The appointment of a new dean often involves bringing in someone new to the college, someone that Jennifer Greer, interim dean of the College of Communication and Information Sciences, says can ?“shake it up.”
Mark Nelson, who has been vice president of student affairs since 2008, begins his appointment as dean of the College of Communication and Information Sciences next month, and Greer said his absence from the college makes him an external candidate in some ways.
“He kind of gives us the best of both,” she said. “He knows the campus really well, but he’s going to look at it with fresh eyes.”
Greer said Nelson brings his understanding of the University’s inner workings, and his experience in student services.
“He can help us rethink and maybe centralize some of those support services that we offer students,” she said. “He’s going to give us a perspective that most deans wouldn’t bring in.”
She also said Nelson also carries good external relations that will bring in donors for funding and scholarships.
“He’s a pretty dynamic ?personality,” she said.
Greer pointed to the Digital Media Center, which will formally host three classes in the fall, as an exciting opportunity for the college and its new dean.
Nelson said the college is positioned as a national leader in its field.
“President Bonner and Provost Benson have been generous in their support of the new Digital Media Center, which I believe will be a magnet for our college and our university in terms of generating exciting and new collaborative projects, research opportunities and grants and ?recruiting the nation’s top students to the field,” he said.
He said his new role as dean aligns well with his strengths, and his ?academic training.
“The outstanding faculty, professionals, staff, students and alumni, combined with state of the art resources and a prominent national reputation, make the Dean’s position very appealing,” he said.
Nelson leaves behind a Division of Student Affairs that he said is ?in great shape.
“The educators who work in the division are having a tremendous impact on student learning and retention, and I know they will continue to impact students in positive ways for years to come,” he said. “The Division of Student Affairs will continue to serve our students and our campus in a way that encourages student development in the areas of global citizenship and cultural understanding, ethical leadership and civic engagement. I am confident that the next VPSA will embrace these goals and work with our staff to ensure the continued success of the division.”
Nelson plans to meet with C&IS’s academic leadership on his first day to start planning for the future. Greer said he will be working with a college of people who really care. Her advice to the new dean: “Use the assets he already has.”
“Everybody in our college is really committed,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to ask people to do stuff.”
