The latest development in a recent game of administrative musical chairs was announced Wednesday, when W. Andrew Marcus, associate dean of social sciences, was announced as the replacement to act as Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
This temporary promotion follows the appointment of former Dean Scott Coltrane to the Interim Provost position by UO President Michael Gottfredson, as a stand in until a permanent replacement for outgoing Provost Jim Bean is selected. Bean announced his intent to resign from the Provost post and return to a faculty teaching position in late February.
Bean is scheduled to step down from his current position on July 1, at which point each of the interim’s duties will officially set in.
Appointing eligible replacements, Assistant Vice President for Strategic Communications Phil Weiler says is a necessary and important part of the process considering the power and responsibility, albeit temporary, of the standing positions.
“Whenever you’ve got a key position to be filled, you need to have a good interim to make decisions in their absence,” Weiler said.
Although the interim’s do not face as strict of a screening process in their appointments as permanent appointees, Weiler believes that peer interactions and democratic processes ensure the accountability of the stand-in administrators.
“I wouldn’t expect that people would make unilateral decisions,” he said.
The UO Selection Advisory Committee hopes to have found a suitable replacement for Bean by the beginning of the next academic year. The most immediate step in the process, however, will be to find another interim dean – to temporarily replace the man now serving as interim dean.