Dear Colleagues: Dear Colleagues:
I write to inform you, the faculty and staff of the College of Arts and Sciences, of my recent decision to resign my position as Dean of UVM’s College of Arts and Sciences. I tendered my resignation last Friday and President Fogel has accepted it. My current plan is to take a year’s administrative leave and return to the faculty in January, 2012.
I can’t tell you what a wonderful experience working with you to enhance the quality of the faculty and the environment for research and teaching in the College has been. I feel that together we have made great strides. My major organizational goal was to create a real community of diverse scholars, a community where faculty members would feel supported and unafraid as they tried to combine often complicated personal and professional lives, with the goal of doing so in part by creating an infrastructure of policies and procedures that guaranteed that the faculty, staff and students within CAS were treated equitably and compassionately. I feel that I and my staff, with your help, have achieved some modicum of success in this area and, of course, in many others, but this was the most important to me personally. I doubt that there is a more dedicated group of teacher-scholars than you, and I promise to do my best to live up to the high standards you set when I join your ranks. I could not write to you without mentioning the talented administrative and technical staff in the departments without whom the whole enterprise would come to a screeching halt. I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to you, too, for your hard work, your advice and friendship, and especially for the creativity and good cheer with which you confront the daily challenges of your jobs.
My last day as dean will be January 25, 2011. President Fogel will communicate with you shortly about plans for my replacement. I have every confidence that he and Provost Knodell will choose wisely and that I will be able to feel that I have left the College in good hands.
Finally, I would like to very specifically thank the extraordinary people I’ve had the privilege to work with at 438 College St. I wish you and them a joyous and restful holiday.
Sincerely,
Eleanor M. Miller, Dean