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Across the University of Idaho, changes within the administrative sectors of campus are taking place, stretching from the Engineering Department to the Administration Building.
On Oct. 10, Aicha Elshabini, dean of the College of Engineering, stepped down from her position after holding it for two years. Howard Peavy, associate dean of engineering, has assumed the responsibilities of dean for the next few weeks while the university conducts a search for an interim dean.
“This isn’t the first time a researcher or a teacher has decided to step away from an administrative role,” Peavy said. “She came to us from a strong research program, and she’s going back into research.”
Elshabini currently retains her faculty post within the college’s electrical and computer-engineering department and will remain director of the university’s Center for Advanced Microelectronics and Biomolecular Research.
Elshabini was unavailable for comment.
Peavy started working on Monday and said the experience was like “a two-day root canal.”
“Mostly it’s been go, go, go,” he said. “I’m still getting the hang of it.”
Peavy said he hopes by Nov. 1 an interim dean will be selected, and he expects the search to remain local with a primary focus in-house.
As the acting dean, Peavy supervises more than 100 faculty and staff members as well as the budget.
“It really is a big job,” he said.
Peavy said he doesn’t want to serve as dean on a long-term basis, but he wants the university and the program to succeed.
“Over the years, I’ve put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this college,” he said. “I want it to be successful.”
Peavy isn’t the only faculty member to enter into a new position. Beginning Saturday, Mike Jolly will serve in an interim capacity as executive director of human resources, and Tyrone Brooks from the Division of Finance & Administration will fill an interim term in auxiliary services as assistant vice president.
“I’ve had a pretty diverse background,” Brooks said. “I feel that I’m well prepared to fill this position.”
The previous human resources director, Paul Michaud, served his last day today after three years at UI. Brooks described this as “a transition period for the university.”
Mike Jolly was unavailable for comment.
According to Brooks, these temporary positions will last for the remainder of the school year, meaning that when it comes time for the universities annual meeting with the Board of Regents, Brooks will be part of the process.
“It’s really a collaborative effort,” he said. “We’re building a cast that can encourage the Board of Regents to support our university.”
For the past three years, the Board has not approved fee increase proposals made by the university. Currently, 16 percent of the university’s total revenue comes from students.
Brooks said he looks forward to “assisting the team.”
Peavy described himself as a placeholder — a term he said suits most interim positions.
“The way I see it, my job is to keep everything moving along,” he said.
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