Charles Glenn-professor, department director and author of nine books-has been named dean ad interim of the Boston University School of Education, taking over for Douglas Sears, who left the school July 1 to head a university-wide planning committee.
A search committee will be formed in the fall to select a permanent dean.
“Charles Glenn is a well-known scholar and highly respected academic leader in the School of Education,” President Robert Brown said in a July 7 press release. “His thoughtful leadership style is well-suited to moving the school through the period of self-study that will lead to identifying the next permanent dean.”
Glenn has served as the administration training and policy department chairman for more than a decade and teaches courses in SED and the University Professors’ Program. He is the father of seven children, including four BU graduates, one of whom has gone on to teach at BU Academy.
The new dean said he is meeting with students and faculty over the summer and into the fall, and will be working with an external SED review organized by university provost David Campbell while the search committee seeks permanent leadership.
“I’ve been working closely with Doug as a member of his cabinet since he was appointed, so whatever I do will be in continuity with his efforts,” Glenn said in an email. “My goal is to hand over to the permanent dean an organization that is carrying out its present mission with greatly increased efficiency. It will be up to her or him to lead us in possibly new directions.”
With nearly 15 years of university teaching experience, Glenn brings a starkly different background than Sears, who left the school after a tumultuous semester in which he drew criticism by applying for a position at another university.
Sears, who worked as a diplomat before coming to BU as an assistant to President emeritus John Silber, had been criticized for having little familiarity with the classroom, particularly at the K-12 level.
“The K-through-12 side is really hurting,” one longtime faculty member said.
The faculty member, who requested anonymity, said that more than anything, the faculty needs to be “encouraged and supported” by the SED administration.
“I think [Glenn] will be a lot better at supporting and encouraging,” the faculty member said. “That would be the kind of thing that would make this place more appealing for top candidates [during the dean search process].”
Although interim deans at BU have often chosen as permanent deans-former dean Sears, College of Arts and Sciences dean Jeffrey Henderson and School of Law dean Maureen O’Rourke, among others, began as temporary leaders-Glenn insisted he has no administrative aspirations.
“I told Bob Brown that I have a great debt of gratitude to BU and would serve in any way he needed me,” Glenn said, “but that I would greatly prefer that was not in administration.”