June 04, 2008

Colwell named associate dean in education college

by K.C. Jaehnig

Brad Colwell

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- W. Bradley Colwell, chair of the Department of Educational Administration and Higher Education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, will become associate dean of academic and student affairs in SIUC’s College of Education and Human Services June 16.

His new duties will include oversight of: undergraduate and graduate academic programs; accreditation reviews in non-teacher education-related areas; the academic advising office; student recruitment and retention; tuition scholarship awards and other awards and honors. He also will serve as liaison between the college and the Office of Admissions and Records in matters relating to course and program offerings and articulation.

“I believe Brad will bring to the position a strong commitment to the general welfare of the college, an informed perspective on academic programming, close attention to administrative detail and a sensitive and personalized approach to working with people that will be of great benefit to the faculty, staff and students,” said Dean Kenneth Teitelbaum in announcing the appointment.

“I have enjoyed working closely with Brad during this past year and am confident that he can handle the many different responsibilities of the position as well as serve as an excellent representative of the college at on-campus and off-campus functions.”

A full professor, Colwell has chaired his department since 2004. Prior to that, he served as its director of graduate studies for three years. He came to SIUC in 1996 after a two-year stint at a Monticello law firm, where he represented more than 125 Illinois school districts in legal matters and labor negotiations.

Colwell is serving his second term as vice chairperson of the University’s Graduate Council, having served as chair last year. He also served on his department’s certification committee. A prolific writer, he has published 36 articles in professional journals, 14 book chapters, monographs and numerous other articles and paper presentations.

His memberships include the Education Law Association, the American Association of School Administrators, the Illinois Association of School Administrators, the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration, the Illinois Council of Professors of Educational Administration, the State Action for Education Leadership Project and both the American and Illinois bar associations.

Colwell earned his bachelor’s degree in 1990 from Anderson University in Anderson, Ind., his master’s and law degrees in 1993 and his doctoral degree in 1996, the last three from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.