Three finalists have been chosen for the position of Dean for the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts (IAC) following a year-long selection process. A search committee was formed last summer following the departure of the previous dean, Sue Rosser, who left Tech to become provost at San Francisco State University. The committee was made up of faculty and staff in the IAC as well as an undergraduate and graduate student representatives.
The three finalists include Dr. Beverly Sypher, the Associate Provost and Susan Bulkeley Butler Chair for Leadership Excellence as well as a Professor of Communication at Purdue University, Dr. Jacqueline Royster, the Executive Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in addition to being the Senior Vice-Provost and Professor of English at Ohio State University, and Dr. Bill Long, the Chair of the School of International Affairs at Tech.
The Institute hired the professional consulting firm William Funk & Associates upon the recommendation of the search committee to assist with the process of soliciting nominations for the position. The firm does not have a role in influencing the committee’s recommendations.
“There are only six colleges at Tech and the dean is a very important position… At that level we thought it was important that we get the assistance of a professional firm. They do the heavy lifting so to speak and have their own networks of contacts that can help us cast a net as wide as possible and find the right candidate,” said Doug Allen, the Associate Dean for the Ivan Allen College.
Over the course of the previous semester, the committee reviewed a list of over 150 applicants were narrowed down to three finalists.
“More than just credentials, we [the search committee] wanted to make sure that the candidate would be a right fit for the Institution and understand what it means have a liberal arts college at a technological institution,” Allen said. Each candidate will now be brought on campus for an interview at the end of this month. The interview will be a two-day process, with each candidate meeting with campus administrators, faculty and staff. Each candidate will then give a presentation on their vision for liberal arts at Tech to an audience of faculty and staff.
Following the interviews, the provost and the Institute President will decide who to hire for the position. The new dean will take up the position on July 1, at the start of the academic year.