Brian Ripley, Ph.D., the current dean of faculty at Mercyhurst College and political science professor, is voluntarily stepping down from his position to once again devote himself full time to the pursuit of his passions—teaching and scholarship.

Brian Reed, Ph.D., will be replacing Ripley as dean of faculty beginning in the fall term.

According to Vice President for Academic Affairs Phillip Belfiore, Ph.D., Ripley requested to move back to a full-time faculty position after three years of serving as dean of faculty.

“Dr. Ripley served as an outstanding dean of faculty, and when he requested to return to the classroom, I honored his request,” said Belfiore, further explaining, “Dr. Ripley is one of our finest faculty members.”

According to Ripley, the “dean of faculty position is always evolving in its focus on matters involving faculty such as hiring, promotion, tenure, recruiting great faculty members and keeping them here and being the voice in the administration for the faculty.”

Reed, who currently directs the Center for Teaching Excellence, said, “The role I am stepping into as dean of faculty has different duties than the job Dr. Ripley was doing.”

Reed explained that unlike Ripley, “I will remain as a faculty member, with a reduced teaching load. This will allow me to remain in the classroom, which is something that Dr. Ripley understandably missed.”

This change in positions began, as Ripley explains, when “I initiated my move back to faculty.”

Ripley states with genuine conviction that “it is a privilege to be a member of the Mercyhurst faculty,” and he likes “the idea of other faculty members having an opportunity to rotate in and get a better sense of the administrative side of the college.”

He said he never saw being the dean of faculty as a long-term spot.

“But I have learned a lot and enjoyed the insight on how a college administration operates. We have a great faculty, and it is a privilege to be one among my colleagues.”