by Gail Marsh
STAFF WRITER
(June 5)
Richard G. Weeks Jr. has been appointed vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college at West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon.Weeks, who will begin in July, replaces G. Thomas Mann, who left WVWC to become president of Davis & Elkins College.
Weeks comes to Wesleyan from Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire.
"After eight years here, it was time for me to have a new challenge. I was looking for an institution that would advance me in the sense of a strong academic program with the freedom to try some different things," Weeks said by phone on Thursday.
Weeks is a native of Minnesota who earned a bachelor's degree from Macalaster College and a master's and doctorate from the University of Minnesota. From 1986-90 he served as vice president and academic dean at Defiance College in Ohio and held leadership positions at Northwest Community College, Wyo., Navajo Community College in Arizona and Northern Arizona University.
William R. Haden, president at Wesleyan, said the school attracted a number of highly qualified individuals during its search to fill the position.
"We are delighted that Dr. Weeks will be joining our college community, and I know he is looking forward to locating in West Virginia," Haden said.
Weeks said his decision to leave New England and the scenic, wooded campus of Franklin Pierce was not an easy one, but he said the campus of Wesleyan was equally scenic.
"Wesleyan campus has classic beauty, with a consistency of architecture. It is hard to leave New Hampshire, but it took an equally wonderful place to attract us," he said.
Weeks said he has not had much time to consider future plans at the Buckhannon college, but said that often self-satisfaction can be one of the biggest challenges.
"Wesleyan is well known and well respected in the state, but I think it's possible to improve that image both locally and nationally, to give wider recognition as to what the college has to offer," he said.