Several significant changes involving academic programs at St. Thomas will occur this summer, and I want to share the information with you.
Effective July 1, the Graduate Programs in Software will move from the Opus College of Business to the School of Engineering. St. Thomas established the software programs in 1985 and merged them into the Opus College of Business five years ago. Recent reviews concluded that the best home for the programs would be in the School of Engineering under Dr. Donald Weinkauf, dean.
Ann Hubbard, director of semester and yearlong programs in the International Education Center, will serve as interim director of the center, effective July 1. She has worked in the center since 1991.
Ann will succeed Dr. Sarah Stevenson, who is retiring this week after 27 years as founding director of the center’s multi-faceted programs, which have provided study abroad opportunities to 13,200 students and have enrolled 2,000 students from other countries. A search for a permanent director of the center will occur during the 2010-2011 school year.
Dr. Michael Jordan, director of Undergraduate Academic Affairs since 2005, will take on additional responsibilities in August with the retirement of Dr. John Krebsbach, associate dean of academic advising and special programs.
Those programs will report to Michael, and Susan Anderson will assume new responsibilities for day-to-day operations in academic advising and special programs.
Chato Hazelbaker, communications director for the School of Law, has accepted a one-year appointment as interim director of graduate marketing, effective July 1. He will spend 75 percent of his time in this new position and will work 25 percent in the law school, where he will focus on public relations and will supervise a temporary communications director.
I chose to appoint Chato, who joined the law school in 2007, to the marketing position after a yearlong review of marketing and communications initiatives in all of our graduate programs. He will report directly to me and will work closely with the deans and staff members in University Relations, Web and Media Services, and Alumni and Constituent Relations to carry out recently developed marketing and communications plans for each graduate program.
Please join me in congratulating Ann, Michael, Susan and Chato on their appointments.