January 15-16, 2004

ITEM 122-2003-R0104   Authorization to Confer the Title of Professor Emeritus of French upon Douglas Daniels; Montana State University-Bozeman

THAT: Upon the occasion of the retirement of Douglas Danielsfrom the faculty of Montana State University, the Board of Regents wishes to express its appreciation for his service to the University, the Montana University System, and the people of the State of Montana.

 

EXPLANATION: Dr. Daniels came to MSU in 1973 after earning degrees at the University of Minnesota where he also taught as an assistant professor. In his long and distinguished tenure at MSU Dr. Daniels taught courses ranging from elementary and intermediate French to advanced courses on literature, culture and the language. In the thirty years at MSU he taught virtually every course in the French program and was instrumental in the conception and development of many of those courses. He served as Coordinator of French from 1979 until 1999 when he became Department Head of Modern Languages and Literatures. As Department Head (1999 - 2003) he was instrumental in transforming the language lab into a state of the art multimedia language resource center, shepherding the development of advanced study of Japanese and increasing faculty for the Spanish section of the department.

Dr. Daniels was active in University service during his tenure at MSU. He served on a number of College and University committees including service as Chair of Faculty Affairs, member of Faculty Council Steering Committee, Chair of Sabbatical Review committee, member of University Promotion and Tenure Committee.

Dr. Daniels has published a number of articles dealing with various aspects of modern France including studies of French media and French politics. He edited a collection of essays, Intellectual Life in France Since 1968(1981). He chaired several panels at regional and national conferences and delivered a number of papers at regional, national and international conferences.  One of his greatest contributions to the profession was the co-founding, in 1976, and subsequent 25 years of service as managing editor of the scholarly journal Contemporary French Civilization. Daniels still serves on the editorial board of the journal which is now located at the University of Illinois.

Dr. Daniels was a Fulbright fellow in 1971-72, a National Endowment for the Humanities fellow in 1975 and 1991. He has served as a consultant on several panels for the National Endowment for the Humanities over the years.

For these and other contributions, the Board of Regents of Higher Education is pleased to confer upon Douglas Danielsthe rank of Professor Emeritus of French at Montana State University and wishes him well for many years in the future.