutes to peruse our September issue. Consider it professional development. Make it work,
CRAIG BRANDHORST MANAGING EDITOR
VOL. 25, NO.8 1
TIMES FIVE
SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING Under new university guidelines, and in compliance with new federal Title IX regulations, any faculty or staff member who learns about an incident of sexual
GLOBAL CAROLINA
Get to know our international students and, in the process, help make their lives easier. The office of International Student Services is offering intercultural training for all members of the Carolina community. Similar to the Safe Zone Ally program, which fosters an environment of inclusion and respect for USC’s LGBT community, the intercultural training program identifies participants’ offices as International Friendly Zones. The goal is to help minimize cultural clashes, miscommunication and prejudices faced by the more than 1,400 international students on campus. There are three training opportunities this fall. Check the schedule at iss.sc.edu; click on Carolina Intercultural Training. Contact Sylvain Chabra at chabras@ mailbox.sc.edu with questions. Take the LEAD As of July 1, university supervisors and managers are required to complete a free training program called LEAD (Learn, Educate and Develop), offered through Organizational and Professional Development. The six courses are designed to help supervisors improve their knowledge, skills and leadership abilities. LEAD training is required for anyone who became a supervisor after Jan. 1, 2010. For supervisors hired prior to that date, training is encouraged but not required. All new management hires have 18 months from their start date to complete training. For everyone hired between Jan. 1, 2010, and July 1, 2014, the deadline is Dec. 31, 2015. For more information, call 777-6578 or visit the Human Resources website at hr.sc.edu.
assault is required to report it to USC police. It is the responsibility of all Carolinians to ensure students have a safe environment free of sexual misconduct, discrimination and harassment of any kind. Requirements for faculty and staff members, as well as other resources, are available at sc.edu/ sexualassault. Victim advocates are available 24/7 to assist survivors.
WE CAN WORK IT OUT The Division of Human Resources is sponsoring its annual fall forum Sept. 17. The three-hour forum, which offers university employees the chance to discuss a range of workplace issues and concerns, will be held in the 3rd floor auditorium of University Technology Services from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Interested faculty and staff can also participate by webinar. Email the Organizational and Professional Development Office at hrtrain@mailbox. sc.edu with any questions or visit the Human Resources website at hr.sc.edu.
TIMES TEN! Want to have USC Times delivered directly to your campus mailbox each month? In addition to our regular rack distribution, we’re now offering a free subscription service, and signing up couldn’t be easier. E-mail your name, department and building name to PARKSCD@mailbox.sc.edu, subject line SUBSCRIBE USC TIMES, and receive ten issues a year for the low, low price of absolutely nothing. A new school year has begun — it’s time to get with the Times!
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PREVIEW
VOL. 25, NO.8 3
OFFICE SPACE AT USC WE WORK IN ALL SORTS OF OFFICES DECORATED EVERY WHICH WAY. USC TIMES SNEAKED A FEW SNAPSHOTS THIS MONTH, STARTING AT THE TOP.
Osborne Administration, Building Suite 206 Harris Pastides, president Overlooking USC’s new Desegregation Commemorative Garden, which was dedicated last spring in honor of the African American students who started us on the path to full equality and inclusion back in 1963, President Harris Pastides’ second-floor office is ideally situated for contemplating our past and planning for the future. From the Desk of the President: Come hear Harris Pastides share his thoughts on the past year at Carolina and the year ahead at the annual state of the university address Sept. 4 at 10 a.m. on USC’s historic Horseshoe. The marching band, the cheerleaders, even Cocky will be there. Bring your championship attitude.
