UPDATED: Sept. 3, 2019 at 6:07 p.m.

Interim deans are leading three Syracuse University schools and colleges into the academic year as search committees continue to seek permanent replacements.   

The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, College of Engineering and Computer Science and School of Information Studies all lack permanent deans. The engineering college and Newhouse began their searches for their next permanent leader in February and July, respectively, while the iSchool search committee formed in November 2018. 

With an end to their tenure not yet established, the three interim deans are continuing initiatives outlined in SU’s Academic Strategic Plan, becoming acclimated to the institutions they now head and collaborating with colleagues.

S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications

Amy Falkner, an associate dean of Newhouse for 13 years, is now the interim dean of the communications school. She described the transition into her new role as “a different ramp” than the other interims because of the circumstance of her appointment.

“The situation here at Newhouse was a little different because we lost our beloved dean in the spring,” Falkner said. 

Lorraine Branham, Newhouse’s previous dean, died in April of cancer after leading the school for 11 years. Falkner has served as acting dean of Newhouse since fall 2018.

Newhouse’s search committee is the most recently created of the three committees, having been in place for nearly two months. Falkner, who serves on the committee, said she couldn’t answer how long she foresees herself acting as interim dean. 

A description for the position hasn’t been created yet, and Falkner wasn’t able to say which qualities she would like the school’s next permanent dean to have. For now, students can weigh in on what they want the next dean to bring during an upcoming forum on Sept. 3 at 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium. 

Newhouse staff and faculty have been informed on what the search process is expected to be like, Falkner said. 

“We’re not keeping people in the dark,” she said. “We’ve told them what we expect based on prior dean searches, how they typically go, because there is a pattern to them.”

As the search for a permanent dean continues, the school will work on implementing the initiatives outlined and planned in its Academic Strategic Plan, Falkner said. The Academic Strategic Plan, released in 2015, is a document that outlines SU’s academic goals, including those for research, infrastructure and the student experience. 

The search committee that hired Branham in 2008 took seven months to complete the task after the long-serving Dean David Rubin announced plans to retire. That committee reviewed 300 nominations and 60 applicants. 

School of Information Studies 

Meanwhile, Dean of Libraries David Seaman has served as interim dean of the iSchool since May after the school’s former dean, Liz Liddy, retired. Seaman said he is meeting as many members of the iSchool community as possible, including alumni. He has visited alumni in Washington, D.C., Boston and New York City.

“While I’m an interim dean, it’s in everybody’s best interest for me to be as fully functioning as possible so (we) can hand over a fully operational school to the next dean,” Seaman said.

Provost Michele Wheatly selected Seaman for the position, a choice Seaman thinks was partially because of his former position as chair of the school’s permanent dean search committee. 

Amy Nakamura | Co-Digital Editor

Seaman chaired the committee from its inception, stepping down when he was appointed interim dean. Gene Anderson, dean of the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, took over as chair in June, when the search for a new dean was extended, per SU News. 

Since he was appointed, Seaman said he doesn’t want the school to lose any momentum.  There have been discussions about expanding the iSchool’s recruitment areas, and the school has made changes to its marketing and communications methods. 

“There’s not one big initiative that I’m coming in with,” Seaman said. “It’s more a matter of learning what the school is ambitious to do and making sure we don’t slow down any of that ambition.”

Aiding Wheatly’s choice was the iSchool’s connections with the university’s libraries, Seaman said. The information school offers a master’s degree in library science and has a close connection with Bird Library’s Blackstone Launchpad through the school’s emphasis on entrepreneurship, he said.

“If we get a new dean chosen by the winter break, great, we’ll move on from there, but it’s easier to plan for a longer period and have it be cut short than the opposite,” Seaman said.

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Sharing a corner on the Quad with the iSchool is the College of Engineering and Computer Science, where Can Isik now leads as interim dean. He follows the college’s former permanent dean, Teresa Dahlberg, who announced in December she would be leaving the college to become vice chancellor and provost of Texas Christian University.

Isik described his transition as smooth. Having served as a senior associate dean of the college for 13 years, Isik said he knew the college’s chairs, associate deans and staff well, and had a fairly good understanding of the inner workings of the dean’s office.

As an interim dean, Isik said he’s not changing the direction of the college. Instead, he wants to make sure the college is moving forward and making improvements to its academic mission.  

He said the committee has conducted surveys with students, faculty and staff, and is using the results to guide their search. 

“I’m sure the whole college is hoping that we will soon identify an outstanding candidate and transition to the next dean,” Isik said. That could take weeks or months, he added.

The college would like someone who has leadership experience among academic organizations, as well as “outstanding” ideas to advance the college and positive experiences at their former positions with students, staff and faculty, Isik said.

Seaman and Isik echoed each other in acknowledging the potential of their school and college. There are opportunities for the iSchool to continue to grow, especially as information professions increasingly become a part of everyday life, Seaman said. Isik said the engineering college has room to grow, both in terms of the faculty research output and the accomplishments of students and graduates.

“I look forward to seeing the next dean take their place and move the college forward,” Isik said.

CLARIFICATION: In a previous version of this post, one of Amy Falkner’s previous positions was unclear. She served as an associate dean for 13 years, seven of which were as a senior associate dean.

Published on August 27, 2019 at 11:05 pm

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