Neal Bruss has resigned as the acting dean of Liberal Arts Faculty. Bruss has served in this position since the summer of 1997.

“No one, least of all Neal, expected his acting appointment to last this long. Yet efforts to find a permanent dean to fill the position failed, and Neal agreed to stay on. Neal has been an extremely hard working and dedicated dean, but he has decided that now is the time to step down,” stated Interim Provost Arthur MacEwan.

Bruss has agreed to stay on until the end of the current semester. MacEwan will appoint a new acting dean, in consultation with Chancellor Gora and the CAS Senate Executive Committee, and proceed with a search for a permanent dean. He will be accepting nominations for the interim position until October 12.

“Under difficult circumstances, Neal has kept things moving forward in the College of Arts and Sciences. Along with the other deans, he shaped a workable structure for sharing the deanship of the college. He has been instrumental in moving General Education through a complex course of development, in shepherding new programs into existence, and in strengthening existing programs. He has been thorough and fair in his handling of personnel cases. And he has been a powerful advocate for his departments,” MacEwan said.

MacEwan explained that the acting dean will hold the position until the permanent provost is able to conduct a search for a permanent dean, which he anticipates would take place in 2002-2003, with a permanent dean taking office during the 2003-04 academic year.