The dean of the University of Arizona's largest college will be stepping down at the end of the month.
Ed Donnerstein, who has been dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences since 2002, plans to resign when the fiscal year ends and take a yearlong sabbatical, according to an e-mail sent out to the college late last week.
It's unclear what prompted Donnerstein — who was named dean after a national search — to resign. Repeated messages left for him went unreturned.
Donnerstein's departure from the college — which serves more than 6,000 students and awards about 1,800 degrees annually — comes during a transition period as the college completes a merger with four other colleges.
The newly formed Colleges of Letters, Arts and Sciences will combine administrative functions of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, Science, Humanities and Fine Arts colleges. A fifth college for undecided students, known as University College, has been eliminated in the reorganization.
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The overhaul means the large college is responsible for more than half the students and faculty members on campus. It is the single largest change as part of UA leaders' efforts to streamline operations in the face of state budget cuts.
The college will miss Donnerstein's experience and knowledge, especially when it comes to working with the other colleges to finalize the merger, said Chris Segrin, head of the college's communication department.
"He's vacating a position and taking all that skill and experience with him at a time when it's very badly needed," Segrin said.
"When he came here, he was selected from the best of the best," he said. "His leadership has been monumental, and he's done great things for the college."
Segrin credited Donnerstein with increasing the college's reputation and helping establish a program known as the Magellan Circle that provides scholarships for students and grants for faculty members.
When Donnerstein returns from his sabbatical, he will teach in Segrin's department, where he holds a tenured professor's post.
It's not clear who will replace Donnerstein, who earned $217,056 a year, UA salary data show.
The e-mail announcing Donnerstein's resignation said John Olsen, a Regents Professor and former head of the anthropology department, was approached about serving as interim dean of the college. Olsen has not made a decision about the position, the e-mail said.
Attempts to reach Olsen over the weekend were unsuccessful.
Donnerstein came to the UA in 2002 after serving as a dean at the University of California-Santa Barbara.
Donnerstein received his bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Florida in 1967 and his doctorate in psychology from Florida State University in 1972, Arizona Daily Star archives show.
On top of his posts at the UA and UC-Santa Barbara, he also taught at the University of Wisconsin, with visiting professorships at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta and Beijing University in China, archives show.
