Enarson: Expect big medical school news at Trustees meeting
The Feb. 18 Board of Trustees meeting will hold big news for Central Michigan University’s medical school.
Cam Enarson, interim medical school dean, said one of the announcements will involve affiliations.
“Earlier this week, several hospitals said they are okay with the drafts we have sent them, they plan to complete them prior to the board meeting,” he said. “So expect to have some additional announcements about affiliations.”
Enarson said a groundbreaking for the 62,000-square-foot addition to the Health Professions Building will occur Feb. 18 and leadership for the capital campaign will be announced.
Maintaining efficiency
Enarson declined the opportunity to become the medical school’s first dean last week.
He said the decision was based on his family in North Carolina. After his term as interim dean is complete July 1, he plans to return south.
“I’ve been married 26 years,” Enarson said. “From my perspective, I have the greatest wife in the world and have two great sons; my family is very important to me.”
He said he had been wrestling with the decision for several weeks.
Enarson said he thinks many people feel that things have come to a halt because there is no announcement of a dean. He said that is not true.
“I’m absolutely confident we’ll have an excellent person to be the founding dean. Nothing has slowed down,” he said.
Opposition
Enarson and Interim University President Kathy Wilbur answered questions about the medical school at Tuesday’s Academic Senate meeting.
Several questions were raised about funding for the medical school, which includes $5 million set aside each year for five years. At the same time, Wilbur has requested 3, 6 and 9 percent budget reduction plans from budget centers within the university.
Enarson said he feels there will always be some people against the project and, though more than 50 people attended the Academic Senate meeting, only four or five spoke out about the medical school.
“I understand some people may not agree with it, but I would never be able to change their mind, I think that’s the reality of it,” he said. “In general, I believe it will be a positive for the university.”
He said the medical school will have its own budget reduction plans based on the 3, 6 and 9 percent plans Wilbur asked for, but the reductions will not include the $25 million set aside in $5 million portions each year.
“(It’s) based on base budget through this fiscal year, so that’s what we are operating from,” Enarson said.
He said the financial model created for the medical school is one used by other schools, so it is very solid.
Search for a dean
Enarson joined the search committee chaired by Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions Dean Chris Ingersoll for the medical school dean position.
Ingersoll said he made calls to several candidates after he learned Enarson would not accept the position.
Steve Smith, director of public relations, said there will be no rush to find a permanent dean because of Enarson’s decision to decline.
“It’s not how fast we move to get somebody in here, but about getting the right person in,” Smith said. “Not moving with haste just to get a warm body in here.”