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Carolina Coliseum 3013 Bonnie Drewniany, professor, journalism and mass communications If you teach advertising, you probably don’t mind a little product placement. Witness Bonnie Drewniany’s collection of dolls, figurines and plush toys advertising everything from fast-food chains to car insurance. “About 15 years ago I saw numerous advertising icons on Christmas ornaments and wondered who would want that stuff on their tree. Then I realized, I do!” says Drewniany. “I bought ornaments featuring the Pillsbury doughboy, Campbell’s Soup kids, Coca-Cola bears, M&M characters and so on, and decorated the tackiest artificial tree I could find. It was somewhat of a social commentary on how commercialized the holidays have become, but it was also a comment on how much these advertising icons are loved.” Product Placement: The most recent additions to Drewniany’s corporate menagerie, a pair of cartoon salesrodents in matching Hamstar hoodies, arrived last month courtesy of alumna Jennifer Hammond, ‘85, a management supervisor at David&Goliath, the advertising agency that represents Kia Motors Corporation.
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DeSaussure 227 Anna Scheyett, dean, social work “Along with the beautiful view, having an office on the Horseshoe gives me the chance to really see USC students, staff and faculty during some of their happiest times,” says Scheyett. “I watch them holding ceremonies, having postgame celebrations, taking wedding pictures, hanging out with friends — it’s a great view of Gamecock life!” From Korea with Love: The ornamental screen pictured was given to the college by students from USC’s Korea-based MSW program when they traveled to Columbia for graduation.
Gambrell 224 Allison Marsh, professor, public history At first glance, Allison Marsh’s office looks like any other— except there’s something intriguing about all the bright blond wood. Turns out, the desk, table and bookshelves are made of salvaged bowling alley wood. Look closely at the bookshelves and you can see the distinctive dots and arrows bowlers use to align the ball. Wood to Spare: “Most bowling lanes today are artificial wood — a high density fiber board coated with a melamine laminate to look like hard rock maple, the traditional wood of choice for vintage lanes. But my desk is real wood, imported from Romania,” says Marsh. “My dad and I built the shelves and desk together in his workshop. He signed the underside of the desk before we put on the final coat of varnish, wishing me many productive years as a scholar and teacher.”
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McMaster 326 Stephanie Nace, associate professor, studio art As a graphic designer, Stephanie Nace uses images and typography to create powerful visuals. But she also appreciates a little whimsy. This is apparent upon entering her sunlit third-floor office, which is dominated by a massive collection of Pez candy dispensers. “Pez dispensers are just fun, and they’re a common cultural experience. I think everyone has had one at some point,” Nace explains. “I also like them because they are the simplest form of the thing or character being portrayed. They can’t have too much detail.” Peanuts Gallery: “On Sunday mornings when I was little I would sit in my grampy’s lap and he would read me the funny pages. One Sunday he said, ‘You read it to me.’ Together, we worked out the Peanuts comics,” says Nace, who later designed a poster honoring the late cartoonist that now hangs in the Charles M. Shulz museum. “Although I didn’t know it at the time, those experiences had a huge influence on me becoming a designer.”
Rutledge 325 Kevin Lewis, professor, religious studies Located in the oldest building on campus, Kevin Lewis’s cozy workspace ties for the oldest office on campus and boasts a bird’s-eye view onto the historic Horseshoe. In fact, when Pope John Paul II visited campus in 1987 Lewis watched part of the proceedings from his enviable third-story perch. A Room with a View: “The leaves outside my wide window have grown to obscure what was once a better view of the Horseshoe, degree ceremonies, Frisbee tosses, the naked student day years ago — and the Pope, when security officers allowed a glimpse. But it’s still a nice vantage point.”
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AS ANOTHER SCHOOL YEAR GETS UNDERWAY, FACULTY AND STUDENTS ARE OUT IN DROVES. BUT THE UNIVERSITY CAN’T FUNCTION WITHOUT A SLEW OF DEDICATED STAFF GETTING THE JOB DONE BEHIND THE SCENES. AS A TRIBUTE TO THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO KEEP THIS PLACE RUNNING YEAR-ROUND, USC TIMES ASKED A FEW OF THEM …
WHY USC?
