CURRICULUM VITAE
JAMES DAVID MEERNIK
Department of Political Science
1155 Union Circle #305340
University of North Texas
Denton, TX 76203-5017
(940) 565-2684
Education
1992 Ph.D. Michigan State University Political Science
1988. M.A. Michigan State University Political Science
1985. B.A. Grand Valley State College Political Science and
Psychology
Faculty Appointments
2006 - Present Professor University of
Political Science Department North Texas
1997-2006 Associate Professor University of
Political Science Department North Texas
1991-1997 Assistant Professor University of
Political Science Department North Texas
Advanced Professional Training
2009-2010. American Council on Education Fellows Program. Placement at Iowa State University, 2010.
2009. Council for Advancement and Support for Education. Development for Deans. Nashville, TN.
2009. American Council on Education. “At Home in the World” workshop on diversity and internationalization. Washington D.C.
2007. American Council on Education Workshop for Department Chairs. Chicago, IL.
Administrative Experience
July 2010 – May 2012 Acting Dean Toulouse Graduate University of
School North Texas
Graduate School Accomplishments[1]
Recruitment: Developed UNT’s first-ever campus-wide Graduate Student Recruitment Weekends. Developed UNT’s first-ever Graduate School Open House. Developed Graduate School’s first-ever Summer Research Seminar to introduce promising undergraduates from under-represented populations in Texas and surrounding states to research and graduate school. Travelled internationally to Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and China to recruit new students and develop relationships with partner institutions.
Retention: Created UNT’s first-ever Dissertation Boot Camps to facilitate completion of dissertation writing. Developed Program Profile Data Base to provide data on all characteristics of graduate students and graduate programs to assess effectiveness of programs and allocate support. Created first-ever annual review of doctoral students to monitor graduate student progress. Reformed doctoral program rules to promote retention through reduction of university rules regarding required semester credit hours. Graduated record number of master’s and doctoral students. Developed programs for teacher training; research grant writing and professional development.
Diversity: Created position of Student Success Coordinator to increase recruitment and retention of under-represented student populations. Created university-wide Diversity Advisory Committee. Enhanced UNT’s McNair Scholars Fellows Program to provide tuition to graduates of McNair Programs who attend graduate school. Hosted 2012 Lone Star Graduate Diversity Colloquium to introduce students from diverse and under-represented populations to graduate schools.
Development: Created UNT’s first-ever Graduate Student Alumni event. Created Toulouse Graduate School Honor Society. Developed Graduate School’s first-ever electronic newsletter for alumni. Created new Toulouse Graduate School Advisory Board. Raised record amounts through fundraising.
Other initiatives: Led effort to rename Graduate School. Led effort to reorganize the Graduate School commencement ceremony. Created student awards for international, interdisciplinary and societal impact research. Worked with Graduate Student Council to take part in National Graduate Student Appreciation Week for first-time at UNT. Renovated and enhanced Graduate School offices. Revised University policies on time to degree limits, tool subject requirements and semester credit hour requirements for graduate students on assistantships. All changes facilitated student completion of graduate degrees.
Major Areas of Responsibility
Academic Programs
Develop post-baccalaureate academic programs within the university in concert with the academic departments, the schools, and colleges, and the Graduate Council. Develop and apply policies that relate to and govern graduate studies, including admissions, changes in curriculum, degree programs, and organization, in concert with the deans, representatives of the faculty, and the Graduate Council. Liaison with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Encourage excellence in all post-baccalaureate academic programs within the university. Develop, coordinate, and administer graduate programs through inter-university and inter-agency consortia Develop extensive student recruiting activities at the graduate school and program levels with a special concentration on activities to recruit students underrepresented in graduate programs. Assist in the development of new graduate programs, the review of existing programs, and the successful marketing of graduate programs to new audiences, especially through distance education. Promote and secure additional student financial support, especially at the doctoral level, in collaboration with programs.
Administrative
Represent and enlist support for the broad interests of graduate studies and graduate students at the Council of Deans, the Enrollment Management Committee, the University Planning Council, and the Graduate Council. Work collaboratively with the Vice President for Research and Economic Development to maintain close coordination and advancement of graduate education and research. Chair the Graduate Council. Work with schools, colleges, and departments on policies and procedures that directly affect the conduct and governance of graduate studies within the university. Supervise and evaluate the work of the Associate Deans and Director of Admissions in the Toulouse Graduate School. Supervise and evaluate the work of the staff of the Toulouse Graduate School. Supervise and evaluate the work of Center and Institute Directors who report directly to the Center for Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies in the Toulouse Graduate School.
