6:00am | Cal Long Beach (CSULB) has opted to appoint David L. Wallace, the current chair of the University of Central Florida’s (UCF) English department, as the dean for the College of Liberal Arts (CLA).
Wallace will replace respected dean Gerald Riposa, who announced he was stepping down from the post last April. Riposa was appointed dean to the CLA in 2006, after having been associate dean since 2002. While it is unclear as to why he is has stepped down, he will continue to act as a faculty member under the university’s political science department.
Wallace, known heavily for his work in rhetoric and the most recent publishing of his book, Compelled to Write, focuses on first-year composition amongst entering college students. Before his chairmanship at UCF, he also taught at Iowa State University.
Expected to being July 1, Wallace comes at a difficult time given the state’s current economic constraint and the difficulty the humanities and liberal arts are facing. Wallace will take on the responsibilities of dean which include “directing and coordinating the instructional, curricular and support program of the college, including academic and professional programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels,” according to the university website.
In a statement released by the university, Wallace stated:
“Three things immediately attracted me to Cal State Long Beach and the College of Liberal Arts. First, the university has an enviable record of making affordable and excellent higher education available to first-generation college students and others for whom a college education might otherwise be inaccessible. Second, the college plays a critical role in insuring that CSULB students receive a well-rounded college education that prepares them for both their professional and civic lives. Third, CLA’s clear commitment to academic programs that study the history and lived experiences of a number of groups who have been historically marginalized in American society makes the college a national leader in this important aspect of higher education.”