Teacher’s College promotes Bennett to dean position

There will be a new face on the wall of deans at Emporia State’s Teachers College next semester. Phil Bennett will be returning to Emporia from Washington, D.C. with a promotion, as he has been serving as associate dean since 2001.

“I was hopeful of the appointment,” Bennett said. “Certainly never assured because it was a national search, it wasn't just an internal search.”

“Dr. Bennett was chosen because of his enormous experience base, particularly in the accreditation area,” said Kathy Ermler, chair of the search committee who selected the new dean.

Bennett is currently on sabbatical working at the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education headquarters in Washington D.C. He said that the experience has been mutually beneficial, as he contributes his teaching and accreditation experience to NCATE. He also said that his time there has taught him more about the inner working of that organization and the finer details of the accreditation process.

While he enjoyed his time in D.C., Bennett said he is looking forward to returning to his home in Midwest.

“ESU has a reputation for being an excellent teacher preparation program – not only in the state of Kansas, but nationally,” Bennett said. “It's really a privilege to serve as dean of an institution like that.”

Bennett has several plans on his mind for when he starts his new job.

“The number one thing on my agenda is to be able to maintain…the quality of the program,” Bennett said.

He is aware that things are changing and that, while things are going well now, he must look to the future and see what could be done to improve things.

“I think we have not been as active as we might have been in trying to maintain the quality of the programs.”

Bennett has served twice as interim dean since he came to ESU in 2001. He has also been a dean in South Carolina. He began his career in academics in 1967, when he taught high school mathematics in Illinois.

“I always enjoyed math – it was always fun for me,” Bennett said “A lot of times, students don't like math… teaching gives you the opportunity to instill that joy of math you have in other people.”

Bennett has taught math at both the high school and college level, though he didn’t wait very long after entering the college level of teaching before he moved up to administration.

“I've always kind of liked administration,” Bennett said, but he also appreciates the benefits of teaching as well. “When you have a student that says ‘you’re my favorite teacher,’ that's a great experience… The real reward of teaching is seeing students learn.”

The search process for the new dean began at a nationwide level via advertisement. There were 15 applicants whose applications were sent to the search committee.

“Applications were screened by the search committee, narrowed to five, who then were given phone interviews,” Ermler said. “From the five phone interviews, we asked three to come in.”

The committee didn’t anticipate choosing Bennett because they were not certain he would apply. However, his vast experience in teaching and administration, especially as associate dean at ESU, made him a strong contender for dean.

The title of dean at ESU’s Teachers College was not instated until 1968. Prior to that, the head of the teachers college varied in titles, including president and director of teacher training. Bennett will be the sixth dean of the Teachers College in the 40 year time span.