Associate deans named in
arts & science reorganization

Mark W. Huddleston, acting dean of the College of Arts and Science, has reorganized the college administration, effective Sept. 1, to enhance its efficiency and improve its responsiveness to the needs of departments and programs.

The reorganization of the college–UD's largest–revolves around the appointment of three associate deans, each of whom will help oversee a specific area of the college.

Arts and humanities will be the focus of Martha Carothers, current chairperson of art; natural science and mathematics will be the portfolio of George Watson, Unidel Professor of Physics and Astronomy; and social science and history will be overseen by Ray Callahan, professor of history.

"Having three associate deans–each with a different sector of responsibility–makes available three additional sets of eyes and ears and three additional brains to stay on top of things, and to nurture greater dialog and responsiveness," Huddleston said.

Since his appointment as acting dean, replacing Tom DiLorenzo, was announced in the spring, Huddleston has visited department chairs and program directors in the college to learn of their needs and concerns.

"It became clear to me early on in those meetings that, with nearly 40 different and highly diverse programs and departments to monitor, I would be unable to give any one of them the sustained time and attention they deserve."

Although all the details have yet to be finalized, Huddleston said, "the general idea will be for each of these very capable people to help me stay abreast of a different sector of our very large and complex college. The result should be more timely and informed attention to the needs and interests of all departments and programs.

"Rather than creating a new layer of bureaucracy in Elliott Hall, this system will actually make me, as dean, far more accessible and attentive to issues that matter to chairs and directors," Huddleston said.

The college's financial management and administrative support structure also has been reorganized, with Paul Pusecker, former professor of military science, handling space and facilities planning, and Ruth Tauber, formerly assistant to the associate provost for international programs and special sessions, in charge of budget issues. After a year's research leave, Pam Cook, associate dean, will return to fulltime teaching. Lisa Huber, who as assistant dean had formerly handled space and fiscal matters, has accepted a position in the Division of Continuing Education.

"Getting the work of the college done, providing service to hundreds of faculty and staff and thousands of students spread over 40 diverse academic units, requires integrated administrative support. Problems in academia are seldom simply 'budget problems' or 'facilities problems' or 'academic problems.' Academic life is more complex than that, requiring subtlety, nuance and simultaneous attention to multiple facets of complicated issues.

"As a student of administration," Huddleston said, "I know that organizational changes are often unsettling, requiring as they do relearning which levers to pull and which numbers to call.

"But," he said, "I also know the price of an organization's failure to adapt to new environments and altered circumstances, and it is considerably higher than whatever fleeting disorientations may be sparked by new lines and boxes on an organization chart.

"I have great confidence in this new administrative team, working in this refashioned administrative structure," he said.

Photo by KATHY FLICKINGER