Metro to launch second  business dean search

By Meghan Hughes
The Metropolitan

For almost three years, Metroâs School of Business has been without a permanent dean.

Jerry Geisler, a Metro business management professor, was fired as the business schoolâs dean Sept. 28, 1994.
Michael Brown, then a economics professor, accepted the position as interim dean two days later.

Geisler said after his dismissal that Kaplan said she wanted an administrator who believed in the collegeâs ãurban mission.ä

Several teachers and students signed petitions in Geislerâs defense to no avail. Charles Vitaska has been acting business dean since August 1996 when Brown was diagnosed with cancer.

Brown, who was received a Distinguished Service Award at Metroâs Convocation this year, has been on medical leave since early July.

Cheryl Norton, Metroâs interim provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, has appointed a special search committee, to find a candidate to permanently fill the position.

A search to find a dean for the business school failed last year when the committee members and administrators couldnât find a candidate who met the schoolâs criteria, said Metro spokeswoman Sherry Patten.

The new committeeâs minimum requirements for applicants have yet to be decided.

Twelve faculty and staff members in the School of Business are on the committee.

Two people are from the business community and one is a student representative.

John Landry, a Computer Information Systems and Management Science professor, is the committee chair. Marc Falkenhan, a part-time business professor who was on the first search committee, was also appointed.

He expects at least 80 applications for the position, many of which will come from the Business department.
The majority of applicants, however, will be from other states since the search is nationwide,  Norton said.

Falkenhan said the screening process will take about month after the announcement is made.

However, Norton said the search may last until spring 1998.