Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs Contract Extension

March 16 , 2006

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that Helmut Epp’s contract as executive vice president for Academic Affairs (EVPAA) will be extended to a full five-year term.  My decision is based on several factors, including votes to recommend the contract extension by both the Faculty Council and the Staff Council.

There was broad support in the university community for the extension. An 11-member Consultation Committee consisting of representatives from Faculty Council, Staff Council and the Student Government Association ensured that all members of the university committee could express their opinion and meet with Helmut.

Staff Council and Faculty Council meetings were well-attended. It is worth noting that during last year’s EVPAA search, 74 faculty members participated. This time, 118 faculty members provided feedback. In last year’s consultations, 83 staff members participated compared to 115 this year. Additionally, there were 255 submissions posted to a confidential feedback Web site with an extraordinary 91 percent voicing support for Helmut’s contract extension.

As many of you know, Helmut generously agreed last year to serve as interim EVPAA. I was immediately impressed with the job he was doing, and I spoke with him after Christmas about possibly extending his contract. I am delighted that he agreed to consider it, and I am just as delighted with the overwhelming support the university community has shown for his contract extension.

Helmut genuinely cares about the institution, and he cares deeply about executing our newly adopted Vision 2012 Strategic Plan for academic enrichment. I know his great respect for the university community.  I know also that his aspirations for the intellectual prominence of DePaul match those of the larger community. It is for this reason that I am most grateful for his willingness to provide leadership for the academic affairs and strategic academic initiatives of the university. 

As a result of the extension, Helmut will resign as dean of the School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Sciences (CTI) at the end of the spring academic term. David Miller, who has been serving as interim dean of CTI, will continue in that role in the 2006-07 academic year.  A search for a new dean will be conducted during that period.

Please join me in congratulating Helmut as DePaul University’s chief academic officer.

Sincerely,
Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M.
President