The past year has been unlike any other in the long history of USC. We have been beset by controversies, will soon welcome a new president, Carol Folt, and say goodbye to many of the university’s top administrators. We celebrated 100 years of USC Rossier, shared new insights about our school’s proud record of innovation and commitment to improving public education, and prepared more than 800 new graduates for careers of impact.
To these momentous events, I add one more.
After months of careful consideration, I decided not to seek a fifth term as Dean and will transition back to faculty next June when I complete my 20th year as the Emory Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean.
It was a difficult decision, but it’s the right one.
It is customary for a USC dean to signal their intent to continue in the job one year before the end of a five-year term. For me, that moment came in January, when I sat down with USC Provost Michael Quick to discuss my future.
I spent the next several months consulting close friends, colleagues and my family. I weighed my accomplishments and the immense satisfactions of my demanding job.
Ultimately, I decided the time was right to open a new chapter for myself and the school I love. With our university on the cusp of its own transformation and Rossier beginning its second century, I believe it makes sense for USC Rossier to begin a search for new leadership.
My last day as dean will be June 30, 2020. After a leave, I will return as a senior research faculty member and pursue some exciting research opportunities.
Early this fall the university will launch the process to find my successor. A member of the provost’s office and a USC dean will assemble a search advisory committee from Rossier’s faculty. An outside search firm will also assist in the search.
I won’t be part of the process, but I will do all I can to support a smooth transition when the next dean is named.
You have my promise, too, that in my remaining time as dean, and in my future role as a professor, I will continue to drive for excellence and equity as the cornerstones of USC Rossier. I’m not done making a difference in education.