Bryce Sullivan, the current dean of Arts and Sciences at Belmont University, is in the running for the University’s new dean of Arts and Sciences position.
An open forum was held on Monday afternoon along with meet and greets for students and faculty to meet the candidate. Another forum for a second candidate will be held on Wednesday, April 23 at 1:30 p.m. in Olscamp 113.
Simon Morgan-Russell, the current dean of Arts and Sciences will be the new dean of the Honors College on campus.
Michael Ogawa, Vice President of Research and a chair for the new dean of Arts and Sciences search committee said they are looking for candidates that are experienced academics leaders.
“All three candidates bring different perspectives,” Ogawa said. “We want someone to lead us into a better future.”
Sullivan has been at Belmont for six years and said this job requires crucial work and high stakes.
“This job effects so many people in the department so it comes with a lot of responsibility,” Sullivan said.
One of the biggest threats facing this department is pervasive vocationalism, which is the over emphasis on the outcome of liberal arts job after graduation, Sullivan said. He said this isn’t the only thing that should be focused on.
“Finding a job is not the most important thing. Plans with a degree can change after graduation,” Sullivan said. “Liberal Arts majors are life long learners, they can adapt to any skill and use it.”
Diversity in the department was an issue that was brought up during the forum.
Faculty had concerns about press coverage that Sullivan was involved in and how she would handle it regarding discrimination in the hiring process. Sullivan responded by explaining the situation that happened in December of 2010 with Lisa Howe, Belmont’s soccer coach at the time.
Howe resigned from her position in what was said to be a mutual agreement, but other people thought she was forced to resign because of her sexual orientation. Sullivan was asked about his involvement in this issue and whether or not he supported LGBT communities, along with the Not In Our Town anniversary that the University just celebrated.
Working at this kind of college means that they abide by certain ethical principles, but Sullivan said he has never discriminated while hiring faculty.
“We need to build a diversity pool and encourage putting behind unseen bias’,” Sullivan said. “If I get a group of people that aren’t diverse for a job, I ask my people to go back and search other people to add to the lists.”
Another thing faculty was concerned with was the budget costs. Sullivan said he has had success at Belmont by finding pockets of funds that aren’t being used correctly and transferring them elsewhere.
“We have decreased the operational budget by 17 percent,” Sullivan said. “We had to make strategic decisions to get there.”
Sullivan agreed with the faculty that enhancing the graduate programs in the department is significant.
“BG is an intensive research university,” Sullivan said.
Graduate student Jessica Gregor appreciated how Sullivan said he is not an expert on everything that goes with the job.
“He admitted that graduate programs aren’t his area of expertise,” Gregor said. “His idea is to defer those decisions to department chairs that know more about the subject and I was impressed.”
The next forum for another candidate for will be at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday in Olscamp 113.
