Date: September 16, 2021
It is important that there is in any organization a sense of the leadership structure. When the Dean and President is away, then who is in charge? From time to time, I do remind the community of who is responsible for any key decisions when others are absent.
So, just for the record, while I am in Salzburg, Austria, Vice President Melody Knowles is the chief academic officer and therefore is responsible for the campus. If both Melody and I are away, then the chief financial officer, Vice President Jacqui Ballou is the point person. When the three of us are absent, then Vice President Linda Dienno moves into this role. Sometimes all three Vice Presidents are away (for example, when there is a Senior Staff Retreat). At this point the Associate Deans come to the fore – the Associate Dean of Students, the Associate Dean for Lifelong Learning, and then the Associate Dean of Chapel.
Thanks to technology, it is possible for me to stay in touch with the campus even though I am traveling. So, some key decisions have come through to me while I am here in Austria. However, we still need the point person on campus. Often the decision needs presence. So we do cover that eventuality.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President