Sabbatical and retirement plans for Cam Murchison, dean of faculty and EVP
In a message sent last week to the seminary community, President Steve Hayner announced that Cam Murchison, dean of the faculty and executive vice president, will leave his position at the end of this school year to begin a sabbatical year and will retire at the end of June 2011. The Board of Trustees has approved a search for Dr. Murchison's successor, and a committee is working now to find and recommend a candidate for the position.
In his message, President Hayner said, "The Board of Trustees and I have concurred with the timing as we have considered our next accreditation review and the importance of having Cam’s successor fully engaged well in advance of that process. At the same time, we wanted to honor Cam’s amazing work among us for these past nine years as he has served as dean. Aware that Cam has postponed a well-deserved sabbatical because of other institutional needs, the Board agreed in principle last November that Cam should receive a sabbatical before he officially leaves us. Cam has now prepared a sabbatical plan which was approved this week by the Pastoral Theology Area and will be presented to the Board in April."
Dr. Murchison came to the Columbia faculty as Professor of Ministry in 1996, and became dean of the faculty and executive vice president in 2001. Steve Hayner said, "Cam has served our entire community with wisdom, integrity, and effectiveness. I, like most of you, have enjoyed his friendship, good humor, and excellent work as both teacher and administrator over these years. Columbia is in a wonderful time of academic, institutional, and financial health, in no small part because of Cam’s work."