Provost and Executive Vice President for the Division of Academic Affairs Suzanne Austin shared the following message with the campus community on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020:
Dear Campus Community,
I write today with some news about several of our academic leaders.
Godfrey Gibbison
As you may know, the College currently has fourย deans serving inย anย interim capacity:ย Godfreyย Gibbisonย asย interimย dean of the Graduate School,ย Gibbs Knottsย asย interimย dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences,ย Elizabeth Meyer-Bernsteinย asย interimย dean of the Honors College,ย andย Sebastian van Deldenย asย interimย dean of the School of Sciences and Mathematics.
Sebastian van Delden
While interim appointments such as these are a common and important organizational tool, I am mindful of the fact that having several interim leaders at one time can create a sense of uncertainty for the faculty and staff in these schools, not to mention for the interim deans themselves. And, during the pandemic, the ability to conduct meaningful and effective leadership searches is severely limited until, mostย likely,ย the 2021โ2022 academic year.
Therefore,ย I am pleasedย to announce thatย I amย removingย theseย interim designationsย andย extendingย forย two yearsย theย appointmentsย ofย each of these individuals.โฏThese appointments, which are effectiveย immediately,ย also include an option for extension beyond two yearsย basedย onย strongย performance.
Elizabeth Meyer-Bernstein
Please join me in congratulatingย these colleaguesย for this well-deserved recognitionย and read below forย more informationย aboutย each of them. Along withย ourย fiveย other deansย โย Dean Fran Welch,ย Dean Valerie Morris,ย Dean Alan Shao,ย Deanย Timothy Johnsonย and Dean John White โ the Collegeย isย trulyย fortunate to have suchย a highlyย accomplished roster ofย academicย leaders.
Gibbs Knotts
Thisย brings me toย anotherย announcement. School ofย theย Arts Deanย Valerie Morris has recentlyย announced her retirementย at the end of this calendar year.ย She has served as dean since 1998, during whichย timeย she hasย significantlyย elevated the quality of ourย arts,ย music, dance, theatreย and otherย programs, expanded the Collegeโs involvement in the cultural life of Charlestonย and brought an incredible array of live performances to our campus. We look forward to celebrating Dean Morrisโ manyย achievements andย opportunities toย expressย our gratitude in theย weeks to come.ย Shortly, I will engage with the department chairs,ย facultyย and staffย in the School ofย the Artsย around the process for identifyingย theย next dean.
In closing,ย I want to say how proud and honoredย I amย to have joined the College of Charleston, an institutionย whose potential for national distinction exceedsย any other university in the country.ย Along with President Hsu, our deans and myย colleagues on the Senior Team,ย I amย committed toย helping leadย our universityย toward theย realization ofย thisย enormous potentialย and building on the incredible foundation ofย academicย excellence that is already firmlyย established.
Sincerelyย yours,
Suzanne
Suzanne Austin
Provost and Executive Vice President
Division of Academic Affairs
