The interview circuit for the dean of the College of Arts and Humanities will see a familiar face as Bonnie Irwin makes her case for the position.

Irwin has been the dean of Eastern’s Honors College for six years and an English professor since 1994.

“I’m really interested in going back home because I’m a faculty member in the English department,” Irwin said. “I personally have to feel like I’m making a difference. I feel like I’ve made an impact on the Honors College, but the arts and humanities college is much larger, and I’d be able to have a wider influence. Honors is in a situation where I can hand it over to someone else and it would flourish.”

As dean she continued to teach classes, and it is something she would like to continue if she were chosen for the new position.

“As dean of arts and humanities, I’d really strive to maintain contact with students,” Irwin said. “I’d like to keep teaching.”

Working at a smaller school, such as Eastern, has allowed her to move up the professional ladder while maintaining contact with students. This would not be as easy at a larger school, she said.

“It’s a place where as a faculty member and administrator, I feel like I make a difference,” Irwin said. “They don’t have that same contact with students and that connection with the community. As a professor, you can really inspire students to achieve great things, and as an administrator you can do the same with faculty.”

Collaborating with faculty members on the academic direction of Eastern is a priority for her and something she has seen done well at the university recently.

“I really admired how President (Bill) Perry went around and talked to the different departments when he first came here and figured out what they want to do,” she said. “I’d like to do the same kind of thing. I don’t want to just come in and say, ‘Here’s what we’re going to do.’ That wouldn’t be appropriate at Eastern; it wouldn’t be appropriate anywhere.”

An open session interview with Irwin will be held at 4 p.m. today in Room 4440 of Booth Library.

The final two candidates, Elizabeth Dunn and Roger Smitter, will have their on-campus interviews this week.

Dunn’s interview is scheduled for Monday, and Smitter’s is scheduled for Wednesday.

Sarah Ruholl can be reached at 581-7942 or seruholl2@eiu.edu.