SUNY Plattsburgh Announces New Dean of Education, Health, and Human Services

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Dr. Michael Morgan

PLATTSBURGH, NY (04/23/2010)(readMedia)-- Dr. Michael Morgan, associate dean of education, health, and human services at SUNY Plattsburgh, has been appointed dean of that division following a nationwide search that began in the fall.

Morgan, who has also served as interim chair for the Department of Childhood Education and chair for the Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences, was one of four finalists for the position out of a field of about 30 candidates.

The dean is the academic leader for the approximately 70 faculty in the division, which includes human development and family relations; communication disorders and sciences; counselor education; educational leadership; nursing and nutrition; social work; sport and wellness; expeditionary studies; and teacher education. The programs boast enrollments of 1,300 undergraduate and 450 graduate students.

"Dr. Morgan has experience both as a faculty member – he is a professor in communication disorders and sciences – and as an administrator in his role as a department chair, interim department chair and as associate dean for that division," said Dr. Patricia Higgins, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. "This provides him with a breadth of background and understanding in more than one discipline in the division. That is unusual and highly desirable in a candidate. He's become very conversant with the research literature on leadership and is constantly sharpening his own leadership skills, and feedback from various quarters on campus suggests he's been quite successful. We're delighted he's accepted our offer."

Dr. Kathleen Lavoie, dean of arts and sciences, chaired the search committee that began meeting in the beginning of November last year.

"Mike Morgan was an outstanding candidate right from the start among a strong group of applicants," Lavoie said. "He was enthusiastic and articulate throughout the process and is genuinely excited about the opportunity to lead education, health and human services."

Qualifications for the position included a doctorate in one of the disciplines housed in the division; a record of teaching and scholarship that would justify appointment in academic administration; a record of successful administrative leadership at the level of department chair or higher; and experience with the national accreditation process, among others.

Morgan holds a doctorate and a master's in communicative disorders and sciences from Wichita State University and received his bachelor's degree in speech-language pathology from Phillips University. As a speech-language pathologist, he worked with clients through the late 1980s in Enid, Okla. He joined the SUNY Plattsburgh faculty in communication disorders and sciences as an assistant professor in January 1992 and was named associate professor in 1998 and full professor in 2006. In 2005, he began a two-year term as co-chair for SUNY Plattsburgh's Middle States Periodic Review Report Committee.

In addition to his main campus duties, which include developing applications of new technologies; assisting in implementing, maintaining and updating the college's planning and assessment processes; administering divisional budgets; and overseeing successful external accreditation efforts for all programs that require accreditation, Morgan will also be responsible for coordinating academic programs and personnel with SUNY Plattsburgh at Queensbury.

"I've had the opportunity to work with Mike over the last 10 years," Higgins said. "He was always a pleasure to work with. He gets things done. As associate dean and department chair for two departments, he has dealt successfully with a number of student issues that have come forward – a larger number and broader variety than he would have seen had he not served in those capacities, all the while keeping in mind the policies and procedures and rules of the college and the concerns of the faculty as well as the needs of students."

Morgan will assume the role beginning July 1.