BARB MCGEE SUPERVISOR, FACILITIES CALL CENTER
We have a great team of people to work with. No matter what the issue, we are able to dispatch it to one of our approximately 34 crews and get a resolution. We are the communication conduit to notify the campus about project work outages. Our goal is to satisfy every customer. Here at the University of South Carolina I am always treated professionally, respectfully. It’s a place where people care. That makes it a great place to work.
CAROLYN ASH
MATT ROZIER
ADMINISTR ATIVE COORDINATOR, OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
SUPERVISOR, LANDSCAPING
I thought it would be a great place to work. I had worked in education for most of my career. I also have a passion for the arts, and having a chance to work in communications with creative people was very exciting to me. Finally, I happen to be an avid lover of football, and the Gamecocks have stolen a piece of my heart.
I’m a hands-on type of guy. I’m not one to sit behind a desk or sit in a classroom or sit behind a computer; I’m a hands-on type of guy that comes out here, gets my hands dirty and gets the work done.
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JOE FORTUNE
DEBBIE OWENS
DIRECTOR, HOUSING ADMINISTR ATION
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT, OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
I got selected to represent the university on a professional exchange and had the opportunity to visit Cambridge and Oxford, serving as an ambassador for USC. I got to learn about their best practices and bring some back here. I got to go out and talk about all of the things I love about Carolina. Everyday for those 45 days I was talking to a group about South Carolina and about USC, and that’s one of the best memories I’ve had.
RANDY WISE MANAGER, SURPLUS PROPERTY WAREHOUSE
I started out in the maintenance supply warehouse in 1972, right out of high school, and have been in the surplus property warehouse since the late ’70s. There are so many good people across campus, and I’ve worked with a lot of them at one time or another — I just got accustomed to working here and never seriously considered going anywhere else.
I started working here right out of high school in 1982, and except for a few months, I’ve been here ever since. I always knew I wanted to be a secretary; I was always organizing something. I’ve stayed here because of the people and the environment. There’s such a sense of family and rich history, and I think we all have that same feeling. I’ve always been blessed to work for and with good people at USC, and so I’ve always enjoyed coming to work.
DAN DAVIS
CLERK , POST OFFICE
It’s fun. The more chaotic it is, the more fun it is. During move-in, I just keep a good attitude about it, I smile. If I’ve got to correct students, I do it in a way that lets them know I’m trying to help them. We try to work with them to make sure they’ve got their box numbers and their combination, we’ll help them try that combination, make sure it works. I love talking to the parents, asking “Why did you choose USC?” I just love it.
MIKE HYDE
KENNY INABINET
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, FACILITIES
HVAC TECHNICIAN, ENERGY SERVICES
I’m here for the students and to watch them grow. That’s going to be the most rewarding thing; that’s why we came into higher education. It’s something simple like when a student comes back and says, “I’m glad you work here. There were a lot of things I needed.”
My dad retired from here, so I guess I’m following his legacy. I’ve been here fulltime since 1983, and I’ve realized that there’s a family atmosphere on campus, from the President’s House on down. I want people to feel comfortable and feel at home here, and I’m trying to pass my experiences along to the students. I look at them like they’re our children.
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MEET&THREE
THE AMERICAN BY CRAIG BRANDHORST
DREAM “The land of opportunity,” “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” “freedom and justice for all” — the United States has long defined itself as a place where even people of modest beginnings can dream big dreams and, with a little hard work, achieve them. But is the American dream something most of us can realistically achieve? Does it still exist? Did it ever? With Labor Day upon us, USC Times invited three scholars from around the USC system to discuss their versions of the American dream and to weigh in on the dream’s status circa 2014.
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RM: I’m lucky because I met people who influenced me. And even though I didn’t grow up with money, I did grow up with certain privileges that allowed me to navigate a very unfamiliar terrain. Had I grown up AfricanAmerican or Hispanic in the rural South, it would have been different.
