Teachers College dean search closed without filling position

An administrative decision to close the search for the Teachers College dean without filling the position has left campus with many unanswered questions.

After bringing two candidates to campus for the open dean position, acting provost Marilyn Buck emailed faculty Monday morning to say the search would be closed until the fall. An interim dean will be chosen in the meantime.

James Stroud, assistant dean of Teachers College and one of the final candidates for the open position, said he was told the candidate pool "wasn't deep enough."

"It certainly was disappointing and hurtful," Stroud said. "I certainly wanted it, and I thought I was qualified."

The lack of details released about the decision has some faculty members fearing they are being "Ferguson'd again." After former President Paul W. Ferguson abruptly resigned just 18 months after he took office, many questioned why the university didn't explain his departure.

One faculty member who wished to remain anonymous out of concern for his job said he and other faculty members feel similar as they did when Ferguson resigned.

"The biggest part is the lack of transparency," the faculty member said. "All we want is for them to help us understand."

When asked if the university took previous transparency issues into account when deciding how much information to release, university spokesperson Joan Todd said she could not speculate on people's opinions about personnel matters.

Todd would not elaborate on what the candidate pool "not being deep enough" meant.

"Sometimes searches to fill positions don't go according to plan. In such cases, it’s common to halt the search, regroup and start over," Todd said. "It was determined, with the Spring Semester about to close and so many people off campus in the summer, that it would be best to regroup and start fresh in the fall."

It was senior administrators, not the search committee, who decided to close the search. Dave Ferguson, one of the search committee members, said the committee sent its recommendation to Buck on March 22.

When the search opens again, Stroud said he's not sure if he'll apply again. He's keeping his options open, he said.

"Teachers College is my passion," Stroud said. "I want to be at Teachers College, I want to see Teachers College move forward ... I truly believe I was the right person to lead the college, but the decision was made for me to not do that."