Starting Feb. 15, Dr. Robert Blaine will be dean of Undergraduate Studies succeeding Dr. Evelyn J. Leggette, who was appointed associate vice president for Academic and Student Affairs last spring and has served as dean since 1990.
Dr. James C. Renick, provost and senior vice president for Academic and Student Affairs, made the announcement in the Moore Building on Monday.
“I am delighted that Dr. Robert Blaine has accepted this very important role. He is following the solid leadership provided by Dr. Evelyn Leggett,” Renick said.
Blaine’s title will be dean of Undergraduate Studies and CyberLearning, Renick said. That’s so that Blaine’s expertise in developing the university’s stature in technology can be continued, said the provost.
He wanted a “matrix” model of leadership, not “silos,” Renick said. “This is a marvelous opportunity to institutionalize the work that has gone on in the past four years in learning technologies.”
CyberLearning is a very important initiative for JSU, Renick said, and an area where JSU is a national leader.
Blaine, special assistant to the provost for CyberLearning, and associate professor of Music, has served as interim associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts, among other duties. He has blazed a trail in the university’s incorporation of online learning, and has been awarded designation as an Apple Distinguished Educator.
Blaine and a team of other JSU faculty and staff launched the 2012 iPad Technology Advantage that brought student learning into the 21st century. As part of the program, the entire JSU freshman class was given an iPad, and the device was integrated into the curriculum. The program also tracks student progress.
“I am excited,” Blaine told faculty members Monday, in accepting the post. “There is such a wonderful, wonderful foundation here.”
Renick said that often when a new dean is announced, it means significant changes are needed. But praising Leggett’s leadership, he said, “there’s nothing to be fixed.”
Some areas need only to be enhanced and expanded, he added.
Leggette, as dean, helped establish Undergraduate Studies, University College and the W.E.B. Du Bois Honors College, among other achievements.
Blaine has been on faculty at JSU since 2004. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Music from Indiana University, a master’s from Catholic University and Doctor of Musical Arts from Eastman School of Music.