Dean David M. Rubin of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications will be stepping down as dean on June 30, 2008, he said in a phone interview Monday afternoon.

He will return as a member of the Newhouse faculty for the 2009-2010 school year, after taking a year off to recharge as well as write.

Rubin said he informed both Chancellor Nancy Cantor and Donald Newhouse, the school’s namesake, last week of his decision. The Newhouse faculty was informed this morning in a personal e-mail from the dean, while the greater Syracuse University community will informed by a news release to be sent out later this evening.

‘It’s a good time for a transition,’ Rubin said. He added that a search committee will set up in the upcoming weeks and the goal is have a successor in place by next June.

‘It’s time for some new vigor, new ideas,’ he said.

Rubin has been dean of the Newhouse school for 18 years and said the decision to retire as dean has been coming for a couple of years. He discussed his choice with his wife and they agreed it was the right time, both for him and the school.

‘It will be a good time because the new building will have been open for a year,’ Rubin said referring to the soon-to-be opened Newhouse III. Rubin secured the funds for the building and has been overseeing the development, construction and inauguration of the state-of-the-art addition.

Rubin’s last 14 months promise to be filled with serious decisions and preparation for a new administration. Not only is the third building being inaugurated, but the school will be unveiling a new curriculum and capital fundraising campaign.

The dean wanted to step down before there was a sentiment that he should step down and thinks this is the best time to pass the torch because there is no pressure for him to leave at this time.

Newhouse students appeared shocked when they were informed of Rubin’s decision.

‘I’m really surprised I guess,’ said Jessica Cascio, a sophomore public relations major. But once she heard he was making the choice on his own terms she said: ‘good for him then, maybe he needs a break.’

Freshman broadcast journalism major Gordie Taylor admitted that he didn’t know Rubin that well, but still recognized the significance of the dean stepping down.

‘He’s built up such a reputation, it’s pretty sad to see him go,’ Taylor said.

Yet, as a freshman Taylor immediately recognized the importance in selecting a replacement.

‘They definitely have some shoes to fill,’ he said of Rubin’s successor.

Shoes that spent 18 years establishing Newhouse’s reputation as one of the premier communications programs in the nation and framed the school as one of the university’s most recognizable schools.

Looking back on his tenure as dean, three times longer than most serve, Rubin said ‘that’s a really, really long time.’

Published on April 15, 2007 at 12:00 pm