THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 17, 1994 TAG: 9411170460
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PHILIP WALZER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
Charles O. Burgess, the longtime dean of arts and letters at Old Dominion University, will retire next summer.
Burgess, who is 65, has spent nearly four decades at ODU.
He started teaching English there in 1955. He was vice president of academic affairs for eight years in the 1970s, and he was appointed dean in 1985.
Burgess announced his decision at a faculty meeting Tuesday. He was at a conference in Portland, Ore., on Wednesday and could not be reached.
ODU will appoint an acting dean for the 1995-96 school year and will begin a national search for Burgess' successor.
Burgess still will be a regular presence at ODU. He told professors that he planned to teach two to three courses a semester, beginning in the spring semester of 1996, as a part-time faculty member.
``We're very pleased that he's coming back to the department,'' Philip D. Raisor, chairman of the English department, said Wednesday. ``I'm sure he will be a vigorous teacher, and students will gain a lot from his experience.''
In a letter to faculty members, Provost Jo Ann Gora wrote: ``Dean Burgess' achievements in the development of the liberal arts, the implementation of new curricula, the expansion of the fine and performing arts facilities and programs, and leadership in affirmative action have left a mark on Old Dominion and a legacy for future generations of faculty and students.''
During Burgess' tenure as dean, the number of students pursuing majors in the College of Arts and Letters has more than doubled, to 1,866, as has the percentage of minority faculty, to 7.6 percent.
The college also began offering bachelor's and doctoral degrees in international studies and a master's degree in creative writing. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Burgess
by CNB