Acting Dean of the College Sylvia Spears will not apply to serve as permanent Dean of the College, Spears said in an interview with The Dartmouth Editorial Board on Thursday. Spears will vacate the position once her two-year appointment ends on June 30, according to Spears.
Spears "carefully considered" a host of "ideas, inputs and thoughts" before coming to a decision, she said.
"We all have commitments that inform our professional decision-making," Spears said.
Spears said that she has no definite plans to fulfill another role at the College but said she would "consider" remaining at Dartmouth in a different position after her tenure as dean ends.
"I don't know in what capacity it would be, but I wouldn't rule it out," Spears said.
While Spears contemplated the possibility of applying for the permanent Dean of the College position, she ultimately decided in December that she would not apply, Spears said.
"When I was in the role, I functioned as a full-fledged, fully authorized Dean of the College," she said. "I still have 25 percent of my tenure left. I have no intention of being a lame duck dean. There's lots of work to be done."
Spears was originally tapped for the acting position after former Dean of the College Tom Crady announced his resignation in August 2009, The Dartmouth previously reported.
