September 5, 2012

TO THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY

Dear Colleagues:

After two years of exemplary leadership as Acting Dean and Dean of Summer Sessions, Prof. Carol Braun Pasternack is stepping down for health reasons.  During her tenure as Dean, Prof. Pasternack worked with the skilled and experienced staff of Summer Sessions to maintain an active and attractive summer program for our students and scholars.  In addition, she:

  1. Strengthened the Summer Travel Study Program in its marketing and its focus on the research and teaching interests of the faculty leading these programs;
  2. Increased collaboration with Financial Aid, BA/RC, and the Registrar’s Office;
  3. Supported the selection and implementation of software for managing Summer curriculum and the Summer Sessions website;
  4. Facilitated a leadership transition for the Research Mentorship Program;
  5. Initiated an Online Pilot Project for Summer (OPPS) with the initial development of five courses in Summer 2011 offered as online or blended courses in Summer 2012; and
  6. Established a program for mentoring all Teaching Associates in Summer Sessions.

Although Dr. Pasternack is stepping down from the deanship, we feel fortunate that she plans to remain part of our academic community, and we will continue to be able to draw on her expertise to help our university. We are in the process of forming a committee to begin the search for our next dean. In the interim, Dr. Cindy Bumgarner, Assistant Dean, will serve as Acting Director of Summer Sessions.  I would like to express our campus’s sincere gratitude to Dean Pasternack for all that she has accomplished and contributed to Summer Sessions and UC Santa Barbara.

Gene Lucas
Executive Vice Chancellor