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AMU Senior Academic Officer to Retire at Year End

sites1Ave Maria University President Jim Towey announced Friday that the school's senior academic officer, Jack Sites (left), will retire effective Dec. 31, completing a transition to an entirely new senior management team at AMU.

Dr. Sites has served as the senior VP for academic affairs at Ave Maria for eight years and led the successful effort to gain accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

AMU Dean of Faculty Michael Dauphinais (below right) will assume the additional responsibilities of vice president of academic affairs on an interim basis beginning Jan. 1, 2012, the university president said in an email to Ave Maria faculty, staff and students. Mr. Towey, who assumed the reins at AMU last spring, said he would "be consulting with the Board of Trustees during the remainder of this academic year regarding a timetable and search process for a permanent replacement for Dr. Sites in 2012-13."

"dauphinaisDean Dauphinais has impressed me with his grasp of the wide range of issues before us," Mr. Towey said. "I expect a smooth transition."

Mr. Towey said Dr. Sites "has given his all during the start-up phase of the university and helped build the first-class faculty and quality core curriculum that are our hallmarks. In all things he has been a true Southern gentleman and we are grateful for his service."

Dr. Sites also had responsibilities for much of the operations of AMU's Latin America campus in Nicaragua and he indicated in his letter of resignation that he would continue to work on matters relating to the overseas campus after he leaves.

The announcement of Dr. Sites' retirement comes less than two weeks after another long-time AMU senior administrator, Chief Financial Officer Paul Roney, announced that he, too, would be leaving at the end of this calendar year.

"What Tom [Monaghan] wanted me to do was grab the mandate and move forward," Mr. Towey said.

"Transition is necessary when tackling all the challenges we have."

Click here for previous Ave Herald story: Paul Roney to Step Down as AMU CFO

 

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