Weinberg to shuffle dean post

Outgoing prof lauded for expanding advising

By Amy Hamblin

The Daily Northwestern

Craig Bina will step down from his position as the associate dean for undergraduate studies in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at the end of the school year, officials said this week.

Economics Prof. Ron Braeutigam, who currently serves as director for Northwestern’s business institutions program, will take over the position.

The position traditionally rotates every three years to a different faculty member in the college, Bina said.

As associate dean for undergraduate studies, Bina managed the policies and resources of Weinberg’s Office of Undergraduate Studies and Advising. Bina said he focused on expanding Weinberg’s advising program so all students in the college would have a counselor during their at NU.

Prior to the program’s expansion — which Bina said he considers his most notable accomplishment — only freshmen had advisers. He said he measures the success of the program by student satisfaction, which was reported in a recent survey about the program.

“The responses were overwhelmingly positive,” said Bina, who will continue to teach in the geological sciences department next year. “I was afraid to present them because people would think I made them up.”

To keep up with the growing program, Bina increased the number of advisers. He said he is currently conducting a search for a 12th adviser.

Braeutigam can focus on other innovative ideas for Weinberg’s advising program because Bina focused on its expansion, Bina added.

“I spent a lot of time building up the advising office,” he said. “He will have time to think creatively. I built the car but he gets to drive it.”

Bina said he has met with Braeutigam to discuss the job’s responsibilities. At the meetings, Bina said he emphasized the need to balance time between teaching and being an associate dean.

Braeutigam, who was out of town and not available for comment, will continue to teach in the economics department while serving as associate dean.

“As the director of business institutions, (Braeutigam) has worked with a large number of students,” Bina said. “He’s already comfortable with that.”

University administrators would like Braeutigam to address the issue of academic dishonesty and continue in Bina’s direction, said Stephen Fisher, associate provost of undergraduate education. He added that the university does not have any specific goals for Braeutigam’s tenure.

“He will probably have some issues that he will want to pursue,” he said. “There’s plenty of latitude to do that.”

Braeutigam’s ability to connect with students also make him a good person for the job, noted Sociology Prof. Bruce Carruthers, who teaches in the business institutions program.

“He is very personable,” Carruthers said. “He has been very entrepreneurial — very hands-on.”