Dr. Caroline Simon of the Hope College department of philosophy has been appointed interim dean for the social sciences at the college.
Simon will fill the opening created when the current dean, Dr. R. Richard Ray, moves on to become the college's provost, an appointment announced earlier this month. She will serve a one-year term, from July 1 of this year through June 30, 2011, while the college conducts a nationwide search for a permanent successor.
"Carol Simon is an experienced faculty member and college administrator of the highest integrity," said Ray, who is succeeding retiring provost Dr. James Boelkins. "She has a well-developed understanding of and appreciation for the mission of Hope College. Her wisdom and experience will serve us well during this period of transition in the division of social sciences."
A member of the Hope faculty since 1988, Simon has served in a variety of administrative capacities at the college in addition to teaching. She is the director of General Education and Interdisciplinary Studies and has led the college's recent review of its core curriculum. She is also the director of Hope College's Teagle Systematic Improvement of Student Learning Grant, and the campus coordinator for the college's participation in the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education.
Her previous service through the years has included leading portions of the college's faculty mentoring program, chairing the department of philosophy, serving for a year as acting director of women's studies and as faculty moderator, and serving as a faculty representative on the college's Board of Trustees.
In January of 2007 she received the "Provost's Award for Service to the Academic Program." She was appointed to the college's John H. and Jeanne M. Professor of Philosophy later the same year.
Simon's specialties within ethics include the use of literature in moral reflection, the nature of moral knowledge, virtue ethics, friendship and sexuality. Another of her research areas is church-related higher education.
She and Hope philosophy colleague Dr. Andrew Dell'Olio were co-editors of the book "Introduction to Ethics: A Reader," published earlier this year. She is also author of the book "The Disciplined Heart: Love, Destiny and Imagination" and co-author of "Can Hope Endure? A Historical Case Study in Christian Higher Education," and was lead author of "Mentoring for Mission: Nurturing New Faculty at Church-Related Colleges." Her publications also include numerous articles published in scholarly journals.