Dr. Don Desserud Stepping Down As Dean Of Arts
By Lindsay Handren
( Dr. Don Desserud. Photo: The Cadre. ) Dr. Don Desserud is stepping down from his position as Dean of Arts at the University of Prince Edward Island. Originally from Bathurst, New Brunswick, Dr. Desserud has a BA and MA from Dalhousie and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Western Ontario. He was a former professor of Political Science, director of the Urban and Community Studies Institute, and associate Dean of Graduate Studies at UNB Saint John prior to accepting the Deanship at UPEI. Dr. Desserud began his term as Dean of Arts on July 1, 2011. His resignation from the position has already been tendered and accepted by the University. The campus community appears to have been left largely in the dark on this internal shift; however, faculty members aware of Dr. Desserud's sudden resignation vocalized support of his decision to step down. "He is making the decision that he believes to be in his best interests, and in the best interests of this University," said one faculty member, commenting on the condition of anonymity. "As far as I know, he will continue to be an asset to UPEI within the department of Political Science." Though an official announcement has yet to be made, all signs point to Dr. Desserud continuing his career at UPEI under the title of Professor of Political Science. This would be good news for the department, which has relied increasingly on sessional lecturers in recent years. UPEI will now look to hire a new Dean of Arts in the coming months.