By: Taylor Foote
Debbie Harbin will be stepping down from her position as administrative assistant for academic affairs at Milligan in mid-October.
After five years of working closely with the academic dean and assisting faculty members, she has decided to leave her full-time position at Milligan for a part-time position with Education Testing Service (ETS). She said the switch will allow her to “make more time for art.”
In May, Harbin began working for ETS, the world’s leading private testing company. This October, she will continue creating tests for the company from home. ETS is the maker of tests like the GRE and TOEFL that institutions across the world use to evaluate competency.
During her time off, Harbin hopes to focus on her passion for the arts, as she holds a masters degree in fine arts from The Catholic University of America. She has plans to further pursue playwriting by revising plays she has already written. Her current being “Measure for Measure for Measure,” a rendition of Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure.” Harbin is also open to teaching fine arts in the future.
Although she is leaving, Harbin will stay involved in the Milligan community by working closely with Dr. Heather Hoover as a writing tutor on campus.
“One thing that I have truly enjoyed about Milligan is the familial atmosphere between students and faculty on campus,” said Harbin.
The administrative department is currently working to find a replacement for the position in order to create a smooth transition. Dean of Academic Affairs Garland Young, said Harbin’s “servant’s heart” will be missed in the office.
“We will all greatly miss Debbie’s expertise and dependability,” said Young. “But even more, it has been her generous and cooperative spirit that has endeared her to all of us and that we will miss most.”
As the administration assistant for academic affairs, Harbin’s job entails more than assisting the academic dean. She serves as a functioning business manager to the entire faculty to ensure that their affairs run smoothly. She puts together faculty meeting agendas and minutes, keeps track of faculty promotions and tenure, helps coordinate searches for open faculty positions, and assists faculty members with various issues that arise while teaching class. On top of that, she oversees the tutition exchange, as well as the study abroad programs.
Interviews for her position will be set up soon, and the office hopes to fill the position by mid-October.
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