Dean of Faculty retires from GCSU

     Dr. Anne V. Gormly, vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of faculties, has announced her retirement from GCSU.  Gormly will be relocating to Tampa, Fla., where she will become the new dean of the College of Social Sciences,  Mathematics and Education at the University of Tampa (UT) on July 1.
     Gormly first discovered the position while searching for new ideas on how to best revamp GCSU’s Web site in order to attract potential candidates.
     “We have a new system for attracting candidates to the college that allows for us to put up all of our jobs,” Gormly said. “In order to do that, we need to say ‘how do we want it to look from the outside in?’ so I was on the implementation committee.    One of the things we did was look at other websites; I went to private ones because we emulate private liberal arts colleges.”
     Gormly has several reasons for why she became interested in UT. One is she is excited to be at a new college with a familiar setting, and another is she will be close to her family.
     “I have a very strong vested interest in Tampa because my son and his wife, and most importantly my own grandchild Lara lives (there),” Gormly said.
     According to Gormly, this entire process has happened very fast.
     “I didn’t hear anything, so I figured this was done with and over with, and about a month ago, I got a call from promos. She (said they were) really interested in the experience I had, and I got an interview two weeks after. I got a job offer the next week,” Gormly said. “It was pretty fast.”
     Gormly feels that it is time to move on in her career, and while she will miss GCSU, she is hopeful about the upcoming possibilities at UT.
     “I’ve been here ten years in a pretty senior position, and you really do need to have (a) change of leadership the higher you go,” Gormly said.
     Happy with the progress that has been made at GCSU, since her arrival from the College of New Jersey in July 1998, Gormly feels that her move to UT will be bittersweet.
     “I am very torn about the things I am excited about for here that I won’t be a part of, but at the same time, I was thinking about   ‘Well, what do I do next?’ I’m too young—well I’m not too young to retire—I could retire, but I’ve got too much energy,” Gormly said. “Now I look back, and I say, ‘This is a good time to leave. We’ve implemented the mission.’”
     In her ten years at GCSU, Gormly’s positions have helped to aid in the excellence of the University’s progress.
     “I’m not taking credit for it; I’m just saying I was able to facilitate it. Did I do all of this with my own hands? Heck no,” Gormly said. “That’s the role of a chief academic officer: to get people on board, get them to understand what needs to be done, and then to go ahead and do it.”
     According to a presentation Gormly gave at an Academic  Affairs meeting in October 2007, since her arrival at GCSU, the college has continued to build excellence and distinction in the undergraduate experiences, as well as enhance its academic reputation based on its academic programs and school distinctions. It has continued its focus on graduate education responsive to workforce needs and strengthening regional ties. GCSU continues to increase efforts for faculty and staff recruitment and to foster a quality work environment. Support to the mission statement is strengthened by the continuation to seek operational improvements and fiscal strategies.
     Academic Affairs’ goals are to complete the general education implementation plan, as well as align this with any emergent  University System of Georgia core changes. They hope to increase the visibility and productivity of the GCSU Center for  Graduate and Professional Learning in Macon. Academic Affairs hopes to support the strategic focus initiatives on academic programs of distinction, as well as the Pillars of   Distinction. It also hopes to increase the focus of diversity among faculty and staff recruitment programs.
     So far, an interim vice president has not been established nor has a search committee been formed.
     “We will conduct a national search for Dr. Gormly’s replacement and hope to have someone in place by early  January 2009,” President Dorothy Leland said.
Those who have worked closely with Gormly over the years are especially grateful for the progress she has helped facilitate in her ten years as an administer at the college.
     “I have really enjoyed working with Dr. Gormly during the last two years,” Roy L. Moore, associate vice president for   Academic Affairs, said. “She’s an energetic, creative and thoughtful leader who’s well-liked on campus by students, faculty and staff. She’s known for her accessibility, being student-centered and has instituted many positive changes during her ten years of service.
     Both Moore and Leland agree that Gormly has been passionate about the mission and has worked hard to promote the college as the state’s public liberal arts university.
     “We will miss Dr. Gormly’s dedication to advancing the mission of Georgia College,” Leland said. “She has worked tirelessly over the past ten years to help shape our educational vision and programs, and her passion and commitment will be missed.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 4 2008. 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