The College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences (CLAHS) is now searching for a new dean to replace Jerry Niles, who plans to end his four-year stint at the end of the 2007 spring semester. A search committee was recently formed to begin the process of finding his replacement.
Serving as the senior academic leader for a college, a dean is responsible for various internal departments and programs, as well as for fostering interest and overseeing future plans.
?A dean of this college needs to be eager to learn about the areas with which he or she is less familiar. Optimism, courage, integrity, openness to change, fairness, curiosity, organization, stamina, respect for the dignity of every human being, a nurturing spirit and good communication skills are all qualities that I will look for in a new dean,? said Patty Raun, associate professor and department and professor head of Theatre Arts. ?Any dean has to be tough minded and humane at the same time.?
On Sept. 21, the search committee held its first meeting, beginning the early stages of planning and organization. The committee?s 21 members are responsible for advertising the available position, both nationally and internationally, as well as interviewing possible candidates.
?We?re looking for someone with leadership experience appropriate for the college, a commitment to diversity, the ability to work well with other deans and get things done,? said Mark McNamee, chair of the search committee, and university provost and vice president for academic affairs.
McNamee said the group plans to begin announcing the position within the next week or so, hoping to end the search period around Thanksgiving. Candidates will then undergo preliminary phone interviews and standard screenings by the end of the semester.
Following the second round, the search committee will invite three to four of its main choices to campus for on-site interviews, where students and staff are encouraged to meet and interact with the applicants.
To further immediate campus participation, the search committee is accepting nominations from students, staff and faculty for qualified candidates. All recommendations are evaluated the same, whether the candidate is a nomination from across the country or an existing faculty member.
In addition, an open session hosted by the CLAHS Faculty Council will be held in Owens Banquet Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 4 p.m. to allow faculty members to submit qualities they feel are important for the new dean.
If the search process yields no qualified candidates, an interim dean from within the college will be chosen until the search can be reinstituted at a later date. The search committee is aiming to find a candidate who is ideally prepared for the demands and specifications of the job.
Fellow faculty said Dean Niles would be greatly missed.
?Working with Dean Niles has been one of the highlights of my career here_ in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences because of his vision and concern for the education of undergraduates in our college,? Director of Academic Support for CLAHS Karen Watson said. ?He understood the importance of having all of our freshmen in one room, seated in small groups with a faculty member there to welcome the students to the CLAHS community.?
McNamee shared this sentiment.
?Dean Niles is an outstanding leader of the college,? he said. ?He possesses good vision and has inspired trust among the faculty, which is an important thing. He did a masterful job of building bridges across the disciplines as well. [The new candidate] has very big shoes to fill.?
