LSA dean resigns from post

After serving as the first female dean of the College of Literature, Science and the Arts for nine years and being one of five finalists in the 1996 search for a University president, LSA Dean Edie Goldenberg announced yesterday that she will resign from her position.

"It was time for me and it was time for the college," Goldenberg said, adding that she is not leaving on bad terms, but because it is time for a change. "It's time for new ideas, for new initiatives."

Goldenberg's resignation is effective Aug. 31. She will be on leave from her faculty position for one year before returning in the fall of 1999 to teach and research within LSA and the School of Public Policy.

JOHN KRAFT/Daily LSA Dean Edie Goldenberg hugs her colleague and friend Gaylyn Studlar, chair of the film and video department, after announcing her resignation as dean to faculty members yesterday in Angell Hall.

Provost Nancy Cantor said a search committee to find a permanent dean to lead the University's largest school will be formed within several weeks. She would not speculate on the appointment of an interim dean.

University President Lee Bollinger said he is not surprised by Goldenberg's resignation considering the number of years she has served as dean.

"Nine years is a long time in terms of deans," Bollinger said.

Cantor said Goldenberg is a valuable member of the University's academic community.

"She's just been a superb dean and a very strong advocate of the college for undergraduate education," Cantor said. "We expect to see more of her wonderful contributions in coming years here."

Former University President James Duderstadt said Goldenberg's contributions to the University have been numerous and wide-ranging.

"She has done a lot of focusing on the quality of undergraduate education," said Duderstadt, who is a member of the Engineering faculty. Duderstadt said that in addition to her educational contributions, the state funding the college received during Goldenberg's term will allow her "to say that during the Goldenberg years, the entire college was rebuilt."

Communications studies Prof. Nick Valentino said having her back on the faculty will "be a great benefit to students.

"I have a lot of respect for Edie and what she's done for the college," Valentino said.

Public Policy Dean John Chamberlin said Goldenberg played a crucial role in interacting with all the University's deans.

"I think Edie has a very important role, partially stemming from the fact she is dean of the largest college and partially stemming from the fact that she is one of the deans with the longest service," Chamberlin said.

Working with the other deans was one of Goldenberg's strengths, and the University community should be thankful to her, said School of Business Administration Dean B. Joseph White.

"I wrote a note to myself to call her immediately to thank her for a decade of service to LSA," White said. "We at the Business School have done a lot of collaboration with LSA and she has always been a wonderful colleague."

Although Goldenberg implemented many new initiatives during her career as dean, many said it was a tenure marked by controversy.

To many members of the University community, Goldenberg is best known for declining her canidacy as a finalist in the 1996 presidential search.

But Duderstadt said controversy is the mark of a successful, active dean.

"If there's no controversy over a leader, then they're not doing anything," Duderstadt said.

Religion and English Prof. Ralph Williams said disagreement is inherent to the job.

"There will be disagreement, it could not be otherwise," Williams said. "But I think everyone acknowledges that Edie's positions are principle ones. I believe she is always spoken of with respect."

Under her leadership, LSA completed what is believed to be the most successful fund-raising campaign done by a public arts and sciences college that raised $110 million for the college.

Goldenberg also instituted the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, increased the number of endowed chairs and enhanced the quality and number of undergraduate seminars.

Law School Dean Jeffrey Lehman said Goldenberg's character is strong.

"I will miss Dean Goldenberg's vision, her leadership, her commitment to academic values and her devotion to the long-term goals of the University of Michigan," Lehman said. "I hope that the University can do as well in choosing her successor."

Williams said Goldenberg is "intelligent, decent and caring," adding that he "respects Dean Goldenberg enormously." He said the role of an administrator is a difficult one that few can master.

"We call people to be administrators," Williams said. "No single person can do everything. No single person wishes to do everything.

"We just try to get and support the best out of every person," Williams said.

Goldenberg said that although she is looking forward to the time off, there are still some matters to be taken care of in the coming months.

"We will be paying a lot of attention to budgetary matters," Goldenberg. "We have a whole set of building projects that are about to start."

Prior to serving as LSA dean, Goldenberg was an LSA faculty member and served as director of the University's Institute of Public Policy Studies, which became the School of Public Policy in 1995. She holds degrees from Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Before entering academia, Goldenberg worked in the Office of Personnel Management in Washington, D.C., as an election consultant for ABC television and as a reporter for The Boston Globe.

04-07-98