February 06, 2014

Open forums set with MCMA dean finalists

Four candidates for the position of dean of the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts will meet with constituents during a series of forums beginning next week. 

The candidates are:  Herman Howard, chair of the English, Foreign Languages and Mass Communication Department at Benedict College, Columbia, S.C.; Terry Likes, professor and chair, Department of Communications, Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tenn.; Dafna Lemish, the current interim dean for the College of Mass Communications and Media Arts; and John B. “Jack” Zibluk, professor and chair for the Department of Mass Media at Southeast Missouri State University. 

The dean is the chief academic and administrative officer for the college and is responsible for its academic programs, fiscal management, personnel, external relations, recruitment and retention, among other areas.  All candidates must have a strong record of academic leadership and administrative experience. 

The forums, which will include a presentation by the candidates, will give university students, staff and faculty an opportunity to meet with the candidates and ask questions about their proposed approaches to the position and will be done in conjunction with their interview for the position. 

The candidates will discuss “My Vision for Success Amidst the Challenging Environment for Higher Education.”  The individual forums will be in the John C. Guyon Auditorium in Morris Library. 

Here is a schedule of the forums:

  • Howard will hold his forum from 1:30 to 3 p.m., Monday, Feb. 10.

  • Zibluk will hold his forum from 1:30 to 3 p.m., Feb. 17.

  • Lemish will hold her forum from 1:30 to 3 p.m., Feb. 25.

  • Likes will hold his forum from 1:30 to 3 p.m., March 3.

Each candidate will also participate in a question-and-answer session with MCMA faculty and students in Communications Building, room 1032, the day after their respective open forums. 

Full curriculum vitas for the four candidates are available here.