College of Education dean search committee is formed

Lehigh University administrators announced today the members of the search committee to seek candidates for the dean of the College of Education.

Anne Meltzer, the Herbert J. and Ann L. Siegel Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, has been named chair.

The search committee members are:
• Ed Shapiro, director for center for promoting research to practice and professor, school psychology
• Arpana Inman, assistant professor, counseling psychology
• MJ Bishop, associate professor, teaching, learning and technology
• Lee Kern, professor and program coordinator, special education
• Roger Douglas, associate director, office of international programs, COE
• Lisa Kensler, graduate student and research assistant, educational leadership
• Diane Hyland, chair and professor, psychology
• Robert Thornton, professor, economics
• Charles Smith, professor, mechanical engineering and mechanics
• Ex officio member: Mohamed S. El-Aasser, provost

In addition, Annette McCans from the CAS dean’s office will provide staff assistance and Debra Nyby, administrative director to the provost, is an ex-officio member of the committee who will also provide support from the provost’s office.

We have the opportunity to bring a leader to campus whose scholarship, experience, and vision will contribute to the College of Education's commitment to excellence, says Alice P. Gast, Lehigh president. I look forward to the search committee's recommendation of individuals who are excited about what the college offers and who will work with the faculty to fulfill the college's mission.

The search committee met on Sept. 11 and was charged by El-Aasser to seek candidates for the position, invite nominations, and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate in light of the criteria of the position. Throughout the search process, Meltzer, as chair of the search committee, will send periodic updates to the campus community. The first message will be forthcoming once the search firm has been selected.

“I have committed myself to help throughout the search process in order to ensure that we end up with the highest quality dean for the college who will also be an active member of the university leadership,” El-Aasser says. “I consider transparency and engaging the appropriate constituents to be essential components of a successful search, and confidentiality as a key component for the integrity of the search process.”

The overall timeline for the COE dean search is as follows:
• September 2007: First meeting of the search committee with the provost; search committee is given their charge.
• October/November 2007: Nominations solicited on an international, national and local level.
• December 2007: Search committee reviews candidate files and identifies the “short list” of candidates.
• Early January 2008: Search committee conducts “off-site” interviews with “short list” candidates and submits a preliminary report to the provost with their recommendation. The top three candidates will be invited to campus.
• Late January/Early February 2008: Candidates invited to campus for town hall meetings with college faculty and staff. Visits also include meetings with department chairs, faculty personnel committee and senior level administration.
• February 2008: Final report with recommendations submitted to the provost.
• March 2008: President/Provost review report, meet with finalists, make a selection and extend an offer.

Gast and El-Aasser extended their continued thanks to Gary Lutz for his leadership of the college through this process.

--Sarah Cooke