Leadership at the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development; Formation of the Dean Search Advisory Committee
From Dr. Jean Morrison, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer
As you know, David Chard, Professor of Education, has been serving as Dean ad interim of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development (Wheelock) since the merger of Boston University and Wheelock College on June 1, 2018. In the time since his appointment, Dean Chard has provided exceptional leadership, working collaboratively with faculty and staff to thoughtfully and meaningfully address critical issues facing the newly-formed college during a crucial period of transition.
Under the terms of his interim agreement, Dean Chard’s service is set to conclude at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. With that date approaching, we must now turn to the task of identifying a permanent dean of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. The process for constituting a Dean Search Advisory Committee, outlined in the BU Faculty Handbook, specifies that: “the advisory committee shall consist of three faculty members elected by the faculty of the School for which a dean is to be selected, two faculty members elected by the Faculty Council from other Schools, and as many as three members designated by the provost.”
The faculty members who are appointed to serve on the Advisory Committee should be among our most thoughtful, engaged, and committed scholars, teachers, and leaders. The faculty most well-positioned to carry out this work will be actively engaged in significant ways in their professional communities and within their academic disciplines. Please note that no member of the Advisory Committee may be considered for the position of dean.
I am requesting that the faculty in the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development organize internally to solicit nominations and to elect three faculty representatives to the Advisory Committee. Any individual who would have a role in overseeing the election within Wheelock should neither wish to serve on the committee nor want to be a candidate for the dean’s position. I have asked Cathy O’Connor, Associate Dean for Doctoral Studies and Professor of Education and Linguistics, to organize the election to identify the Wheelock representatives. I held a special meeting for the Wheelock faculty earlier this week to discuss the search effort.
Boston University’s Faculty Council will also be sending an email communication to all members of the faculty on both campuses requesting nominations of candidates external to Wheelock to fill the two elected seats on the Advisory Committee. Nominations or expressions of interest can be sent to the Faculty Council (fafc@bu.edu). Please note that membership on the Faculty Council itself is not an eligibility requirement for election to the Search Advisory Committee by the Faculty Council. I request submission of the results of both of these elections by October 15, 2020. Following receipt, I will appoint additional members so that the Committee will be assembled and prepared to begin its work immediately.
Please join me in thanking David Chard for all he has done for Boston University and the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. The formal appointment of the Wheelock Dean Search Advisory Committee is forthcoming, and I appreciate your contributions to and support of this effort.