5/21/81
Margarette F. Eby, dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at the University of Northern Iowa, has accepted a position as vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost at the University of Michigan-Flint.
In announcing the resignation, which will be effective July 31,1981, Dr. James G. Martin, UNI vice president and provost, said, "Margarette Eby is an unusually talented and conscientious academic administrator and we are sorry to lose her as a dean and faculty member. I know that she is leaving quite reluctantly, but she is dutifully answering the call of her alma mater to return, and that is a powerful attraction. She has provided excellent leadership for the College of Humanities and Fine Arts and has represented its interests aggressively, both on and off campus."
Dean Eby joined the UNI administration in 1977 as professor of music and Dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. As Dean, she coordinated the final stages of the construction and move into the $7 million Speech-Arts Complex, which includes the Strayer-Wood Theatre and the Communication Arts Center. She also served as chairperson of the Regents Interinstitutional Committee for International Studies, which is responsible for all overseas studies sponsored jointly by the three state universities.
Dean Eby's twenty-two years in higher education have included teaching at William Tyndale College and Oakland Community College, both in Farmington Hills, Michigan, the Royal Oak (Michigan) Public Schools, Wayne State University, Detroit, and the University of Michigan-Dearborn, where she was founder and director of the music history program from its inception and its senior faculty member, and served as chairperson of the Department of Humanities. She holds B. A. and M. A. degrees in musicology, both from Wayne State University, and the Ph. D. in musicology from the University of Michigan. She did doctoral study in Europe on a Rackham Research Grant in 1968 and was a Fellow of the Institute for Administrative Advancement, funded by the Ford Foundation and Carnegie Corporation, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1975.
Dean Eby is a performer on harpsichord, piano, and organ and has performed recitals in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa. She has been active in the musical life of the university and community of every institution she has served, and says she plans to continue her involvement in the cultural life of the community. Among her activities, she was artistic director of the Fair Lane Music Guild in Dearborn, 1973-77, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra since 1978.
"I have only marvelous things to say about my experiences here at the University of Northern Iowa," said Dean Eby. "I have had excellent administrative support from both Dr. (James) Martin and President (John) Kamerick, and have not had a moment's regret about coming to UNI."
"I was fortunate to come at a time that exciting things were about to happen. I've participated with a superb faculty in the development of significant new academic programs and in a move into the new Communication Arts Center, one of the finest academic facilities of its kind. It has been a wonderful university and community in which to be involved."
"I am grateful for the opportunities I have had here. Nevertheless, I look forward to the challenges of this new and exciting position."
In addition to her performances, Dean Eby has published in educational and musical literature. Her community service includes serving on the Board of Regents of Wartburg College, Waverly, and on the American Council on Education's Iowa State Planning Committee for Office of Women in Higher Education: National Identification Project.
Dean Eby's appointment to the Michigan position was approved Thursday, May 21, 1981, by the University of Michigan Board of Regents, on the recommendation of Dr. Conny E. Nelson, chancellor of the University of Michigan-Flint. Dean Eby said by comparison with the University of Northern Iowa, whose history dates back to 1876, the Flint campus of the University of Michigan is a young institution. An urban university established in 1956 with strong community support, the school serves approximately 4500 students "on a beautiful new riverfront campus in the center of the city" and offers baccalaureate and masters degrees.