New Leadership: Same Path to Preeminence

By Jason Harper

2020 is shaping up to be a noteworthy year for the Reutzel and Young served during a time of great change College of Education. Our students, faculty and staff on campus, and although we celebrate their retirement with have had to adapt to tremendous changes to both joy, these two dedicated administrators and educators will their education and their lives due to the COVID-19 be dearly missed by those who have passionately worked pandemic. In the midst of global turmoil, our faculty alongside them for many years. and staff worked to allow for a seamless transition Both administrators were dedicated and passionate as a new administrative team assumed charge of the leaders. They helped to hold the college together during college this summer. These changes were brought on severe budget reductions and organizational changes that by the retirement of College Dean D. Ray Reutzel and deteriorated morale and created challenges to funding Associate Dean and School Director Suzanne Young. programs and operations. They sacrificed hours planning how to keep jobs while saving money and downsizing the operations. All of this, while also being tasked with improving the college’s programs to more effectively serve the state and its educational needs. The change in leadership, however, should not be seen as a change in direction, but rather a continued path towards preeminence in educator preparation. Five experienced and dedicated faculty members and administrators with a collective 80 years of experience at UW have assumed the leadership reins of the college this summer. A longtime College of Education faculty member and administrator has been named interim dean of the college. Leslie Rush, who has been at UW since Interim College Dean, 2002 and previously served as associate dean for Leslie Rush undergraduate programs and director of the School of Teacher Education since 2017, assumed responsibility from Reutzel on July 1. “I owe so much to the college and university for the support I have received over the years, and was both honored and humbled when I was requested to serve as interim dean of the College of Education,” says Rush. “My goal over the next year as interim dean is to provide collegial and transparent leadership during these very difficult times, and to ensure that the faculty, staff and students in the College of Education are well positioned for the future.” Joining Rush at the helm of the college are two new associate

New director of the School of Teacher Education, Alan Buss (right) and new director of the School of Counseling, Leadership,

Advocacy and Design, Peter Moran (left).

deans, Andrea Burrows and Jenna Shim. Burrows, a faculty member in the School of Teacher Education since 2011 has been selected as associate dean for undergraduate programs. Her four-year term started on Aug. 1. Shim, who has been a committed faculty member since 2009 is serving as associate dean for graduate programs. She will serve in this new capacity for four years, beginning July 1. These two capable and inspired leaders will fill roles previously held by Rush and Young.

As associate deans, these women will lead efforts to develop new programs and ensure the college meets the needs of its students as well as the demands of the education and counseling fields. Additionally, these leaders prepare reports to update college rankings and maintain the college’s national accreditation credentials.

“I have a long-term vision to both anchor the college in its core mission while propelling the college in new directions,” says Burrows. “I am dedicated to working with all stakeholders in any situation that arises, and I’m committed to achieving as much as possible for the College of Education and the people that make it function well every day.”

“In this role I will be committed to fostering the professional and personal growth of all students and fellow colleagues by promoting lifelong and reflective learning and leadership development,” says Shim. “I hope to build upon the work of our previous leadership, to strive for excellence, and to identify and address critical issues related to education in order to build a better future for individuals, our state, our nation and our world.”

Professors Alan Buss and Peter Moran took over leadership of the college’s two schools on July 1. These roles were vacated by Rush and Young. Buss will serve as the director of the School of Teacher Education and Moran as the director of the School of Counseling, Leadership, Advocacy and Design (CLAD). They will both work in this new capacity for four years. School directors, the administrative equivalent of a department head for larger units, assume the day-to-day responsibilities of supporting the faculty and students of each school. These tasks include budgeting, course scheduling, faculty evaluation, tenure and promotion, program improvement and revision, and most importantly, making sure that the college is preparing highly effective educators.

“I am happy to serve in this role because I love working with students who want to succeed, with faculty who want to be a force for good in this world, and with fantastic staff and colleagues. It will be an opportunity and challenge to grow, give and serve,” says Buss.

“It is a great privilege to serve in this role, and I am pleased to be in a position where I can support our faculty and students, and promote the teaching, research and service mission of the institution,” says Moran.

Buss is a UW alumnus with connections dating back to 1995 as a doctoral student and has been a full-time faculty member since 1997. Moran is also a UW graduate who earned B.A. degrees in elementary education and history in 1987. He has been a College of Education faculty member in elementary education since 2001.