Meet Dean Edwards: QA with campus’s first female dean

Erin Chaffin

Carol Edwards, who taught at FSU Panama City while earning her Ph.D. at Florida State in the early ’90s, became the first female dean of FSU Panama City and Florida State’s College of Applied Studies on Aug. 10. She previously served as dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts and professor of art education at Texas Tech University since 2007.

Prior to her tenure at Texas Tech, Edwards served as a professor of art and dean of the College of Fine and Performing Arts at Western Washington University from 2004 to 2007.

She succeeds Ken Shaw, Ed.D., who served as dean of FSU Panama City from 2008 until his departure in June 2014 to become president of Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, Texas.

Florida State University and FSU Panama City

What were your expectations for the position? Were your expectations met? What impressed you the most?

I was nominated for consideration for this position. I wasn’t actively seeking a new position and wasn’t looking to leave Texas Tech University. I loved being the dean of Visual and Performing Arts. So, why leave? Several times I have talked about when I was a student at FSU pursuing a Ph.D. in Art Education. I had the opportunity to ride in the university van from Tallahassee to Panama City to teach a night class. In the early 1990s, the campus was small, one building and several trailers. The new buildings, the growth of majors and programs, and the potential for continued growth are what impressed me about the position of campus dean.

What were some of the surprises in your first weeks?

One of the biggest surprises was the warm welcome that I received from the very first day on campus continuing through every event and meeting that I have attended. The Panama City campus and community has been supportive and gracious.

Some of the pleasant surprises during my first few weeks were meeting people who openly shared their personal connections to the Panama City campus. One touching surprise that stands out was receiving a beautiful Paul Brandt mug and lovely thank you card from the family of a child served in our Early Childhood Autism Program (ECAP) center. What a touching, personal sharing of what this campus means to that family.

What is your leadership philosophy or style?

My leadership abilities developed through my teaching experiences in the classroom. I am a facilitator of learning for students and I see my role as an academic leader as a facilitator in assisting others to achieve and contribute to the institution, empowering others to become leaders. One of the most important things that I have learned about leadership is that no one person achieves very much alone; striving to reach a vision includes each person being invested in the process.

What is the significance of your being the first female dean?

I didn’t realize I was the first female dean until I read an article in the local newspaper highlighting my hire. I am honored to be the first female dean. It is personally rewarding that I was selected, not because I am female, but because I have the knowledge, skills and understanding to be successful.

Do you think/hope this motivates young women to pursue leadership roles?

I know that my selection as the first female dean motivates other women to pursue their own goals, confidently and with an understanding of the importance of women in leadership roles.

What are some challenges/opportunities you see for the campus?

The opportunities for the Panama City campus are numerous, and I believe the cosmos has aligned in special ways for this campus at this point in time. There is a level of maturity for the entire campus, the quality of the programs, the sophistication of the faculty, the caring of the staff and the support of the community. There is electricity in the air on this campus, a renewed energy of new ideas, new thoughts, new possibilities and new realities. It is an exciting time to be a ’Nole.

What academic or extracurricular programs do you hope to develop to attract more students?

Since arriving on campus, my discussions of new programs center around what challenges our students will face when they graduate in four, five or six years. The types of knowledge and skills that will be required of our graduates in the future are unknown as we plan for new degree programs. One thing that is crystal clear is that the jobs of tomorrow will require graduates who think critically, who embrace new technologies and who have the mindset to be risk-takers, for it is the risk-takers who will dream of what is possible, move away from convention and provide the vision for an improved future.

What is your fundraising philosophy? What are the priorities and needs?

My fundraising philosophy is donor-centered and stewardship driven with a healthy dose of passion.

Day in the life

How would you describe your typical day?

There doesn’t seem to be a typical day for a dean; repetition and boredom are not in the lexicon of an academic leader. I wake up early enough to check emails for any overnight crisis situations that might have popped up. Each morning, I read an online version of the Chronicle of Higher Education that provides a synopsis of trends and issues in higher education. Arriving on campus means hitting the ground running, mentally shifting between meetings with faculty, staff, students and/or community members, directing my attention to these individuals to make certain I am hearing and understanding their needs or the situation so I can find successful pathways or resolutions. My typical day is one of problem solver, solution adviser, empowerment coach and consensus builder. The end of a typical day is spent checking emails and responding. So for me, the typical day unfolds between morning and evening emails!

When you have that down time between meetings and appointments, what do you find yourself doing?

Checking emails!

Family & personal life

What does your family think about your new role? How was the move?

My entire family is delighted I am closer to “home,” Mississippi and Alabama. The move from West Texas to Panama City Beach has been in stages. The first stage was our move into our Alabama lake house with all of our belongings. The second stage was moving into a fully furnished condo on Panama City Beach; that was the easiest move I have ever experienced – arriving with our clothes, hanging them in the closet, and voila, “moved.” It was fantastic. The third stage will be moving books and curricular materials into my campus office. I hope to be completely settled by year’s end.

What do you see as the major cultural difference between Lubbock and Panama City?

It is complicated to explain Texas to anyone who hasn’t lived there. The culture of West Texas is one of huge ranches, cotton fields that stretch to the horizon in all directions, oil derricks, and big sky country. The Lubbock region is known for its music – Buddy Holly, Mac Davis, Jimmy Dean, Gatlin Brothers, Waylon Jennings, Tanya Tucker, Roy Orbison – to name a few. Panama City is rich in a different type of culture – geographic beauty, a mecca for families creating beach vacation memories, and a haven for fishing and outdoor sports of all types. Texas is fiercely independent, with a strong and stubborn attitude born from the pioneers who settled a harsh often-unforgiving environment. Panama City is a sunny optimistic area, seemingly reinventing itself each season. Although the saying is that “everything is bigger in Texas”, Panama City can certainly say “everything is better in Florida”.

Can you tell us more about your family? What did your husband do for a living?

Joe has retired from a corporate career in materials management and inventory control. He is the consummate supporter of my career, a true partner, without whom I could not have flourished as an educator.

What does it mean to you that your daughter followed in your footsteps to become an educator?

When my daughter, Angela, selected her academic major she was attending the same university that I attended, Mississippi University for Women. Of course I was proud that she embraced the rewards and challenges of being a teacher, of having a commitment and a passion to impact and change lives. However, my respect for Angela as a professional became evident when she taught alongside me in a teacher development workshop one summer. Angela is a passionate, caring, talented educator and I am an extremely proud mother.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I am a painter, a really poor watercolor painter. Creating art is a completely focused, luxurious pursuit and I relish every moment of involvement. Those moments are far and few between unless I strategically plan the time and seize the opportunity. I also love to golf and I am a really poor golfer! Thank goodness I have never let my lack of skills keep me from what I love. I love to cook and I am a really great cook. Cooking is the essence of sharing love, and I derive immense pleasure from sharing my love of cooking with others.

Is there a quote, song or book that you really identify with?

A quote from my personal favorite author, Dr. Seuss, the Wisest of all Wise: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”