by Jeremy Hunt
Daily Lobo
UNM is looking for a temporary replacement for the dean of University College.
Peter White said he wants to go back to being a professor after 12 years as an administrator.
"I really look forward to going back to teaching," he said. "It's been a pleasure to have that job, but I'm glad my term is over."
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White has asked to go on sabbatical for the spring semester.
"I have to more or less
re-educate myself in American studies and American literature, so that's going to be my main goal,"
he said.
The Daily Lobo reported in August that President David Schmidly and White disagreed about the effectiveness of University College in helping students to succeed.
White said his decision has nothing to do with UNM's
administration.
"This is something I've decided last year way before the new president came or the new provost was appointed," he said. "I like them both, and I look forward to continuing working with both of them."
UNM wants to appoint an acting dean from within the University until a national search can be done, deputy provost Richard Holder said.
"We've got to have somebody to manage that college while we do the search," he said. "It's a high-level management
position."
Holder said the University will announce an acting dean early in December.
In the meantime, the acting dean will be someone who is experienced in administration and undergraduate education.
"We want a senior tenure faculty member," he said. "They've got to keep the ship afloat and running in the right direction."
White said the college formed in 1956. But it wasn't more than an advising program until 2000 when it merged with the office of undergraduate studies and some interdisciplinary programs.
"That made a new version of University College," he said. "A lot of the classes we have to help students make the transition to the University."
White said the next dean would be responsible for taking the college to a higher level.
"University College is going to change," he said. "It's kind of in its adolescent stage. I think the new dean is going to help it
grow up."
Holder said White has accomplished the goals set for him by former President Bill Gordon.
"He's accomplished a good deal," he said. "He's put in place a lot of very forward-looking programs that have contributed to the retention and graduate of undergraduate students."
White said he probably won't take another administrative
position.
"I've been here 31 years at UNM. I plan to stay a lot longer," he said. "You never know what will happen, but I envision a career of teaching students in the classroom, which has always been, for me, a tremendous amount of fun."
