Tuesday, March 19, 2002
YSU's stellar national reputation attracts top job applicants, one professor said.
By RON COLE
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- From Florida to New York, Utah to Virginia, 13 candidates vying for three dean positions at Youngstown State University will visit campus over the next several weeks.
Campus committees conducting national searches for deans in arts and sciences, education and engineering have narrowed applicants to a short list of finalists.
They will begin campus interviews this week, and YSU Provost Tony Atwater said he hopes to make the appointments by the end of April.
"These are very important appointments," Atwater said. "Not only will they be a part of my academic affairs team, but these will be critical people in terms of our academic enterprise.
"These will be the people who, quite frankly, move the university, along with the other deans, to the next level."
Deans are among the top academic administrators on campus and oversee the operations of YSU's six colleges. It is the largest turnover of deans at one time in recent memory at YSU, university officials said.
Applicants: Atwater said the candidates are outstanding.
"We're not dealing with lightweights," he said.
Dr. Paul Peterson, chairman of the committee searching for the new arts and sciences dean, said the committee received 93 applications. The five finalists, he said, are top-notch academicians and administrators.
"This university has a reputation nationally which far exceeds that which how people locally view this university," said Peterson, chairman of YSU's biology department.
"There's an outstanding perception of this university as a growing university, and I think these candidates want to be a part of it."
Dr. H.W. Shawn Kim, chairman of the engineering search committee, said 31 candidates applied and five will visit campus. "The quality of the applicants is extremely high," he said.
In education, 17 people applied; three finalists have been named. Dr. Richard McEwing, chairman of the education search team, said one other candidate dropped out because he accepted another position. "It's a competitive market," he said.
Of the 13 finalists, two are current YSU employees: Dr. Scott Martin, chairman of YSU's civil/environmental and chemical engineering department, is vying for the engineering position; and Dr. Phil Ginnetti, assistant dean in YSU's education college, will interview for the education post.
Decision: Atwater said YSU had contemplated delaying the dean searches in light of the university's budget problems, "but I think it became very obvious to me that it was important for us to fill these positions with strong leadership."
The education dean post has been vacant since Dr. Clara Jennings left YSU in July 2000; Joe Edwards has been interim dean since. The arts and sciences position has been vacant since Dr. Barbara Brothers retired in July 2001; Dr. Ikram Khawaja has been interim dean since. The engineering dean position will open when Dr. Charles Stevens retires in July.