Dr. Paul E. Chapman has been selected as the new dean of the College of Education and Human Services. Dr. Wayne White is currently serving as the interim dean and will turn over his responsibilities to Chapman on July 1. Chapman signed the contract with Longwood at the end of March.
Chapman currently serves as West Virginia University’s interim dean for the College of Human Resources and Services, a position he has been in since 2009. Chapman has been a part of West Virginia University’s faculty since 2000 and has initiated several grants and funds to go toward leadership and student preparation.
Chapman graduated with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Virginia Tech in 1978. Later he obtained a master’s degree in educational administration in 1989, and an Ed. S. and Ph.D. in 1999 from Virginia Tech, both in educational leadership and policy studies.
Regarding his future post, Chapman said, “My wife and I are both really looking forward to coming.”
The opportunity fell into Chapman’s knowledge when a search organization contacted him. Chapman stated that he knew of Longwood’s great reputation as an institution from visits to his family all over Virginia and from the start of his career as a teacher in Tazewell County.
Upon visiting Longwood during the selection process, Chapman noted the outstanding hospitality that he encountered. As for Chapman’s favorite part of his visit, “sitting down with the students and having lunch with them was so much fun! They were so bright, so engaging and so interested in what kind of leader the university would choose — and what that would mean for the education to come.” Chapman elaborated on the sense of collegiality and collaboration throughout the educational hierarchy that he sensed as a part of Longwood’s culture.
In terms of Chapman’s vision for the College of Education and Human Services, it will entail a “shared vision ... that includes building on things that colleagues at Longwood would respond positively to and say this is worth doing and holds the institutions mission and vision.”
Chapman said that he plans to build on the great reputation that the College of Education and Human Services has in terms of serving the core student group that is so immersed on campus, the kind of alumni that contribute and participate in the world beyond Longwood.
“I want to do everything I can to foster that vision that is already there and being fulfilled,” stated Chapman.
“There is always room for some growth in a way that would be healthy,” Chapman noted.
For example, Chapman explained how the college could benefit from having an extended online teaching program to a greater audience in and around Southside Virginia. The program would be implemented with the same “vigor” and “excellence” that the college embodies.
Chapman plans to bring some of his research that he is currently working on to Longwood to expand it with his future colleagues. Some of Chapman’s previous research focused on organizational cultures in schools, which stressed the importance of institutional culture.
Some other research that Chapman worked on with colleagues at West Virginia University is on rural superintendence for social change, which Chapman plans to bring to Longwood. In order to further develop Chapman’s vision for the college, he plans to work with his colleagues to fully understand what is going on in the program.
As an interim associate dean, Chapman recapped on his opportunities to learn from a variety of different administrations.
“You get the chance to learn from each opportunity and they [the administration] each have their own approach which you can take something from and add it to your own skill set,” Chapman said.
One important aspect of being a dean, according to Chapman, is having the ability to get a “wider view” of how things work. Chapman elaborated about his experience working on the academic and research side of his career and how it has contributed to his outlook.
“Knowing that there is collaboration across the colleges throughout the institution is very important,” Chapman said.
It also ties into external funding, which Chapman noted is “part of a dean’s job.” In order to move forward for Longwood’s external funding, Chapman reiterated that he has “ties and connections with different people and with different institutions” and “doesn’t see any barriers when it goes into external research on funding.”
Chapman commented that Longwood has associates in place to look at the larger picture of external funding through grants, and he plans to contribute by engaging with them to find more partners outside the school.
Regarding Champan, dean of Janet D. Greenwood Library and chair of the search committee Suzy Szasz Palmer stated in a university press release, “His warmth and humility underscore his many achievements and support Longwood’s dedication to citizen leadership.”
*With additional reporting by Becca Lundberg
