Failed negotiations mean that a familiar face will remain in the dean’s office of the Scripps College of Communication for at least another year.
Scott Titsworth, interim dean for the Scripps College of Communication, learned during Winter Intersession that he would be holding the position for another year after one of three finalists dropped out of contention and another turned down OU’s offer.
Titsworth, who did not apply for the permanent position during the failed search, said he isn’t sure yet if he’ll apply this time around.
During the break, Executive Vice President and Provost Pam Benoit offered the dean position to Laurence Alexander, a journalism professor and associate dean of the University of Florida’s Graduate School, but the offer was retracted after Alexander and the university failed to reach an agreement.
Alexander was offered a five-year contract starting at the beginning of this fiscal year with a salary of $130,000, but it is unclear why the negotiations broke down.
Benoit did not return calls or emails for comment.
“At this point in the time, it is irrelevant that the offer was not accepted, and the search has concluded,” said Ann Fidler, Benoit’s chief of staff.
Finalist Angela Powers, a professor and the director of the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Kansas State University, visited OU in November but was not offered a contract. The third finalist was Stuart Brotman, president of Stuart N. Brotman Communications, a global consulting firm. Brotman dropped out of the search before visiting the campus, Fidler said.
Although the failed search spanned six months and cost the provost’s office more than $70,000, Fidler said she believes Benoit will follow the same guidelines in running the next search. OU worked with R. William Funk & Associates to conduct the search.
The second search for the new dean will begin in fall 2012, Fidler said.
In the meantime, Titsworth will see a bump in pay during his second year as interim dean — with his salary rising from $130,000 to $150,000 on July 1.
Titsworth, who said he is unsure if he will apply for the permanent dean position, is planning to focus on how the public perceives the Scripps College.
“I want to reshape how (the college) presents itself with marketing, the website and who we are,” he said.
Titsworth emphasized the construction of the new Scripps College of Communication building, which he said would increase interaction and engagement for students.
“I’m very engaged in the renovation,” he said. “We don’t want to just call it our building but our college.”
af234909@ohiou.edu
