On Sept. 20, Don McNemar announced the appointment of a one-year “Leadership Team” to aid with the transition to having a new president of the college.Adrienne Israel will serve as Vice President and Academic Dean, and Jim Hood will serve as Vice President for Planning for the 2002-2003 academic year, beginning in July.

Israel is currently the Division Director for Humanities and Interim Associate Academic Dean overseeing Faculty Development and the new faculty search process, as well a professor of History and Intercultural Studies.

However, next year she will commit her time fully to her new appointment. Israel is excited about the position. “I am looking forward to the challenge,” she said, “but I will miss teaching.”
Israel would like to “help improve the relationship between the academic program and student life” and keep that as a theme throughout her term. She understands the challenge ahead of her. “It’s going to be a hard job to try to fill this position,” she said. “I’m going to try to be myself, and a good administrator.”

“I believe that higher education is very vital to society, “ Israel continued. “Schools like Guilford have tremendous potential, [and] it makes my work worthwhile if I can promote something like that.”
Hood will lead College Planning, “working to assure close integration of academic and other programming with sound fiscal management and long-range goals,” according to McNemar. Hood will work to find ways to increase resources, funding and grants for academic and student life. He is currently an English professor and Associate Academic Dean and Coordinator of Planning. As Vice President, he will no longer be Associate Academic Dean, but will continue to teach part-time.
McNemar’s decision to make these appointments was based on an effort to provide transitional guidance for the college in his absence. “I have sought to assure continuing progress on our enrollment goals and planning initiatives, and to provide a strong administrative team to work with the new president,” he said in a campus-wide e-mail announcement.
McNemar wishes to be charitable towards the newly chosen president. With the help of Israel and Hood, the new president will become more easily adjusted to the college, and have assistance in making important decisions. McNemar said, “These one-year appointments will enable the new president to define the future structure of the administration and to select the individuals to serve in these roles.”

Both Israel and Hood will be skilled assistants for the new president. Israel said, “I see myself interpreting the curriculum and the academic program…. articulating the needs of the faculty.”

“Education comes first,” she said. “Education stays at the forefront.”
Hood is “looking forward to working with the new president in terms of moving the present to the future.” He believes that “we (the college) need to be flexible with the leadership structure [and] do what makes the most sense.”

At the end of the spring semester, Jerry Godard will retire as Executive Vice President and Kathy Adams, Interim Academic Dean, will return to teaching psychology.

There will be a full national search for a permanent vice president, and internal applicants will be able to apply. Both Israel and Hood said that they would decide after their experiences next year whether or not to apply for the permanent vice president position.

“I’ll see where it goes, one year at a time,” Hood said. “I’ll see where my skills can be best used at Guilford.”