Sheri Everts, vice president and provost for ISU, has selected Perry Schoon as the new dean of the College of Education. 

An alumnus of ISU, Schoon earned his bachelor’s degree in technology and doctorate in education. He is currently the dean of the College of Education and Allied Professions at Western Carolina University. 

According to Everts, Schoon is an accomplished educator and leader who will help to enhance ISU’s College of Education.

“As we welcome him to campus, I want to also thank the committee members who worked so hard throughout this process,” Everts said in an ISU media relations report.

Kathleen McKinney, chair of the search committee and professor of sociology, explained all the final candidates had many strengths, but Schoon’s multiple years of experience and knowledge of ISU helped him to stand out.

“He also has knowledge and experience related to critically important issues for Colleges of Education today including higher education and K-12 policy and accreditation,” McKinney said.

McKinney added Schoon has experience at additional colleges and taught at a K-12 school for 3 years before entering higher education.

Schoon was a senior associate dean and an associate dean for assessment and technology in the College of Education at the University of Texas at Arlington. He also has experience in the College of Education at Florida Atlantic University.

A variety of strategies were used to obtain a qualified and diverse pool of candidates, according to McKinney.

“We placed advertisements in multiple, appropriate higher education outlets such as the ‘Chronicle of Higher Education.’ We asked members of the campus community, especially of the College of Education, to nominate people they believe would be strong candidates,” McKinney explained.  

For positions at this level, McKinney added, professional search firms were also used to assist in the process. Those individuals do research of the market, use their national networks, and reach out to potential qualified candidates and ask them to apply.

In addition to his career in higher education, Schoon’s scholarly work has appeared in publications like ‘The International Journal of Learning’ and the ‘Journal of Education Multimedia and Hypermedia.’

Schoon has been honored at his employed universities for research and teaching, as well as helping to develop software for assessment and data management.

Schoon is replacing current dean Deborah Curtis, who will leave ISU in May to take the position as provost with the University of Central Missouri.

“Dean Curtis has been a true credit to the university during her tenure. Her wise leadership and visionary expertise have given our prestigious College of Education a strong leader,” Everts said in an ISU media relations report.  

Curtis, whose career at ISU began in the fall of 1986, explained how the people are what stand out during her stay at ISU.

“The students have been outstanding over the years, and I have had the opportunity to work with many wonderful and talented individuals here at Illinois State. This is truly a wonderful institution and I will miss the people here greatly,” Curtis said.