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Dean Preston Stepping Down

Dr. Samuel H. Preston has decided not to seek reappointment when his tenure as Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences ends on December 31, 2004. He will return instead to scholarship and teaching in the sociology department and the Population Studies Center.

In President Judith Rodin and Provost Robert Barchi's recent announcement, they described the dean as, "An accomplished scholar and a strong administrative manager, Sam began his seven-year deanship with a clear sense of what he wanted to accomplish. With the School's academic mission as his guiding light, he brought discipline and rigor to the strategic and financial planning needed to support that mission. As those who know him will attest, Sam possesses pragmatism and vision in equal measure; he has drawn on those qualities tirelessly in his quest to provide the best environment possible for both students and faculty."

Faculty recruitment has flourished during his tenure, with 183 new standing faculty appointed and an increase of 42% in fully endowed chairs. The total faculty size also grew, from 446 to 483.

Throughout his term, Dr. Preston has "worked hard--and successfully--to solidify the School's financial base, reversing a structural deficit and setting the School on a positive trajectory." The total endowment has grown by 37% and research funding has increased from $43.3 million to $63.7 million. Dr. Preston also leaves the School's physical facilities in measurably better shape, with construction of a new Life Sciences complex underway, and renovations in progress or planned for Williams Hall, Bennett Hall, Solomon Laboratories and the Music Building.

As well as "greatly improving funding support for graduate students, Dr. Preston has focused on enhancing undergraduate education, overseeing such new initiatives as the Center for Teaching and Learning, which promotes excellence in the classroom by helping faculty and teaching assistants be the best teachers they can be." Another triumph, the Fox Leadership Program, gives undergraduate students vital leadership experiences, backed up by coursework, to equip them as tomorrow's leaders. Undergraduate applications to the College increased 15% during Dr. Preston's tenure, to more than 12,000.

A search committee will be formed shortly to search for Dr. Preston's replacement.

 

 


  Almanac, Vol. 50, No. 25, March 16, 2004

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