St. Mary’s College of Maryland Board of Trustees met in-person and virtually on Saturday, October 16, beginning at 8:30 a.m. The Board acted on several items including approving the College’s revised telework policy.
The revised telework policy applies to the employees of the College, including those covered under the collective bargaining agreement with AFSCME. Individuals requesting formal telework arrangements must be employed with the College for a minimum of 12 months of continuous, regular employment and must have a satisfactory performance record.
The revised policy focuses on the College’s operational needs, an analysis of the position’s responsibilities, and a review of the employee’s suitability for teleworking. Each approved telework agreement will be on a trial basis for the initial three months. Upon conclusion of the trial period, a performance evaluation between the unit head and the employee will take place to determine whether the teleworking agreement may continue.
The revised telework policy will take place immediately with Board approval.
The Board also approved revisions to the Staff Salary Plan to provide a minimum entry wage of $15/hour to align with Governor Hogan’s commitment to raise the state-wide minimum wage effective July 1, 2021. Revisions to the Staff Salary Plan are retroactive to October 1, 2021.
Philanthropic Commitment
During President Tuajuanda C. Jordan’s Board report, she announced that Don Stabile, professor of the college and economics, has made a multi-year philanthropic commitment of $1 million for the Don Stabile Scholarship, created in January 2013 to help the College recruit and retain exceptional students. A renewable scholarship, 10 first-year or transfer students are selected each academic year, based on merit.
His giving, which began in 1986 with his first gift of $20, grew to over $1 million before this most recent commitment.
Stabile joined the economics faculty at St. Mary’s College in 1980. He was named an honorary alumnus of the College in 2004.
Order of the Ark and Dove Citation
During a special reception on the evening of Friday, October 15, the Board recognized The Order of the Ark and Dove citation recipient Cindy Broyles ᾽79.
The Order of The Ark and Dove was created in 1972 to honor those individuals who have given distinguished service to St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
Alumna Cindy Broyles ᾽79 was a member of the College’s Board of Trustees from 2007 to 2019, when she was given emerita status. Previously, she served on the Alumni Council from 2004-2006. In the citation awarded Friday night, it stated: “The College is grateful for your service and long-term commitment and investment in its students and programs as evidenced by your establishment of an endowed scholarship for students needing financial assistance; your work as a mentor for career services programs such as Bookbag to Briefcase; your volunteering for events for admissions, sailing, and alumni; your efforts to identify distinguished speakers for the Center for the Study of Democracy; and your long-term service on the Board of Trustees.”
Broyles has most recently supported the College’s Learning through Experiential and Applied Discovery (LEAD) initiatives, the Recovery Fund and the $2.5 Million Capital Campaign Challenge, for which she will name the rehearsal hall in the new Performing Arts Center. In 2011, she created the Cindy Broyles Scholarship to benefit students with financial need. For her lifetime giving in support of the College, Broyles is recognized in the Presidents Circle ($500,000-$999,999).
Broyles retired from Booz Allen Hamilton as a senior vice president. During her career she led large business segments and multidisciplinary teams in support of major defense acquisition and operational support programs. Within the firm, she was the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) champion focusing on development of strategies for the firm for advancement of women at Booz Allen Hamilton.
She earned her Master of Science degree in systems management and a Certificate in Management Information Systems from the University of Southern California (1989), and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (social science) from St. Mary’s College of Maryland (1979). In addition, she completed a Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government Senior Executive Program in National and International Security (2005).
The citation also stated, “Your dedication to the College and the community as a mentor to our students, an active alumna, a competent and competitive athlete, a generous donor of time and money, and a Trustee is deserving of note.”
Faculty Promotions
During the reception, the Board also recognized the following faculty who have been reappointed with tenure and promoted to associate professor.
Geoffrey M. Bowers (chemistry and biochemistry) joined the St. Mary’s College faculty in 2016. He teaches courses in physical, environmental and general chemistry. He holds a PhD in chemistry from the Pennsylvania State University and a B.S. in chemical engineering from Purdue University. He has published over 40 papers on mineral interactions with water, carbon dioxide and methane, including 21 since joining the SMCM faculty. In 2019, Bowers received the Norton T. Dodge Award for Scholarly Achievement by a Junior Faculty Member.
Daniel T. Chase (chemistry) joined the St. Mary’s College faculty in 2015. He teaches courses in organic chemistry. He completed a PhD in chemistry from the University of Oregon and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas at Austin. In 2020, Chase was awarded a three-year, $70,000 grant from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund. The grant supports the research of Chase and two SMCM students per year.
Amy L. Steiger (theater) joined the St. Mary’s College faculty in 2015. She teaches courses in theater practice, theater history, literature and theory as well as performance and critical theory. She holds a PhD in performance as public practice from The University of Texas at Austin. In 2021, Steiger was named a Pandion haliaetus Professor of Theater Studies at SMCM. She also received the Homer L. Dodge Award for Excellence in Teaching by a Junior Faculty Member in 2021.
Troy K. Townsend ’07 (chemistry) joined the St. Mary’s College faculty in 2014. He teaches inorganic chemistry and materials science along with a variety of foundational chemistry classes. He completed a PhD at the University of California, Davis, where he held a National Science Foundation graduate research fellowship, followed by a National Research Council postdoctoral fellowship at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory where he produced and tested sprayable solar cells and modules. He has publications in high-impact journals and holds three U.S. patents and one patent application through the U.S. Navy. In 2021, Townsend was named a Haliaeetus leucocephalus Professor of Chemistry at SMCM. In 2020, he received the Norton T. Dodge Award for Scholarly and Creative Achievement by a Junior Faculty Member. He is an alumnus of the Class of 2007.
