College Dean Ed Ayers and University Vice-President and Provost Gene Block assumed theircurrent positions at the University within one week of each other, during the fall of 2001. That summer, the University's Board of Visitors approved the Virginia 2020 Commission, which included an outline of the University's plans to move away from the traditional classroom setting to a more advanced educational program. Specifically, the committee focused on improving the University's science and technology programs and appointed two professors to lead the University into this new era.
When both depart the University at the end of the semester, the challenged laid out in the Virginia 2020 commission will fall on their successors. Can the University successfully make a smooth transition from the Ayers-Block era to an era of new academic leadership?
Existing Leadership
Ayers began his career as an associate professor of history in 1980. He was appointed to College dean in 2001. Ayers announced his intention to leave the University to become the president of the University of Richmond in early November.
University President John T. Casteen, III acknowledged in a letter sent to College faculty members on Jan. 4 that Ayers would leave a distinguished legacy at the University, making it a "daunting" challenge for the school to succeed without his strength.
"He brought to the position a uniquely timely vision of the College amassing and deploying the strength and resources necessary to reshape liberal education in the context of the modern research university," Casteen said. "He succeeded in doing that, and in doing much more."
Casteen said since Ayers' appointment, the College has effectively balanced being a "successful old institution and a successful new institution."
Casteen added that since implementing the new educational policies proposed by the Board at the time of Ayers' appointment, the College has strengthened various programs and become more financially stable.
"In addition to new centers of strength in American Studies and environmental science, the College today has greater organizational and financial independence than it had before its foundation came into existence and before two capital campaigns began to generate the funds it needs for the future," Casteen said.
Block was appointed to the position of associate professor of biology at the University in 1978. Prior to becoming provost, Block served as the University's vice-president for research and public affairs. Block will leave the University to serve as chancellor of the University of California--Los Angeles, effective this July.
Since his appointment to provost, Block and his fellow University administrators and faculty have undertaken a number of projects that coincided with the Board's Virginia 2020 education commission.
"There has been a renewed focus on growth in science and engineering ... it is important for the University to have those areas achieve excellence," Block said. "I am personally proud that we are initiating several new innovative programs, such as the five-year bachelors/masters public policy program."
Casteen and Block opened a search committee in with the Board to find a replacement for Ayers this week. In the letter, Casteen announced that Religious Studies Prof. James Childress would serve as the faculty chair of the committee. He said he hopes to appoint a new dean by late spring.Board Rector Thomas F. Farrell, II said there would not be an oversight committee to assist in the search for Block's replacement. Instead, a committee will work with Casteen to structure a search process for both Block's and Ayers' replacements. The committee will be chaired by Glynn Key, Board chairwoman of the educational policy committee.
The Impact on the University
Despite the fact that his announcement came on the heels of Ayers' decision to leave the University, Block said he is confident that the administrative transition period will be smooth.
"It's always awkward when two senior administrators leave at the same time," he said. "Nonetheless, I believe that both the College and the provost's office have talented individuals who work in those offices. I think we're going to have a very effective transfer of responsibilities from myself to the new provost, largely because I have an outstanding office with vice and associate provosts and staff that are extremely confident and have well-defined responsibilities."
Block will not participate in the search for his own replacement and will play a limited part in the search for Ayers' successor.
Block said promptly appointing a new provost is critical for the University in order for a smooth transition to occur.
"It's important for the deans to understand who the provost is and who they will be working with during the recruitment process," Block said. "So that makes the timing of the provost position particularly important because we're undergoing the search for a new dean."
During the Board meeting Monday, Casteen said with the searches for Ayers' and Block's replacements underway, the committee was reconsidering the structure and organization of the College as a whole. Casteen said he intends to continue running the College as a unitary organization.
Casteen said Board members would carefully consider whether or not to change the titles of associate deans "to make each responsible under the supervision of the Dean of the College." The subsets would include a dean for the arts, the humanities, the social sciences, and mathematics and science.
"These discipline deans would support the Dean of the College and the disciplines by opening up the broader communication that several of these groups advocate, by acting under the Dean's supervision with regard to position or hiring processes and the budget, and would have direct, delegated roles in fund-raising," Casteen said.
In order to ease this process, Casteen said he would appoint advisory committees to configure the duties of each subset dean prior to the process of the actual dean selection. The fragmentation would help decrease the pressure placed on the dean of the College.
"All who have commented recognize the great mass of the work that the new dean will confront, and want ways to keep that position to a manageable scale," he said.
Despite losing Ayers' and Block's leadership, Farrell said none of the current University projects, such as the capital campaign and the South Lawn project, will be affected.
The projects "could be affected if we don't take steps to make sure that [they are not], and we are certainly going to do that," Farrell said. Ayers and Block "have been great assets to the University and they are a loss in lots of ways, but we will fill the gaps and make sure not to miss a beat."
Administrators expressed regret at the departure of Ayers and Block from the University. Casteen credited Ayers for his "uncommon leadership during uncommon times," while Faculty Senate Chair Ken Schwartz acknowledged Block for his "tackling of some difficult issues and supporting of long-term investments that will lead [the University] to become a more strong and more diverse faculty."
Read More
Ryan and Sheridan provide full accounts of Ryan’s resignation. They differ significantly
By Cecilia Mould and Ford McCracken | 7 hours ago“I concur fully with President Ryan’s recollection of events,” former Board Rector Robert Hardie said.
Research grant gaps, flight cancellations among costs of 43-day government shutdown
By Grace Little | 22 hours agoAreas that felt the deficits include federally-funded research, telemedicine services offered through U.Va. Health and canceled flights for holiday travel.
Student Council discusses potential student detoxification center, lockdown aftermath
By Jaylynn Perez | YesterdayStudent Council met Tuesday to discuss a potential proposal for a student detoxification center on Grounds following growing concerns about student safety and medical amnesty policies.
