Acorn

Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Christa Van Eerde Jonathan Levin was named the new Dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

The search for a new dean is finally over. After a surprise addition of two new candidates in March, Jonathan Levin has been appointed Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. Levin, who is currently dean of Humanities at State University of New York Purchase, was overwhelmingly approved by both the search committee and the board of Trustees.

Two of the original three candidates brought to campus in February were deemed ineligible in March, requiring the addition to two new finalists. Professor and Chair of History Perry Leavell, head of the search committee, said he could not provide specifics about the situation but that it left Carol Haber as the only candidate. This meant returning to the original applicant pool and inviting two more candidates to campus: Jonathan Levin and Benjamin Rifkin. Levin had been contacted by the search committee in the original applicant pool after being nominated for the position by a colleague at Rutgers University.

Leavell admits student turnout to the final two candidate addresses was slim, but adds that both the search committee and faculty were very satisfied with Levin. "A dean has to be credible with both the upper administration and also with the faculty," Leavell said. "It is not easy to achieve credibility with both of those places." Leavell is firm in his belief that the right man was chosen for the job. "I am totally convinced that he's the best person, best dean out of the 60 or so people that applied for the job," he said. "I'm totally convinced of that. Levin has all the things that we really wanted. He's clear, a splendid teacher. His scholarship is first-rate, and he has administrative experience."



University Provost Pamela Gunter-Smith agreed, saying that while she thought highly of all the candidates, everyone was very enthusiastic about Levin coming forth. Like Leavell, Gunter-Smith felt that Levin was not only well-qualified, but also aware of what the role of dean entails. "Since he is currently a dean, he is very familiar with those duties and responsibilities, and the way in which you work with faculty and students to move the college forward," Gunter-Smith said. "He's worked at a number of different types of institutions. He thoroughly understands the liberal arts."

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