This month’s three
How do you each, individually, define the American dream? RM: Growing up, I was told ‘You can be president,’ but really, things already seemed set.
Either you grew up with money or you didn’t. If you had money, you went to college. If you grew up working class, like I did, the plan was to graduate from high school, find a job, didn’t matter if you liked it, stay with it 30 or 40 years, make some money then retire. But when I was probably a junior in high school, MTV started to air shows like MTV Cribs. You got to see the lifestyle of rock stars. So we thought, ‘Maybe that’s the American dream! We can start a band, make lots of money!’ By my 20s I realized that dream didn’t exist. SH: My parents were both immigrants to Canada and I immigrated to the U.S., so I
RAY MCMANUS, poet and assistant professor of English, USC Sumter, holds three degrees from USC: a bachelor’s in English, an M.F.A. in creative writing and a Ph.D. in rhetoric and composition. His new poetry collection “Punch.” (Hub City Press) explores the everyday struggles of the working class.
have a different perspective. I still view the dream as working hard, loving what you do, enjoying friendships and family. Unfortunately, I think that’s changed some. I’m afraid it’s become more of a material pursuit. What’s funny, though, is that people don’t seem to be any happier. They seem to want things to show others that they have them. How they’ve achieved it, or what they’ve achieved, doesn’t seem to matter as much. KF: I grew up in a small town outside of St. Louis. Dad had a union job. Mom was in community banking. My sense of the American dream wasn’t that different from the prevailing attitudes in our book. My parents always said to me — and it’s not that different from what Ray said — “This is a country and a family that supports you. We’ll do whatever we can to support you because it’s important for us that your generation do better than we did.” That’s part of my dream, too.
SAMANTHA HAUPTMAN, assistant professor of criminology/sociology, USC Upstate. received her master’s in criminology and her Ph.D. in sociology from USC. She is the author of “The Criminalization of Immigration: The Post-9/11 Moral Panic” (LFB Scholarly). Before entering academia she worked for S.C. Dept. of Corrections.
Kirk’s recent book identifies three components of the American dream: economic security, the freedom to pursue one’s passions, and hope or optimism. Should we add anything? RM: Kirk’s idea of leaving the world better for the next generation. Even though my parents didn’t have a lot, I wouldn’t have pursued a career in education had it not been for them saying, “Ray, you have leadership abilities in you.” But growing up where I did, in rural Lexington County, that wasn’t the case for a lot of people. Everything was paycheck to paycheck, and that perpetuated a particular cycle. The idea of an American dream just became words a teacher said. I had friends whose fathers just drank themselves to death. You could tell those kids, “Hey, you could be president,” but there was no reason for them to think they really could. When you’ve got nothing to lose, you’ve got nothing to gain — that’s a scary thing. It’s like, “Why bother?”
KIRK FOSTER, assistant professor, social work, received his Ph.D. in social work from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. He is the co-author (with Mark Robert Rank and Thomas Hirschl) of “Chasing the American Dream” (Oxford University Press). Previously, he was a pastor in impoverished areas of suburban St. Louis.
12 USCTIMES / SEPTEMBER 2014 SH: When I worked with inmates it was
the same thing: “I just want stay alive for five years, maybe see my kid graduate.” For some, that was the extent of their dream. KF: You have to wonder where hope and optimism fit in. But I sat with prisoners who served time for everything from attempted murder to sexual abuse, and each one of them, individually, was very optimistic. RM: I wonder what role religion played.
Growing up in a Southern Baptist church — Dad was a deacon, Mom was a Sunday school teacher — no matter how completely rock bottom your life might be there was hope that the next life would be better. KF: That does play a role. I interviewed a woman who grew up in an abusive home, struggled to pay for college, wound up in an abusive relationship, had to flee to a state that didn’t accept her teaching credentials. She found herself on welfare with five kids, but she substitute taught, she mowed lawns, she babysat, and no matter what she made, ten percent went to her church because she knew that no matter what else failed, she’d have that support network.
