From the Chair

Over the Thanksgiving break, I found myself thinking about various personnel changes that have occurred among the upper administration at ECU since August.  By digging through my records of official correspondence, I have developed the following chronology, which may or may not be accurate; undoubtedly, I have missed some additional changes:

 -- August 15: Mike Hamrick accepts position as Athletic Director at UNLV.

 -- August 18: Nick Floyd is named interim Athletic Director by Chancellor William Muse.

 -- August 21: Dr. Cynda Johnson is named Dean of Brody School of Medicine, replacing Dr. Peter Kragel, who had served as interim Dean since January 2001.

 -- September 1: Richard Brown, Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance, officially retires.

 -- September 12: William Muse, Chancellor, announces his resignation effective September 30.

 -- September 19: William Shelton is appointed interim Chancellor by UNC President Molly Broad.

 -- September 26: Interim Chancellor William Shelton announces that Provost William Swart "has been relieved of his administrative duties and reassigned to a faculty position."

 -- September 26: Interim Chancellor Shelton announces that he has asked James Leroy Smith "to provide leadership for an interim period to Academic Affairs."

 -- November 18: Thomas Feldbush, Vice Chancellor for Research, Economic Development and Community Engagement, announces his immediate resignation and return to the faculty.

 -- November 20: Interim Chancellor Shelton announces that Economic Development and Community Engagement have been moved to the Chancellor's Division, while a new Division of Research and Graduate Studies has been created, with John Lehman as the Acting Vice Chancellor and Paul Gemperline as the Acting Associate Vice Chancellor.

In contemplating these changes, I found myself wondering which has had the greatest impact on the department and its operations.  My conclusion: none of the above.  Despite the sturm und drang in the higher administration, teachers have continued teaching, students have continued acquiring knowledge, and paper pushers like me have kept pushing paper, though the number and variety of forms and documents ebbs and wanes as one person after another occupies the various, higher administrative positions.

In short, East Carolina University and its departments, like Ole Man River, "just keep rollin' along."  And, somewhat to my amazement, I take comfort in reaching that conclusion.