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Week of 15 January 1999 Vol. II, No. 19 Feature Article The shaman-showman connection Marscher takes on mentor role in new CAS post By Hope Green Junior faculty, fresh from their doctoral programs, often struggle to balance the demands of academic life while keeping undergraduates motivated in class. With that in mind, Alan Marscher, in his new role as College of Arts and Sciences associate dean, plans to focus on the quality of instruction at BU. "A Ph.D. is not a teaching degree; it is a research degree," the CAS astronomy professor points out. "I want to help junior faculty members be better teachers while maintaining the University's very vital research program." Alan Marscher, a BU professor of astronomy, will serve half-time as associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences. Photo by Vernon Doucette Provost and CAS Dean Dennis Berkey has appointed Marscher to the newly created half-time position for the current semester through spring 2001. Winner of BU's 1998 Gitner Award for Distinguished Teaching, Marscher joined the CAS faculty in 1981, later serving as astronomy chairman for 10 years and as a member of the committee to develop the Core Curriculum. A specialist in quasars, he has been the principal investigator in a number of grant proposals to NASA and the National Science Foundation. Marscher says he plans to coach untenured faculty on how to efficiently balance teaching, research, and University service such as committee work, and how to organize course material. Those needing to hone their presentation skills will have their lectures videotaped and review the results with Marscher individually. "A professor is like a performer," notes Marscher, who is a folk singer in his spare time. "Issues such as delivery, eye contact, and inflection might seem like common sense, but you can be in front of a classroom and not be fully aware of how your students are seeing you. There's a lot that can destroy a lecture, even if you're well prepared." Mentorship relations among senior and junior faculty will be encouraged, Marscher says, and he will share his expertise with new department chairmen in areas such as budgeting and grant proposal writing. In addition, he plans to work with the faculty to develop a more uniform grading system. A revised format for the CAS writing program will be among the new associate dean's concerns this semester. "Writing is so important to an academic career," Marscher explains, "and many students don't finish their first year with as high a level of writing as is required for upper-level courses. We want them to be much more competent."