Kirk, there’s a quote in your book by the comedian George Carlin: “They call it the American Dream because you gotta be asleep to believe it.” But a 2011 Pew research poll found that 2/3 of Americans believe they’re either living the American dream or they’ll achieve it in their lifetime. Is there a disconnect? KF (shakes head): We have this sense that there’s this one dream: the house in the suburbs, the car, two kids. A lot of people will describe that dream when you talk to them but then say, “for me it means something else.” On the one hand we critique this mythical, 1950s “Ozzie and Harriet” notion. At the same time, we affirm that we’re living the American dream because we have our own idea of what that dream is. I talked to homeless people, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and everyone in between. All but one had an American dream different from the “Ozzie and Harriet” notion.
When we talk about the freedom to pursue one’s own dream, we emphasize the individual. Is there a tension between what’s good for the individual and what’s good for the community? RM: When I see everyday people living paycheck to paycheck, then I see the CEOs and their profits are soaring to astronomical heights, and yet the average American salary hasn’t increased in 30 years, yeah, there’s a tension. I’m all for the individual, but you didn’t get there on your own.
In 1973 the median male income was $51,670. In 2011 it was $49,398. Meanwhile, more people resorting to part-time jobs with fewer benefits . . . Sam: And income disparity is growing.
Sam, you do a lot of research on the immigrant population. The demographics of this country are shifting and the labor market doesn’t really favor that demographic. SH: With immigrants, as with women and African Americans right after the Civil Rights
movement, the American dream may just be to have the same opportunities as everyone else. We talk about wanting things, but for some, just having the chance is the dream. KF: You can still have your dream, but the outcomes depend on where you were born, what parents you were born to, the jobs they had, the educational system that surrounds you, whether or not the institutional structures of society allow you to achieve the dream you envision. You can have two kids growing up in neighboring school districts and one has $5,000 a year devoted to him where the other has $25,000 devoted to him because we have chosen to fund education based on property tax. In many respects I’d argue that’s a failure of our institutions and a failure of public policy. I’d also like to throw out a question that we asked people while researching the book, which is “Are there enough opportunities for Americans to achieve economically, to achieve socially?”
SH: There’s an underlying racial divide, also poverty. Even gender is still a powerful factor. We’re in a pretty deep hole, and I’m afraid that there aren’t the social institutions in place at this point to get those groups where they need to be. That sounds bleak, I know, but there has to be a holistic change and I’m not sure Congress is ready. Maybe it’s that we don’t have the leadership in place.
RM: What makes America unique historically is we think one day a leader will step in and say, “Alright, enough is enough. We’re bringing back corporate taxes, we’re going to get things back on track.” I thought we were getting there. I read (President Barack Obama’s) “The Audacity of Hope.” I thought, “Finally!” — then nothing happened.
You know, when the housing market took that nasty turn, the economy took a nosedive, we started seeing people going back to school. I probably saw the biggest rise of nontraditional students right after. These were nontraditional students in their 40s who had been laid off, maybe they’d lost their house. They decided, “I’ve got to do something different.” During discussions, an anger would come out, not because of what happened to them but because they watched the people who caused everything to fall apart not suffer. So, is there still opportunity? I think so, but it’s now the opportunity to create opportunity.
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KF: Hard work in this country doesn’t always pay, it’s true. And with the minimum wage what it is, you’re literally one fall off a curb from economic catastrophe, even though you may work 60 hours a week. The simplest thing can send you into an economic spiral.
