Thanks, Congratulations Extended as Dean Gould Accepts CSULB Position

After five years at the helm of McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, Dean Karen Gould has accepted the position of provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at California State University, Long Beach.

Gould, a California native who assumed her role at the University of Cincinnati in September 2001, will begin her appointment March 1.

University officials offered congratulations to Gould, along with details on the search for her replacement.

Dean Karen Gould

"Karen Gould has been a tremendous asset to the University of Cincinnati as well as a great champion of our UC|21 strategic vision," said President Nancy L. Zimpher.

"While we will sorely miss her, I congratulate her on this marvelous opportunity for advancement and greater responsibility."

The appointment of a decanal search committee is under way, and should be completed by Dec. 1, said Provost Anthony Perzigian. A search firm will help the committee conduct an "aggressive, high-profile search," he said.

"The College is poised to attract world-class candidates who will readily appreciate the scholarly standing of the faculty, the centrality of the A&S curriculum, our vibrant urban setting, and the University’s academic plan," he said.

"The search for a new dean will not be completed until we have recruited and hired an exceptional individual who recognizes the great opportunities of the position and who is fully prepared to lead the College’s advancement as a premier destination for outstanding students and faculty.

"We have much to offer candidates, but they must be able to convince us that they have the keen vision and the energy necessary to succeed in this very important leadership position for the University and our liberal arts disciplines."

Perzigian also offered thanks to Gould for her contributions to the College, which has raised more than $35 million in external grants and contract funding and more than $20 million in philanthropic donations during Gould's tenure.

"Her wise and experienced hand at the wheel has provided valuable and effective leadership," he said.

McMicken faculty members, too, voiced appreciation for that leadership.

"There’s a lot to admire about Karen and the job that she has done as dean," said Arnold Miller, Geology Department head.

"Certainly, I am grateful for her remarkable efforts at advocating the core missions of the College to audiences both outside and inside of the College. On the outside, she and the staff that she assembled have significantly elevated the college’s profile throughout the broader University and beyond. On the inside, she has helped us to make significant strides in working collectively as a cohesive unit, rather than as an independent set of department-level silos. I will miss her."

Anthropology head Martha Woodson Rees said she found working with Gould a pleasure.

"She was always supportive of me as a neophyte head and helped mentor me into leading and following my vision," Rees said.

Lowanne Jones, head of Romance Languages and Literatures, said it's "important to recognize Dean Gould's contributions within a framework."

Despite massive budget cuts every year of Gould's tenure, Jones said, Gould managed to recruit truly excellent faculty, support new academic initiatives and sustain faculty morale.

"The new School of World Languages and Cultures is just one recent example, and there are many more," she said. "In the context of the severe cuts in A&S, these are significant achievements."

Steve Howe, acting Psychology Department head, recalled an incident which, he said, "reveals the dean's lightness of touch."

At an A&S faculty meeting a few months ago, he said, there was an exchange between two faculty members that led to one saying something insulting to the other.

"The remark hung in the air but toward the end of the meeting the offending party asked for an opportunity to say something to the group, whereupon he rose and offered a nicely worded apology to his colleague. The mood lightened," Howe said.

"Dean Gould ended the meeting by acknowledging the passion that we bring to our work, which in this case had led to the heated words, but also by acknowledging the strong norms of civility and reciprocity that govern faculty relations. Her managing to hit this graceful note was such a perfect way of ending the meeting that the faculty applauded her."