Deans at New Mexico State University appear to be dropping like flies lately. Pamela Jansma, the arts and sciences dean, is leaving in July, the Las Cruces Sun-News is reporting.
The departures of two others had already been announced. From the Sun-News:
“The university announced June 2 that interim provost Bob Moulton would become director of two colleges of the Higher Colleges of Technology in the United Arab Emirates city of Ras Al-Khaimah. Moulton was to return to his position as dean of the College of Education, a position he had held since 2000.
“And in April, College of Engineering Dean Steve Castillo accepted a position as provost and executive vice president of the Colorado School of Mines, beginning July 1. Castillo joined the NMSU faculty in 1987 and headed the university’s Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering from 1998 to 2004, when he took his current position.”
Those three add up to one third of the deans at NMSU.
So what’s up? Perhaps it’s nothing. Jansma says she’s leaving for “personal” reasons. She’s been living apart from her husband since she moved from Arkansas to take the NMSU job in 2008.
But there’s also a lot of turmoil at NMSU. Former President Michael Martin left last August. The university botched its first search to replace him. Gov. Bill Richardson replaced three of five regents. And the regents recently moved Interim President Waded Cruzado back to her previous job as provost and restarted the presidential search.
That’s a lot of turmoil and instability. Would it surprise anyone that, under such circumstances, some would opt to find employment elsewhere?