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May 28, 2002 Volume 26, Issue 37 |
Dr. Roy H. Ruby has been named dean of the College of Education at Mississippi State after serving on an interim basis for the past year, and has chosen to give up his duties as vice president for Student Affairs when a successor can be appointed to that post.
A search committee formed last year to seek a permanent education dean recommended that Ruby continue to lead the college. The timing of the search and the total pool of candidates raised concerns about a successful outcome, the committee said.
Ruby will continue to do double duty as vice president and dean, as he has since May 2001, pending a search for a new vice president for Student Affairs. He became vice president in 1985 to oversee the division responsible for student recruiting, admissions, housing, health services, and student organizations, among other functions.
A search for the next vice president for Student Affairs will begin promptly in hopes of having Ruby's successor in place by next fall, said Interim President J. Charles Lee. Sound associate and department-level leadership in place throughout the Student Affairs Division should contribute to a smooth and fairly quick transition, he said.
"Dr. Ruby has done an extraordinary job of handling two key administrative positions simultaneously during the past year, but that arrangement could not continue indefinitely," Lee said. "We appreciate his willingness to carry on as dean of one of our largest academic units, where the university has the greatest need of his talents at this juncture, and certainly we respect his decision to relinquish the vice president's role.
"Dr. Ruby has served with distinction as vice president for Student Affairs for 17 years and thousands of students have benefited from his leadership and his interest in their future," Lee said.
The College of Education, with more than 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students, recently completed a reaccreditation review by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) under Ruby's leadership.
"Dr. Ruby has a deep understanding of Mississippi State's leadership role in preparing the teachers and other school personnel for this state, and his commitment to quality and productivity in the College of Education has been evident during the past year," said Interim Provost George Verrall.
"We can be confident that the quality of leadership in the college will be assured during his tenure, during which we will have ample time to plan and prepare for the long-term future of the college," Verrall said.
Ruby holds faculty rank as an associate professor of counselor education and has taught courses in the Department of Counselor Education and Educational Psychology for many years. He earned the Doctor of Education degree in higher education and student personnel from the University of Mississippi in 1973.
He received bachelor's and master's degrees in political science from Mississippi State in 1961 and 1966, and has worked for the university since 1964.
Before becoming vice president for Student Affairs in 1985, his roles included dean of student administrative services, assistant to the vice president for student affairs, and director of Mississippi State's degree-granting branch in Jackson, a position he held from 1974 to 1978.