Today marks Day 30 for me as your new dean, and I am here to report that this first month on the job has shown me again and again just how fortunate I am to join you – and how eager I am for what’s next.
What truly has thrilled and affirmed me the most is your tremendous focus on students and their success. No matter what meeting or conversation I’m in, I see that students are the heart of every decision made.
And, even in July, I see the deep trust our students place in the faculty, staff and university itself. Students finishing their graduate programs are telling me they want to stay engaged with us beyond graduation. Undergraduates are contacting me so that I know about the faculty members who made it possible for them to attend NIU.
Community stakeholders, meanwhile, have reached out to tell me about current and previous collaborations and to express a desire to expand and enrich those. Principals. Superintendents. Community leaders and activists. What synergy!
Believe me, this isn’t typical – especially in the summer! But it is inspiring and reassuring, and it tells me that I stand on the shoulders of giants. I stand on the amazing work of those who came before me and those who are still here. This is a privilege I do not take for granted.
I also have already found great camaraderie throughout campus as I get to know my fellow deans as well as the president, the provost and their teams. As a new Huskie, I consider my onboarding process an incredible one and indicative of an esteemed place of higher education.
Month Two brings what currently excites me the most: our all-college meeting and the start of the fall semester.
Please know that I can’t wait to meet all of you Tuesday, Aug. 19, when we gather inside the Regency Room. I will share more about myself and communicate my vision for the college.
Yet I also want to hear your goals and ideas and, especially, how I can help move those forward. Tell me: What is the future of education in the United States? In what ways can we innovate? In what ways can we improve? In what ways can we reimagine? NIU’s strong foundations rooted in belonging, students and communities provide fertile ground for us to dream – and then act.
On the personal side, my husband, Doug, and I have enjoyed settling in.
We love DeKalb, which we feel offers all the amenities of a larger city and the caring heart and sense of small-town community. Patronizing local businesses has introduced us to students who work in those places, and they not only want to tell me about themselves but also want to ask me what brought me town. They’ve also joined the chorus of voices recommending Fatty’s!
Finally, if you bump into me in the hallways or the sidewalk, or you come knocking on my door, I hope you’ll share your stories with me.
Why are you working in higher education? What path brought you here? What are your ambitions for our students? How does your journey resonate with, and empower, them? And what brings you joy here? Teaching? Research? Collaborating with colleagues? Professional development?
In other words: What do we need to build upon, accelerate and honor within the culture of our college? Let me know. I’m in.
See you soon, and thanks for the warm welcome,
Mary E. Earick
Dean, NIU College of Education