Historically, leaders of both parties have campaigned on the idea of hope. For Ronald Reagan it was “Morning in America.” Is it all just empty political rhetoric? SH: I don’t want to come across as a Marxist, but I’m from Canada,
which has more of a socialist orientation. I’m a firm believer in social justice, greater equality — and, sorry, higher taxes. I believe we can get there, but we have to work together and it’s just not happening. If you think you can’t achieve something, if you think you’ll never get there, it may be because of an underlying injustice. There are fewer networks to help people, fewer safety nets. I was a waitress for ten years in Canada, but we had a safety net. We don’t have that here. It’s sometimes argued that people vote against selfinterest: If you think you’ll eventually achieve the American dream, even if you never will, you want a tax code that favors the multimillionaire you envision becoming. Is the concept, in that sense, a dangerous one? KF: I wonder if that question presupposes that the American dream itself is economic prosperity. I interviewed a guy who trained as a corporate attorney but chose a career in acting. He struggles paycheck to paycheck, but that’s his passion. He could have been an attorney. The question prioritizes the economic security aspect, and for a lot of Americans that’s only part of it. For some, that has no relevance at all. It’s about the freedom to pursue and become what you want.
RM: But I worry about what happens when people stop believing. What you’re talking about, Kirk, is drive. Growing up, my friends and I didn’t have much money so we had to work. I’m not saying we spent our money wisely, but we worked for it. There was a sense that nothing in life would be handed to you. And there was a sense that if you worked hard, you would be taken care of in some sense. But all it takes is one or two times when something doesn’t work out . . . KF: But I also think it’s important to acknowledge that we sit in a place of privilege just to have this conversation. Researching the book, it was primarily the educated middleclass who critiqued the American dream and acknowledged that we don’t have some of the institutions to assure the dream for others who are less fortunate. As I sat with people in the lower 20 percent of the economic ladder, by and large hope is what they hold onto. And quite frankly, a number of the people we spoke to who were at the top of the ladder came from very meager means and worked hard all their lives. Some of it was dumb luck, but they’re now in places where they can be hugely philanthropic. I agree that we don’t have some of those institutional structures we’ve mentioned, but when we talk about the less fortunate, if we don’t have hope, what are we left with?
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A CAREER IN ACADEMIA DOESN’T HAVE TO END AT RETIREMENT. INDEED, FOR MANY EMERITUS PROFESSORS, RETIREMENT’S JUST THE BEGINNING.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS Harvey Starr is currently working on three or four different book projects — “depending on how you want to count it,” he says. “A colleague and I are waiting to hear back about one proposal.” He’s also overseeing three active dissertations and hooded two new Ph.D.s this summer. The catch? He officially retired June 30. The longtime political science professor and former chair, now 67, has immersed himself in scholarship and teaching since coming to USC in 1989, but crossing the so-called finish line, he finds he’s not quite finished. Starr is not that different from many faculty at the same career stage. However, a fifth new project distinguishes him just a bit: Earlier this year, he volunteered to get the ball rolling on what could one day become a center for retired and retiring professors. Ironically, he got the idea while working on one of those book projects, an intellectual biography of his mentor, Yale political science professor Bruce Russett, who
himself retired just a few years ago but who remains active at his own institution. “Bruce mentioned a talk he had given at a place called the Henry Koerner Center for Emeritus Faculty at Yale,” says Starr. “They have monthly meetings at which people talk about their intellectual journeys across their whole career. I thought, ‘What an interesting idea!’ I realize we don’t have the resources to do what they’ve done, but I wonder what we could do?” Starr mentioned the idea to Provost Michael Amiridis who put him in touch with faculty senate president James Knapp. Turns out, Knapp has been pondering similar ideas. “The senior faculty and emeritus faculty are a tremendous potential resource for the university that in many ways is significantly underutilized,” Knapp says. “There are any number of faculty that would like to maintain some level of involvement with the university. And there are any number of things that could be done at little or no cost but that would derive significant benefit to both.” For his part, Starr is now servng as a self-described “free contractor” as he researches what other institutions have done, what USC faculty want and what might realistically be possible.
