Adela Talbot, Western News
Brian Timney never expected to be here. Again. But since he is, the Social Science dean has a few ideas on how to use the bonus time.
In April, Timney had his term as dean of the Faculty of Social Science extended by two additional years, now to conclude June 30, 2015. He was first appointed Social Science dean in July 2002, and then reappointed in October 2006.
Looking forward to the break, even returning to his research, Timney admits to “mixed feelings” about the reappointment. But the opportunity to solidify more than a decade-worth of projects has energized him for another 24 months.
“There is still unfinished business. It would have felt like I was stepping away before I was finished,” Timney said. “I see these last two years as a way to systematically wind down.
“I have no intention of being appointed for another two years,” he added with a laugh.
There are several areas he looks to solidify: the Aubrey Dan Program in Management and Organizational Studies expansion into Hong Kong which the faculty has been “thinking about, but isn’t there yet”; eLearing beyond simple distance learning, including exciting opportunities in Sociology and History; relationship-building with Chinese universities; as well as new fundraising initiatives.
He will also lead the faculty through the next four-year budget planning process, as well as Strategic Plans at the university and faculty levels. Timney hopes to leave the next dean a solid base to build upon, as the learning curve is tough enough.
“The position I would like the faculty to be in when I leave is that there are no outstanding issues, so somebody doesn’t have to come in and ‘mop up.’ Financially, we want to be as good as we can be, but also that whoever comes in can walk into an operation that is ongoing,” he said. “To be able to step into something running smoothly, then the next person can deal with the other issues that you have the time to think about the bigger issues, I would hope an ongoing operation is my legacy.”
Timney holds degrees from the University of Edinburgh and Brandeis University, and has been a member of Western’s Department of Psychology since 1978.
In a now seemingly previous life, Timney was a professor in the Department of Psychology. He was named associate dean in 1992, and served a short stint as acting dean in 1998-1999.
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Paul Mayne, Western News
Effective July 1, Education professor Carol Beynon will serve as acting vice-provost for the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS), through to June 30, 2014 as Linda Miller, current vice-provost, begins study leave. Presently, Beynon serves SGPS as associate vice-provost.
No stranger to leadership positions on campus, Beynon served as acting dean for the Faculty of Education in 2010 and associate dean for SGPS from 2006-08. In the Faculty of Education, she has served graduate studies in education chair from 2002-06, and before that was Student Services director; Practicum Services director; and Primary-Junior Preservice Program coordinator.
“It is a privilege and an honour to take on this role. Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies are significant priorities for Western with regard to university growth, educational impact at the national level, internationalization and the significant research contribution that our scholars make to the university as a whole,” Beynon said. “I look forward to working with our entire community to continue our ongoing dialogues about how to enhance both graduate and postdoctoral education at Western.”
Beynon received an Ed.D. at the University of Toronto, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. She completed a M.Ed. at Western in Educational Administration and received a Dip.Ed. Ontario Teaching Certificate. Beynon received a B.Mus.Ed. from Western and an A.Mus. from the Western Conservatory of Music.
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Paul Mayne, Western News
Effective May 1, Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS) professor Nick Dyer-Witheford began as acting dean for FIMS, through to June 30, 2014 as Tom Carmichael, current dean, begins study leave. Presently, Dyer-Witheford, a Faculty Scholar, serves as associate dean.
Dyer-Witheford is the author of Cyber-Marx: Cycles and Circuits of Struggle in High Technology Capitalism. He is, along with Stephen Kline and Greig de Peuter, a co-author of Digital Play: The Interaction of Technology, Culture, and Marketing, and, with Greig de Peuter, co-author of Games of Empire: Global Capitalism and Video Games. He has also written numerous articles and book chapters on the video and computer game industry, the uses of the Internet by social movements and theories of the relation of technology to labour.
“I regard it as an honour and a privilege to be acting dean of FIMS,” Dyer-Witheford said.
