After the resignation of Provost Brian Chapman to pursue other interest, Dr. Cathy Barlow, Dean of the Watson School of Education, was appointed to serve as interim provost. This position will begin Mon., May 11, 2009, and be effective for one year.

“The position of Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs is the chief operations officer and chief academic officer of the university,” Barlow said. “This position carries the responsibility of the day-to-day functions of the university and acts on behalf of the chancellor in her absence.”

According to an e-mail sent to UNCW faculty and staff from Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo, “Cathy is well respected on the UNCW campus and is known across the greater Wilmington area and the state of North Carolina as an outstanding educational leader. She brings to this position a passion for excellence and a profound commitment to enhance the quality of the academic experience for our faculty and students.”

“I am glad to serve the university in this capacity. I feel fortunate to have been asked and thank the chancellor for this opportunity,” Barlow said.

According to the e-mail sent by DePaolo, “Cathy established the Watson School’s undergraduate and graduate teacher licensure programs as some of the best in the country. They were reviewed and reaccredited in March 2006 by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the State Department of Public Instruction, receiving full approval for all programs. The Watson School met all of the NCATE standards with no areas for improvement and received four commendations by the visiting reaccreditation team. “

Additionally, in 2006, UNCW was one of two public universities that was awarded the Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence in Teacher Education, presented by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

According to DePaolo, “The award recognized the Learning-Centered Cognitive Coaching Model partnership program in the Watson School of Education, which connects university faculty and student educators with more than 100 P-12 schools in southeastern North Carolina.”

“I am looking forward to working as a team with other administrators, faculty and staff to ensure that the focus on academic quality and support for students continues at UNCW even during these tough budget times.,” Barlow said. “We will face a number of challenges in the days and months ahead, but we have excellent and hard-working people at this university who will address those challenges and keep moving this campus forward.”

Dr. Karen Wetherill will be taking over Barlow’s former position and responsibilities as Interim Dean of the Watson School of Education.