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ARLENE BOWERS ANDREWS
CHARLES BRYAN Charles Bryan, a charter member of USC’s School of Medicine, retired from the university August 31, 2008 after 31 years. The very next day he started a fulltime job at Columbia’s Providence Hospital doing infectious disease consultation and performing a number of other important duties. But the Heyward Gibbes Distinguished Professor of Internal Medicine Emeritus is hardly done with scholarly pursuits or, for that matter, with the university. “So much of my identity is being a doctor. I’ve been accused of investing too much in my career, but what really gives me pleasure is seeing patients and helping them get better,” says Bryan. “I’m also more broadly interested in the humanities of the profession, the ideals of the profession, the history of the profession. I find that more interesting than any hobby I could do.” Since retiring, Bryan has devoted countless hours to researching medical history, sometimes with the assistance of USC undergraduates. His latest book, “Asylum Doctor: James Woods Babcock and the Red Plague of Pellagra” (USC Press), was fifteen years in the making. And while he no longer teaches, Bryan enjoys giving the occasional lecture at the medical school, where he still maintains an office, and to undergraduates on the main campus. He also finds time to work on other scholarly research. “I’m not sure what project I’ll take on next, but I have several ideas and several papers on the backburner,” he says. “There’s really no motivation to do that anymore except for the personal satisfaction.”
When Arlene Bowers Andrews retired from USC’s School of Social Work in June 2013, she didn’t exactly pack it in. “It was really more about giving up that fulltime, demanding, day-in, day-out routine of balancing teaching and research, and in social work we also do a lot of community service,” says Andrews, who does consulting work in the community but also maintains an office on campus and continues to produce new research. “I’ve retired from the university but I haven’t retired from my career, and I don’t know that I ever will.” Andrews also remains involved at Carolina by mentoring junior faculty as they go through the tenure process and hopes to stay involved for the foreseeable future. “I enjoy being a part of the USC community, and I think the university has always been very open to its emeritus faculty,” she says. “I can remember being mentored by retired faculty, and I think that’s part of the way universities stay strong, sharing across generations of faculty.” And her advice to other faculty weighing their own options as they approach retirement? “I’d say, have a clear idea of the kind of work you want do and the amount of time you want put into it,” she says. “Know what you’re willing to do to serve the university but also have realistic expectations about the kind of support the university would be able to give you.”
16 USCTIMES / SEPTEMBER 2014
MADILYN FLETCHER Microbiologist Madilyn Fletcher retired from the university in 2011 — then spent two years as temporary faculty and interim director of USC’s School of the Earth, Ocean and Environment. This fall, she will teach her course on marine science and policy, which she has taught for the marine science program since 2011. Asked why she has stayed involved with the university post-retirement, she laughs and says, “Why not?” “You keep in touch with the colleagues and friends you’ve made. You continue to see the progress of units you’ve been involved with. And you continue to be involved with students and their youth and their energy. That’s the main reason I continue to teach, when I do teach. To be around their energy is kind of contagious.” But Fletcher, who served as director of the Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences from 1996 to 2006 and director of the School of the Environment from 2006 to 2011, recognizes the value in transitioning out of the academy. “There are faculty who don’t want to leave,” she says. “I’m not one of those. If anything, I’m enjoying the chance to get to know more of the non-academic world, getting to know those people, their values and their skills.” “It may be that emeritus faculty, having come from the academic community, can help build bridges to the community as they spend more time in the outside world. That’s only going to become more and more important.”
