Enarson turns down medical school dean position

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Interim Provost Gary Shapiro said Tuesday that Cam Enarson has declined the position of Central Michigan University’s medical school dean.

In an e-mail, Shapiro said Enarson did not take the job because of family and personal reasons.

Enarson has been serving as interim dean of the medical school since April. He will remain active in that position through the current academic year, said Steve Smith, director of university communications.

“It is our goal to have a dean in place by the end of this academic year,” Smith said.

Enarson declined comment Tuesday.

Interim University President Kathy Wilbur said in Tuesday’s meeting of the Academic Senate that there were already some people being considered for the job.

“We’ve already identified some candidates and we’re starting that process again,” she said.

The university will continue the current search for a founding dean of the school of medicine, not begin a new search, Smith said. Enarson will join the search committee, chaired by College of Health Professions Dean Chris Ingersoll, Smith said. He said this would not affect the progress of CMU’s new medical school.

Smith said the cost of the search has been minimal and is not affected by the plans for budget cuts announced last week by interim President Kathy Wilbur. He said advertisements were purchased seeking applicants, but there were no travel costs for interviews.

Enarson was the only candidate still in consideration for the dean position. Russell Joffe, the former dean of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and Bonita Stanton, pediatrician-in-chief at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, withdrew in December.

Associate deans on hold?

The search for the four associates deans will continue, Smith said. However, they will not be filled until the dean’s position is filled.
Bruce Roscoe, dean of students and chair of the search committee for the medical school associate dean of student affairs, said it would be hard filling the associate dean positions without having a dean already in place.

“They want to know who they might be working for,” Roscoe said.

The search for the associate deans has been going on since October, said Ray Christie, vice provost of academic administration and the search committee chair for the associate dean of administration and finance for the medical school. Christie said the committee has identified finalists and has put forth paperwork to bring those finalists to campus.

“We are following the standard protocol for the search,” he said.

- Senior Reporter Amelia Eramya contributed to this report.