Rick Rubin, director of the School of Library and Information Science at Kent State, will take the reins as the university’s first associate provost for extended education on July 1.

“I’m delighted to take this on,” Rubin said. “It seemed like a new opportunity to serve the university, and I really mean that.”

As associate provost of extended education, he will oversee the Office of Continuing and Distance Education, University Press and Summer Programs, said Emily Vincent, director of university media relations.

In Rubin’s words, he understands his newly appointed job as overseeing the online activities of the university. He says he will tend to these activities and make them as coherent as possible.

Rubin has been at Kent State since 1988. He has served as a professor and director of the School of Library and Information Science. He spent one year as the interim dean for the College of Communication and Information. Prior to his work at Kent State, he was a librarian and director of human resources at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Rubin earned a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a master’s degree in library science from Kent State and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Oberlin College.

“I don’t claim to be a technological expert by any means,” he said. “This is more of an administrative position.”

He understands there will be difficulties and problems, considering he is the first person to fill this particular seat.

“There are going to be challenges with the position,” Rubin said, “but I’m excited to take them on.”

In other news

At the November 2009 Kent State University Board of Trustees meeting, the Regional College was established. The Regional College is the new academic home for issues and programs relative to the university’s regional campus counterparts. As of July 1, Wanda Thomas, who has been serving the dual role of executive dean for Regional Campuses and dean of Kent State at Trumbull, will be the dean of the new Regional College for 2010. She will continue to be the dean for the Trumbull Campus in addition to her new duties.

President Lester Lefton named Greg Jarvie the vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, an announcement that was made during the Board of Trustees meeting. Jarvie had been serving as interim vice president for EMSA since August 2009. He has also served as dean of students, interim director of Residence Services, assistant to the director of Residence Services, area coordinator and resident director in his 23 years with the university.

Contact administration reporter Nick Glunt at [email protected]. Copy desk chief Jeremy Nobile contributed to this report.