College of Arts and Sciences Dean M. Jane Collins announced Wednesday that she will resign from her position Monday to return as a faculty member.
Collins was not available for comment before press time. But according to a press release from University Relations, her decision to leave her post as dean is for personal reasons.
Collins’ resignation comes in the midst of instructor cuts, but Vice Chancellor and Provost Risa Palm said she does not believe the decision resulted from any reactions about instructor cutbacks, and there was no pressure from the administration to step down.
“She has actually helped get more money to increase faculty members, so there is absolutely no pressure from anyone for her to resign,” Palm said. “This is for personal reasons.”
Palm said Collins has been very involved in promoting the Flagship Agenda, and she is very concerned with helping the students.
“It’s going to be a difficult position to fill, but I’m going to refer with department chairs and their faculty, as well as with the Chancellor to appoint someone to carry on,” Palm said.
She said she and Chancellor Mark Emmert will appoint an interim dean until a permanent dean is hired. They plan to launch a nationwide search for the position and do not anticipate hiring someone until they feel a candidate is fully qualified.
“We’re going to start the search in January, but I don’t know when we’ll appoint someone,” Palm said. “It may not be until this summer or summer of 2005.”
Department of English Chair Malcolm Richardson and Department of Mathematics Chair Ferreyra Guillermo said in a joint statement that “both departments are saddened and distressed that Dean Collins has elected to resign, but we respect her personal wishes to do so.
“Under her leadership, our departments have made unprecedented strides toward increased national prominence and we had hoped that she would continue to lead us through the next phases of important departmental changes,” they said in the press release. “We appreciate the skill and grace with which she has handled the enormous pressures of running the largest college at LSU and especially the increased pressures of instituting major changes in the past two months. We wish her well as she returns to teaching and research.”
Palm said she did not know if Collins resigned because the job was too stressful, but both she and Emmert tried to talk her out of leaving.
Richardson and Guillermo were not available for comment before press time.
Emmert said Collins’ decision was personal, but did not elaborate.
“The provost and I are very disappointed that Dean Collins has made this decision,” Emmert said.
Although he said he was saddened by Collins’ decision to resign, he said the University will be quick to move on and find a new leader for the College of Arts and Sciences.