Dean Bernie Patterson moves on

By Rich Hardwick
Staff Writer

Bernie L. Patterson, the Dean of Arts & Sciences at Georgia College & State University, will be leaving GC&SU to take on the responsibilities of Vice President for Academic Affairs at Oklahoma City University.
Patterson assumed the position of Dean of Arts & Sciences at GC&SU in February of 1994. Prior to his position here, he was the Assistant Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Valdosta State University. His first job at the higher education level was as an instructor at VSU in 1977.
Now Patterson is leaving the university system of Ga. for Oklahoma City University, which has very high credentials of its own.
“It [OCU] is an excellent school,” said Patterson. “It was rated by “U.S. News and World Report” in Tier One of universities in the Midwest. It will broaden my experience because the University of Oklahoma City is a private University, and I’ve worked in the public sector my entire career. It will give me an opportunity to work in quite a different environment and give me some experiences that I haven’t had before.”
Patterson’s achievements at GC&SU are numerous. Many of the goals that he set for himself were accomplished.
“My personal goals were aligned with that of the university’s mission,” said Patterson. “As we all know in 1996, the university’s mission changed drastically. My personal goals for the College of Arts & Sciences changed as well. Now we are looking at how to bring the faculty and the students together in a way that you don’t commonly find in a typical state university.”
Some accomplishments over the years that Patterson has earned included receiving the Powell-Whipple Collaboration Award for his work with the GC&SU School of Education and the Pre-K through 12th grade Public school system in improving the preparation of teachers. He developed new mathematics courses for in-service teachers and “major-based” First Year Academic Seminars. He leaves GC&SU after a long and very active career. He credits GC&SU with many experiences that have led him to be a better administrator.
“It [GC&SU] has certainly helped me as a professional, as an administrator, as a faculty member and as an educator,” said Patterson. “It made me more conscious of what our mission should be and that is to educate students, to produce leaders and to make students and faculty partners in the learning process.”
President Rosemary DePaolo feels that the absence of Patterson is a great loss to the college, but he did many things to help make his position very secure.
“He has built a wonderful college,” said DePaolo. “He hired great faculty. He’s done something that few Arts & Sciences Deans have done and that is that he has really learned the language and the world of the faculty and education.”
According to DePaolo, there is no rush to fill the position of Dean of Arts & Sciences.
“He’s done such a good job that the position is in good shape and is healthy,” said DePaolo. “Right now, I think that we’re going to continue without that position being filled and see what happens. There is a Dean of Liberal Arts and a Dean of Education and what Bernie was doing was pulling them together, and he’s done that. So for a while, I think that we will just let it go on and see how it does.”
It is with a heavy heart that Patterson leaves the university system of Ga and GC&SU.
“The decision to retire from Georgia College & State University was the most difficult professional decision that I’ve ever made,” said Patterson. “I leave with great reluctance. I’ve made great relationships here and really good friends. I wish the university the best in the years to come. It’s been an honor to be a part of this university.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 12 2002. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry