Image of former Associate Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs, Dr. John Crist, with the staff of Faulty and Academic Affairs during the farewell party.
Photo Credit: Mason Korea PR
On 5 February 2021, George Mason University Korea announced their decision to welcome Professor Shannon Davis as the new Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Academic Affairs (ADFAAA) at Mason Korea. From August 2020 to January 2021 George Mason University Korea has been working hard for five rigorous months to find the perfect candidate to serve as the position for the ADFAAA at Mason Korea. The new ADFAAA had over 120 applicants who applied for this position. Through material review and interviews, the search committee at Mason Korea actively searched to look for the replacement for Associate Dean, John T. Christ, who will be departing Mason Korea at the beginning of the Spring 2021 semester.
Mason Korea focused on searching for an individual who will be able to serve and conduct professional development, academic program development and management, student retention, student academic support services, and assessment accreditation. Furthermore, with the recent establishment and growth of two research centers at Mason Korea, the Center for Security Policy Studies-Korea and Peace and Conflict Studies Center Asia, and individual faculty research, the search committee tried to find a candidate with previous administrative experience in organizing a research center to efficiently support these centers in Mason Korea.
For the selection process, one of the members of the search committee, Dr. Vias Nicolaides, an assistant professor in management at Mason Korea, was interviewed. Dr. Vias said first, the search committee reviewed and trimmed down the applications to form a shortlist for online interviews. Then the search committee conducted interviews with the top candidates they all agreed on, which then led them to select four finalists for the position.
Dr. Shannon Davis who will be serving as the new Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Academic Affairs
Photo Credit: George Mason University
As a member of the search committee, Dr. Vias commented that “ I am confident that the new dean of ADFAAA (Professor Shannon Davis) will continue on the truly excellent work that Dean Crist has performed over his tenure at Mason Korea. I trust that the new dean will build a strong bridge of communication with our students, faculty, staff, and with people at Fairfax.”
After the announcement of the four finalists of the position of ADFAAA, Mason Korea organized interviews with student leaders (members of Student Council, Patriot Activity Council, and Resident Advisors), faculty members, and staff members in order to further check if the candidate is an individual who will be able to work in harmony with the academic environment at Mason Korea. By including students, faculties, and staff in the selection process, Mason Korea actively involved all the members of Mason Korea to contribute to the selection of the ADFAAA who will be the core member of the leadership of Mason Korea. Ilya Kim (Global Affairs, ‘23) who participated as a student representative in the interview process said, “It was quite an unexpected opportunity as I never thought the university would invite students to participate in such a necessary process. I was fascinated by the people whose resumes were outstanding, and seeing them even through Zoom was an exciting opportunity.”
Mason Korea has contributed long hours of careful analysis and selection to invite one of the main leaders of Mason Korea. From the strict, transparent, and careful conduction of the selection process, students should be able to expect a passionate and diligent ADFAAA who will be able to serve Mason Korea by contributing to enhancing the academic level of higher-level education.
Written by Su A Cho | Staff Writer
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