Former'U' dean resumes teaching

By Jeremy W. Peters
Daily Staff Reporter

Former LSA Dean Edie Goldenberg, who resigned from her post in April 1998, has returned to the University as a political science and public policy professor and currently is teaching a seminar titled "Issues in Higher Education."

Goldenberg, the first female to occupy the LSA dean's chair, left the University in October 1998 to assume the University of Texas at Austin provost position but had to refuse the appointment because of health problems.

Her withdrawal from the Texas appointment and her subsequent return to the University as a professor surprised many.

"It was a surprise to me too," Goldenberg said, adding that she was delighted to be back. "I am really enjoying it, I must say. I like teaching - that's why I'm here."

DAVID ROCHKIND/Daily Former LSA Dean Edie Goldenberg speaks to LSA senior Diane Tider in class Thursday. Goldenberg returned to the University and the classroom this fall.

The political science seminar Goldenberg is teaching tackles many important issues confronting academia.

"I think higher education is important," she said, adding that the issues facing the University today, such as the two lawsuits challenging the University's use of race as an admissions factor, are "some of the issues facing higher education in the nation."

According to the class description, the course is designed, "to frame and analyze the most critical issues facing higher education in the United States today."

Although Goldenberg said she draws upon her experience as an administrator at the University, the class does not deal only with campus issues.

"We draw upon a lot of examples from U of M, but I try to place this information into a larger context," Goldenberg said. The former dean said she recognizes the special nature of the University and takes care to call attention to this uniqueness when teaching.

"The University is distinctive from other state universities in that we enjoy the advantage of constitutional autonomy," Goldenberg said.

Constitutional autonomy, she explained, allows the University more freedom because it is not governed by the state legislature but by the elected University Board of Regents.

"We are given much more flexibility than other state universities ... constitutional autonomy is a system that is looked upon by other state universities with some envy," she said.

Some advantages of constitutional autonomy, Goldenberg said, are the University's freedom to set tuition levels and its near immunity from constitutional challenges.

Constitutional autonomy exists at Michigan State University and Wayne State University as well.

LSA senior Diane Tider said she feels fortunate to be in Goldenberg's class.

"Professor Goldenberg obviously knows what she's talking about," Tider said. "The class is a really interesting insider's look at the University," she added.

From the class, Tider said she and her classmates now understand how complex the University really is.

"We've really realized that the University involves every scope of life ... it's a living and working community," Tider said.

In addition to being a University professor, Goldenberg serves on the governing board for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, named the "MIT Corporation." As an MIT graduate, she hopes she is "making some small contribution."

As of now, Goldenberg said she is pleased with the University and has no plans to move on.

10-11-99