Dear Colleagues,
There will be several staffing changes in the Provost’s Office as we move through the summer and begin to prepare for the fall semester.
First, I am delighted to announce that Markus Dubischar will be promoted, effective July 1, from associate dean of the curriculum to dean of the curriculum with an expanded portfolio. His new duties will include, for example, the management of summer and winterim course offerings. During his two years as associate dean, Markus has been a thoughtful, engaged, and resourceful partner as we have moved through this pandemic. While it was the work of many hands, Markus’ efforts to craft and shepherd our substantive change request through the Middle States process to ensure that remote education would be added to our institution’s scope of accreditation were critical to the College’s planning and delivery of our curriculum.
Jennifer Kelly will be going on a hard-earned sabbatical this upcoming academic year and will be stepping out of the role of director of the arts. Jennifer has served as director of the arts since 2015, and has been supportive of our arts communities while also being an outstanding liaison to the Development Office, Finance and Administration, and Facilities Operations. Jennifer developed a vision for “Lafayette Arts” in collaboration with many colleagues and raised the visibility of the arts on and off campus. Among her many accomplishments are that she was instrumental in securing a two-year grant exploring voices within contemporary Muslim cultures, the first Williams Center theater renovations since its opening in 1983, an accessible path between the Markle Parking Deck and Williams Center, and securing critical A/V technology that will enhance the arts’ capabilities and expand their online community post-pandemic. The work done by the director of the arts will be folded into Markus Dubischar’s portfolio.
Chris Ruebeck will be stepping out of his role as the inaugural faculty director of the Dyer Center. Chris helped establish a highly successful course in social entrepreneurship and expanded the center’s campus collaborations. Toby Rossmann has agreed to step into the role of faculty director. Toby is passionate about building inclusive, project-based learning opportunities. His student-centered capstone projects are dedicated to human-centered design and the participatory design process. Each of these projects has identified a market typically underserved by the entrepreneurial community and, focusing the skills and perspectives of a diverse group of students, developed a product to meet those needs. In his new role, Toby will partner with departments and programs, faculty-student groups, and other centers of campus to integrate more of these innovation opportunities into students’ curricular experiences.
For the past two years, Millie Smith has been supporting the six areas of focus for the academic division as well as several “duties as assigned.” In recognition of the fact that Millie has been an exceptional resource to the division, as of July 1 she will be Lafayette’s academic project coordinator. In this role she will support the implementation of a wider range of academic initiatives, particularly those aligned with academic priorities and those that support diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice.
Finally, this fall Amy Klotz will be returning to her full-time position as the academic finances and resources analyst. Amy has been working part time for more than a year and will continue to do so throughout the summer. We look forward to having her back in a full-time capacity this fall.
I very much appreciate all the time and effort that each of these individuals has dedicated to the College, and look forward to working with this outstanding group of colleagues in the upcoming academic year.
John Meier, Provost