Faculty
Recommend to the Graduate Council the appointment of faculty members to the Graduate Faculty under specific criteria established by the Graduate Council. Provide appropriate nominations and recommendations and coordinating the evaluation process for various faculty and student awards and recognitions. Work with appropriate school and college committees on policies and procedures that directly affect the faculty with respect to graduate programs.
Other
Advise the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs on matters related to graduate studies. Support the institution's commitment to goals set forth in the UNT Strategic Plan and The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Work in concert with the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Office of Equity and Diversity to promote diversity of the faculty, staff, and graduate student body. Represent the university at social, alumni, advancement, and similar activities, especially where there is a connection to graduate studies. Work in close collaboration with and in support of the Vice President for Development and the deans of the schools and colleges in procuring external funding for graduate studies.
2009 – June 30, 2010 Associate Dean for College of Arts University of
Administrative Affairs and Sciences North Texas
(Interim, January 2009 - July 2009).
Major areas of responsibility
· Advancement, Development and Fundraising. Attended donor cultivation events and worked on specific fundraising projects.
· Chair of Faculty Council. Developed procedures and criteria for evaluation and promotion of lecturers with Faculty Council. Led first ever promotion recommendations for lecturers. Reviewed department policies on unsatisfactory performance by faculty. Reviewed and made recommendations for superior performing departments.
· Department Chairs. Conducted reviews of department chairs in first and fourth years of terms. Met with all chairs in small groups periodically to listen and respond to concerns. Organized and led annual new department chairs and program directors orientation sessions.
· Faculty Development. Developed initiatives to evaluate and reward faculty. Developed new data base to track faculty teaching activities and research productivity. Organized new faculty program. Hosted events to recognize faculty contributions. Control over discretionary account that is used to subsidize meritorious faculty activities and host meetings to further faculty development and collaboration.
· Junior Faculty Mentoring Program. Led annual junior faculty mentoring meetings and helped develop mentoring programs.
· Personnel Issues. Worked with department chairs and faculty to address personnel issues. Interviewed all candidates for lecturer positions and assistant and associate professor positions. Worked with department chairs and faculty on promotion and tenure issues and assisted Dean in the promotion and tenure process. Managed the personnel appeals process.
· Space Planning. Worked with faculty and administrators to address space needs, reallocation and evaluation of requests for additional space and renovation of space. Inventory all space under CAS oversight.
· Other Duties. Take Dean’s place in his absence at committee meetings, monthly meetings of department chairs and other events.
2005-2008 Chair of Chairs Council University of
North Texas
Major Areas of Responsibility
· Chair Professional Development Programs. Organized annual Chairs Retreat, workshops and presentations. Organized Brown Bag Series on Development and Training for UNT Chairs.
· Governance of Chairs Council. Developed and won ratification of first ever Constitution for Chairs Council.
· Represented interests of all UNT Chairs to President and Provost. Attended meetings of the Dean’s (now Provost’s) Council. Led efforts to systematize rewarding and evaluating chairs on Provost’s Chair Compensation Committee. Helped develop plan that resulted in annualization of UNT chairs contracts. Worked with Chairs’ Council and co-authored study on allocation of faculty lines and M&O budgets at 14 peer institutions and UNT.
2002-2008 Chair, Department of Political Science University of
North Texas
Major Areas of Responsibility
· Assessment. Wrote annual Department Reports. Led efforts during department reviews including: Department Program Review (2004); SACS assessment (2004 – 2006) PhD program review (2006); Authored Department’s Strategic Plan (2004) and revision (2008). Organized and led annual department retreats.
· Budget. Exercised budgetary responsibility over 15 accounts including maintenance and operations, student course fees, equipment, graduate student funding, adjunct and lecturers, discretionary accounts, scholarship accounts; authority over multiple endowed accounts.
· Curriculum Development. Created an “Honors in the Department” designation as part of a collaboration between Political Science and the Honors College, which is now a model used across the university. Created leadership seminar and brought in high-ranking local, state and federal officials to talk and meet with students. Worked with Dean Gloria Cox to write, edit and produce the Political Science Department Workbooks for introductory American government courses. The workbooks bring in approximately $30,000 in royalties annually to the department that are used to further the department’s strategic goals and meet other needs. Developed a Leadership Seminar course that brought high-ranking current and form public officials from Texas to speak to and interact with students.
