"Throughout the last two and a half years, I have remained mindful that the consequences of whatever we do now will fall mainly on those younger than I am," Davis says, adding that the median start date for faculty is now 1999 — two years after he became dean. "To assure that the next rounds of dialogue and decision about the Law School's direction have the kind of building-wide support essential for their long-term success, I think it is better if I remove myself from the process."
September 8, 2010
Wisconsin Law School Dean Kenneth B. Davis, Jr. will step down after this year.
He's been dean since 1997.
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7 comments:
The time to retire is while you have energy and youth left to travel and do consultant work. Davis made a good plan.
He's not retiring, just stepping down from the deanship. He'll still be a lawprof.
So, are you going to apply for the job?
Peter
""Throughout the last two and a half years, I have remained mindful that the consequences of whatever we do now will fall mainly on those younger than I am . . . . "
Dean Davis, please call Congress.
"So, are you going to apply for the job?"
I have never been interesting in being a dean. Not only would I never apply, but when I've received calls over the years -- I've been a lawprof since 1984 -- asking me if I'd allow myself to be considered in one place or another, I have always said no. I love being a law professor. I don't see what is interesting about being in administration -- except to make more money, which isn't enough of an attraction for me. I'm not interested in being a politician either. I don't want everyone's problems to be mine.
A wise person knows when they've given what they have to give, or when their leadership is holding up the growth, hindering the objective, or delaying the change necessary.
This is something Newt Gingrich never seemed to understand and apparently still doesn't.
Credit to Davis - he seems like a wise person.
He made it a practice to visit alumni at their offices. At mine, at least, that included "a frank exchange of views" between him and some of my colleagues on a couple of the items discussed. He didn't have to do this, and I appreciate that he did.
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