After 14 years of leading Ball State's Teachers College, Roy Weaver announced that he will be stepping down as dean in order to devote more time to teaching and conducting research. He will remain in his current position until a successor has been found.

While departing the dean's office, Weaver will continue his service to the university as professor of curriculum in the department of educational studies — the same role in which he began his career at Ball State in 1980.

Weaver, a 1968 graduate of Ball State, was promoted to dean in 1993, following 10 years as associate dean of Teachers College. He leaves his mark on a number of the college's programs and initiatives that have shaped the college into one of the premier education schools in the country.

"All of us at Ball State appreciate the service of Roy Weaver, whose 14 years as dean of Teachers College affected the lives of thousands of students who became teachers around the country," said Provost Terry King. "Not only has he served the university longer than any other current dean, he also has spearheaded a period of tremendous growth and innovation within Teachers College."

King added that Weaver's leadership in the university's commitment to charter schools, guidance of the nationally recognized Burris Laboratory School, implementation of innovative technological initiatives and long history of fostering diversity in teaching all have enhanced the preparation of Ball State education students and improved the quality of teaching in the nation's schools.

Under his leadership, Teachers College has developed several nationally recognized programs, including the Electronic Field Trips and its Professional Development Schools (PDS) Network. In addition, it created the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities.

Also during Weaver's tenure as dean, Ball State became one of the first schools in the nation to require laptops for enrolling teacher education majors and is currently the only university in Indiana authorizing charter schools.

Weaver's departure come on the heels of two major initiatives recently announced:

• Capitalizing on the success of  Electronic Field Trips program, Ball State is partnering with Simon & Schuster (S&S) Children's Publishing to bring S&S authors and illustrators into more than 30,000 schools nationwide through live, interactive Web broadcasts.
• Through the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, Ball State is participating in a $10.1 million grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. to support an Indiana program intended to help overhaul teacher education and encourage exceptional teacher candidates to seek long-term careers in high-need classrooms.
  

"Since its founding as a teachers college, Ball State has been viewed as a leader in the field of education, and I'm proud to have had the opportunity to continue moving the college forward by thinking creatively about the uses of technology that help to create an engaging environment for students within a classroom," Weaver said. "I don't think you'll find another university that can match what we've accomplished, and that success has not come from me but from the hard work and commitment of our faculty and staff."