JIM STIVER Jim Stiver is a philosophy teacher, a writer and a longtime Gamecock, having first arrived on the Carolina campus with a one-year contract back in 1965. He’s also, by his own admission, proud to be a curmudgeon. “Ever since I read Plato’s ‘Republic,’ I’ve been convinced that moral and political systems will never work unless they fit human nature,” he says. “We’ve turned from noble, or maybe ignoble savages into pretty decent beings over time, but beneath that there’s an evolutionary line of survival behavior. Basically, we’re selfish. We don’t need an ethical system for angels.” “The question is, ‘Now that we know we’re selfish, what do we do about it?’” One thing that Stiver does, and that he’s done every spring since he retired from USC’s Honors College in 2004, is teach an honors seminar, The American Curmudgeons. And even though he only teaches the course every other semester, he prepares for it year-round. “I could teach this class without really preparing, I could go in and just talk, but as my wife will tell you, I spend hours preparing, even after eight semesters,” he says. “I reread everything, I read new stuff, I rewrite my notes. I work really hard on this class. That’s my job.” And he does it, he says, because he finds analyzing and discussing the dark worldviews of writers like Ambrose Bierce, Mark Twain and H.L. Mencken to be not just uplifting but fun. “I’m teaching a course I created,” he says. “Not that I didn’t enjoy teaching courses I taught when I was in the philosophy department, I did, but I created this course because this is what I want to teach. You’re getting a dose of Stiver. I’ve never enjoyed teaching as much as I do now.”
VOL. 25, NO.8 17
SYSTEMWIDE
Q&A with Randy Lowell USC Union assistant professor of psychology Randy Lowell, a USC graduate (’04, ’10 master’s, ’12 Ph.D.) studies eye movements and word length to learn more about how and when we acquire new vocabulary while we read. How did you become interested in eye movement and words? During my final two semesters of undergrad I was a research assistant in (psychology professor) Amit Almor’s lab at USC. This helped spark a general interest in cognitive psychology, along with a particular curiosity about issues related to perception and language. When I found out that there was an opening for a graduate student in a lab primarily utilizing eye movement recording to infer aspects of cognitive processes while reading, I jumped at the opportunity.
Why are you so interested in studying reading? Reading is fascinating because it incorporates such a variety of cognitive demands. As skilled readers we often take for granted how complex reading is and how hard it can be to learn. Reading is very much a human invention that, in the grand scheme of mankind, is a fairly recent development. There is no end to the wealth of research questions that can be investigated, from the most basic ways we perceive the symbols of language to the most complex ways in which the rules and meanings of language are applied and integrated.
What do you like about working for USC Union? I love having consistently small classes. I can quickly learn everyone’s name and really get to know each student. Another great thing about Union is the collegiality among the faculty. Working so closely on a day-to-day basis with faculty representing such a diverse mix of disciplines provides ample opportunities for collaboration.
AROUND THE SYSTEM USC Aiken held many camps this summer including Kids in College, Camp Invention and, for the first time, the Wycliffe Gordon Summer Jazz Camp. USC Beaufort assistant professor of history Brent Morris has been awarded a grant of nearly $200,000 by the National Endowment for the Humanities to conduct a threeweek institute for teachers on the history of Reconstruction in the southeastern Sea Islands. USC Lancaster’s Gregory Health and Wellness Center was voted Best of the Best Health and Fitness Club by readers of The Lancaster News for the second straight year. USC Salkehatchie will plant fall vegetables in new raised bed gardens on campus this September. The project is funded through the university’s health and sustainability fund. USC Sumter will host the S.C. Storytelling Network Conference featuring John Fowler Saturday, Sept. 27. USC Union named Union native Jay Ford, a native of Union, the new Bantam baseball coach for the upcoming season. USC Upstate’s George Dean Johnson Jr. College of Business and Economics is partnering with SunTrust Bank to host a fiveweek financial literacy program for students, faculty, staff and the community. USC School of Medicine Greenville welcomed its third class this semester. The 82 new students have begun training for their required Emergency Medical Technician certification.
To learn more about the USC system, visit sc.edu/about/system_and_campuses.
OVERHEARD @UOFSC Rico Baxter, Patrick Bryant and Nelson Brown, three movers from USC Maintenance Services, break down the set of the September USC Times cover shoot. “I just like to get the job done,” said crew leader Brown, a nine-year USC veteran. “But when we were asked to come move this desk off the Horseshoe I thought it was great — because we’re in the picture.” As the team loaded the desk onto the truck to return it to the Consolidated Services warehouse, Baxter agreed: “It’s nice to be recognized.”