Creation of admin post withdrawn

By Michael Terrazas mterraz@emory.edu

Responding to faculty concerns, President Bill Chace has withdrawn the creation of the executive vice provostship for Arts and Sciences and the appointment of Graduate School Dean Bobby Paul to the position.

Chace, Provost Rebecca Chopp and Interim Provost-designate Woody Hunter distributed a letter last week to faculty members of the College Executive Committee announcing the decision. The three top administrators had been meeting with both the college group and the Executive Committee of the Graduate School since the faculty passed a resolution April 11 calling for Chace to rescind the appointment.

“We deeply regret any confusion or misunderstanding that may have been created by the earlier announced appointment,” the letter stated. “We appreciate and have passed on to Dean Paul your many expressions of support for him. We are in the process of hearing from committees and faculty members ideas and suggestions as to next steps in the process of selecting leadership and of organizing a strategic planning process for the Arts and Sciences.”

The letter went on to say the administration will continue to meet with faculty groups to determine the best interim administrative structure after Chopp and college Dean Steve Sanderson leave Emory this
summer.

“While we understand that we are approaching the end of the semester,” the letter stated, “there is time to complete the process of consultation we have planned. Meanwhile two aims are foremost in our attention. The first is to guarantee the stability and integrity of the faculty so that it may continue its work in the strongest fashion.

“The second is to seek the administrative structure best suited to support the twin ambitions, shared by all of us, of superb undergraduate teaching and powerful graduate teaching and research. As an institution pledged to doing these two things well, we must find the means to safeguard and enhance both.”

Harry Rusche, professor of English, participated in the recent meetings. “We met with the graduate executive committee, and it was very affable and a good exchange,” Rusche said. “We talked about the plans to first of all find an interim dean, and the president is responsible for that. We talked about short-run plans, and we’re going to appoint a few represetatives to talk about long-term plans. We hope to start studying this formally in the fall.”