Stimac looks forward
The Honors College will welcome Dr. John Stimac, chair of the geology department, as its new dean on July 1.
Stimac was named dean of the Honors College on May 10.
During his three-year term, Stimac said he plans to work on recruitment for the program.
“I want the Honors College to become more diverse while keeping the standards and qualities up,” he said.
In addition, Stimac said he wants to designate more faculty members to the Honors College and hopes to develop self- designed majors.
“Students would be able to design a major focused on the concentrations they want to pursue,” he said.
Although this is a fast transition Stimac said it will be easier with the help from his predecessors, whom he credited with starting a great program.
The Honors College was officially established in 2003 by the Board of Trustees and Herb Lasky, a former history professor, served as the college’s founding dean until 1996.
Bonnie Irwin, who currently serves as the dean of the Honors College, will complete her second term just before beginning her duties as dean of the college of arts and humanities, also effective July 1.
Irwin said she is happy with the new dean of the Honors College.
“Stimac will do a great job,” she said.
Irwin said challenges will always arise when beginning a new job, but Stimac is excited about those opportunities.
Essentially Irwin and Stimac are reviewing schedules, teaching, budgets, special events and office procedures.
Irwin said she is also organizing materials about the ongoing programs the Honors College offers.
“The Honors College office administers many programs that are not exclusive to honors,” she said.
Those programs include: The National Student Exchange, the Undergraduate Research Program, National Scholarships and Fellowships, and the Washington Center Internship program.
Irwin said she is looking forward to seeing integrative learning continue to grow and develop in honors as well as the new dean and the Honors council implement some of the suggestions from the recent external review, she said.
Currently, Stimac and the geology department are working on finding a new chair for the department.
“I know many of the interested candidates and I know they have the best intentions,” he said.
Stimac said the department will be in good hands.
Rashida Lyles-Cowan can be reached at 581- 7942 or at rnlylescowan@eiu.edu
