Dr. Phil Schubert appointed interim deans of the College of Biblical Studies and the College of Arts and Sciences Friday.
Dr. Ken Cukrowski, vice provost, will be interim dean of the College of Biblical Studies. Cukrowski served as associate dean in the college before he began work in the Provost’s office.
Dr. Greg Straughn, interim provost, will go back to the position of interim dean for the College of Arts and Sciences, the same position he held in 2009-10. Schubert announced the appointments at meetings with faculty and staff Friday. Both terms will begin this summer.
Dr. Charles Mattis, dean of College of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. Jack Reese, dean of the College of Biblical Studies, announced last month they would be stepping down from their positions. Mattis is leaving to open a dental practice and Reese will fill a different role at the university.
Schubert, president of the university, said Straughn’s appointment is contingent on the university’s hiring of a permanent provost by this summer.
“If that doesn’t happen, the provost search committee and Dr. Straughn will continue their present duties and other arrangements will be taken into consideration,” Schubert said in an email to all faculty and staff. “I’m extremely grateful for Dr. Straughn’s leadership over the last few months in his role as interim provost.”
Schubert said he listened to feedback from around campus to help him make the appointments.
“We talked to deans and faculty members in the colleges because we value their perspective highly,” Schubert said. “We were looking for someone who had been at the university for a long time, had good credibility, had previously demonstrated the ability to do this kind of work and had a strong perspective about our vision. The feedback I heard pointed to Dr. Straughn and Dr. Cukrowski.”
Straughn said he is looking forward to returning to his old position of interim dean.
“I am looking forward to working with the faculty and chairs in CAS,” Straughn said. “It’s my home college, and to whatever extent that I can, I hope I will be able to provide some stability and assistance amid some of the changes going on at the university.
Straughn said Cukrowski’s experience will be helpful to the college.
“His recent leadership in the provost’s office has kept him aware of the many initiatives the College of Biblical Studies has been undertaking, and his past service as associated dean of the college will be of tremendous help in the coming year,” Straughn said. “I look forward to continuing to work with Dr. Cukrowski as a fellow interim dean next year.”
Schubert also said in the meetings that the university is ahead of next semester’s enrollment budget goal.
“It’s much too early to make final predictions,” he said in the email. “But it reinforces the high student demand for our university.”
