At the last Board of Trustees meeting this past October, Dean of Templeton Honors College and Provost Dr. Chris Hall announced his resignation as dean of THC effective sometime in the future.
Hall, who was appointed as dean of THC two years ago, will use the rest of the school year as a transition period while a national search for a new dean is conducted.
Having two full-time jobs as both dean of THC and provost, Hall’s list of responsibilities is extensive and time consuming. “I have to focus on the larger Eastern needs,” said Hall in a phone interview.
According to Senior Vice President Tom Ridington in an email interview, the board of trustees recently received management’s proposed strategic plan for the upcoming three to five years. The plan expects a great deal from the provost’s office to continue to give form to the emerging university. “[Dr. Hall resigning as dean of THC] is a sensible response,” Ridington said.
“Undoubtedly, Dr. Hall’s daily presence will be missed by THC students, but this move to full-time duty in the provost’s office will benefit the entire university,” Ridington said.
“I am disappointed and THC will miss him, but I completely understand his reasoning,” said Dr. David Bradstreet, professor of physical science and director of the Bradstreet Observatory in a phone interview. “I believe that this was God’s will, and God will provide us with a wonderful replacement.”
Hall’s dedication and commitment to Eastern since he arrived in 1992 is exceptional. He has twice been named Professor of the Year and has also won the Lindback Award for Excellence in Teaching.
“He has done a fantastic job because he is a fantastic person,” said Bradstreet. “He is a humble, Christ-like spirit who is extremely intellectual and honest.”
Hall has also been deeply committed to teaching one course over the years, foundations of Christian spirituality. This class has always been a popular one among students. While the new dean will take over teaching at THC, this particular class will remain on Hall’s schedule.
“As provost I’ll still keep involved in the THC as much as possible,” said Hall. “I don’t know exactly what this involvement will look like, but maybe it could be simply continuing to have students over to my house.”
The time has come for Hall to devote himself full-time to all that needs to be done in the provost’s office. “This is an opportunity to strengthen Eastern’s leadership team and take us to the next level,” said Ridington.