LINDSAY RETTIE TO LEAVE DEANSHIP, RETURN TO TEACHING

After 13 years as dean of Old Dominion University's College of Health Sciences, leading it from a fledgling school to a strong academic program with a nationally ranked program, Lindsay L. Rettie announced recently she will leave the deanship and return to teaching.

Rettie will remain as dean until a successor is found and then plans to teach in the college's community health program, where she currently teaches health and healthcare management classes.

"I feel we've accomplished a great deal," said Rettie, the founding dean of the college. "The college is on a sound basis now and it's a good time to turn it over."

She added that she enjoys teaching and is looking forward to returning to the classroom.

"I personally think faculty positions are the best. I started here as a faculty member in dental hygiene, and this is a chance to return to what I was brought here to do."

Rettie joined the then School of Sciences and Health Professions in 1976 as an assistant professor. She served as assistant dean for health program and associate dean, before being appointed acting dean of the school in 1983 and associate vice president for academic and financial affairs for the university in 1985.

In 1986, the school split and the College of Health Sciences was formed with Rettie at the helm.

Under her leadership, the college's enrollment and program offerings have grown tremendously. The college has been a leader in the use of TELETECHNET to deliver courses and now offers several degree programs via distance learning, including medical technology, health sciences, master's of community health, and both bachelor's and master's nursing programs.

In each of the past two years, the physical therapy program was ranked in the top 25 in the country. Also during her tenure as dean, Rettie has overseen the implementation of the highly successful Weekend College and the joint master's of public health program with Eastern Virginia Medical School.

"Many of the goals the college had have been accomplished," Rettie noted. "And all these accomplishments have been because the faculty have been willing to go the extra mile."

Rettie began her career as an instructor and the coordinator of the Treatment of the Handicapped program at Columbia University's School of Dental and Oral Surgery. She earned both a bachelor's and master's degree in dental hygiene from Columbia and a doctor of education degree from the College of William and Mary.

"The College of Health Sciences has grown in both size and quality under Lindsay Rettie, and the university owes her its thanks for her superb leadership," said President James V. Koch. "All of the programs in the college are accredited, and the School of Nursing is absolutely a pioneer in terms of its delivery of TELETECHNET classes throughout Virginia. Also, students who took licensure exams in dental hygiene, nursing, cytotechnology, nuclear medicine technology and opthalmic technology have a combined licensure pass rate of 95 percent. That's impressive."