· Diversity. Created Departmental Diversity Committee. Increased number of faculty from under-represented groups. Raised funds for scholarships for first-generation students.
· Fund Raising. Created Department Advisory Board (2006) and fundraising events Constitution Day 2007 and Constitution Day 2008, which raised over $20,000 each, and the Feigert Scholarship ($10,000). Called approximately one hundred department alums each year to seek their support. Development of alumni functions, such as annual Homecoming tent; alumni outreach; department publicity, creation of Alum of the Month designation; survey of student debt and work to demonstrate student need to our donors, and other activities.
· Interdisciplinary. Worked with Department of Radio, Television and Film to stage “Election Night 2008”, live coverage of the results from the University Union. This involved much fundraising and many logistical issues. Oversight of International Studies program (it is now an independent major) and the Pre-Law Program.
· Internationalization. Led efforts to promote department through multiple conferences and authorship of edited volumes from conferences. Development of student and faculty exchange programs at Soochow University in Taipei, Taiwan and the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico in Toluca, Mexico. Led efforts to bring the journal International Studies Quarterly to UNT and served as Associate Editor. Helped bring many, prominent international speakers and scholars to campus. Worked with Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations to co-host visiting speakers. Co-authored proposal for the Institute for Democracy, Development and Conflict Resolution, which has now been approved as the Castleberry Peace Institute.
· Personnel. The Department grew from 23 faculty to over 30 faculty and lecturers during my period in office, including three new full professors and one new associate professor. The chair is involved in annual personnel evaluations of all faculty and staff; mid-term reviews; promotion and tenure reviews; merit raise recommendations; faculty searches and hiring. Developed system for tracking faculty research productivity over time. Increased the number of research assistants, especially for junior faculty. Chaired the committee that revised Promotion and Tenure guidelines and wrote the Satisfactory Performance Policy. Obtained additional departmental administrative assistance. The department was twice designated a “superior performing department” in 2006 and 2007 (not eligible in 2008).
· Publicity. Revised and maintained the department’s websites. Developed annual newsletters that were mailed to department alums. Wrote the quarterly, electronic department newsletters that were emailed to alums, faculty and administrators. Developed the department’s publicity brochure outlining its accomplishments and needs.
2001 Assistant Chair University of
Department of Political Science North Texas
Major Areas of Responsibility
Assisted with scheduling of classes. Faculty mentoring and evaluation. Helped write, edit and produce the Political Science Department Workbooks for introductory, American government classes.
1998-2002 Graduate Advisor University of
Department of Political Science North Texas
Major Areas of Responsibility
Review and admission of graduate student applicants. Evaluation of graduate student performance. Review and revise graduate program rules and procedures. Assign graduate students as teaching fellows (responsible for classes), teaching assistants, research assistants and administrative assistants.
Awards
2012 – Citation for Distinguished Service to International Education. UNT’s top award for contributions to international education by faculty, staff and students.
2010 – Member Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society
2010 – Alumnus in Residence, Grand Valley State University
2009-2010. American Council on Education Fellow. The ACE Fellows Program is the leading program in the nation for developing future leaders in higher education. It is the only national program of its kind that identifies and intensively mentors a select number of individuals each year who are nominated by their home university. There are several week-long retreats, visits to multiple campuses across the United States that are part of the training, and special projects regarding financial planning and strategic marketing, diversity and learning communities. I also visited institutions of higher education in South Africa and around the United States. My host institution was Iowa State University where I focused on internationalization, diversity, strategic planning and budgeting. My mentors were President Gregory Geoffrey and Executive Vice President and Provost, Elizabeth Hoffman.
2009. UNT Honors College Eagle Feather Mentor of the Year 2009. Award given annually to a UNT faculty member for collaborating on research with Honors students.
2009. University of North Texas Leadership Fellow. Recognition and training for emerging administrative leaders at UNT.
2009. Fulbright Senior Specialist. Autonomous University of Mexico State. May, 2009. An award and grant program for advanced scholars expert in international relations and comparative politics. I taught an intensive course on peace studies and conflict resolution to Master’s students.
2007. Rowan and Littlefield Award for Innovative Teaching in Political Science with Professor Kimi King (UNT) for a Study Abroad course to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands. Award given annually to the most innovative course in political science in the United States.