The email he just sent out, in case you didn't get it:

Dear CEAS Students, Faculty and Staff,

By now you have learned from Provost Ono that I have decided to step down as dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, effective July 31, 2012, and return to the faculty as professor of biomedical engineering—with the goal of taking my research and commercialization efforts to new heights.

I came here in 2006 from UCLA because I regarded the University of Cincinnati as an institution with a long-standing tradition of excellence and opportunity that was changing its environment to move to the next plateau, and I wanted to be a part of that transformation. I saw great potential in the offing and felt that I could contribute to the expression of this institution’s excellence in rising to the level of national and international prominence.

To do that I felt that we as an academic community of faculty, students and staff needed to focus our energy and resources to do what we do best—to educate—and distinguish ourselves among peer institutions so that we could transition beyond having a limited regional appeal. As CEAS Dean I sought to shape and guide our efforts as an academic community to make relevant contributions to the College and University. Working together as a community with our alumni and other interested parties, our initiatives have produced some important achievements.

Many alumni told me that the first two years of their student experiences in the College were actually spent “out” of the College in taking foundational math and science courses somewhat disconnected from the more mainstream philosophy of engineering and technology. That input was echoed by discussions with the students who pointed out that, in fact, an alarming number of students with dreams of becoming engineers are admitted to the College only to be re-routed to a probationary proving ground called the freshman and sophomore years. We changed that.

In 2007 we established the School of Engineering Education to focus on improving the first and second year experiences of students in the College. We provided academic resources including tutoring and advising to assist our students in navigating the challenging transition to the college level. And, for the first time, we created an actual physical space in the College where students could begin to develop a peer community of learning. Simultaneously, we undertook a fundraising campaign with our alumni to support development and construction of a modern learning center dedicated to improving the experiences of freshmen and sophomores. Incoming freshmen will have that new space¾the $6 million CEAS Learning Center, a 10,000 square foot “home” for first-year engineering and technology students on the 8th floor of Rhodes Hall. The Center features state-of-the-art facilities for teaching and learning with open spaces for team study, adjacent offices for professors on site, and a coffee and snack area for discussions and socializing.

The creation of the new College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) on July 1, 2010, integrating the former College of Engineering and College of Applied Science into one college, provided many opportunities for students. With strong research programs, internationally renowned cooperative work experiences, and a long history of educational excellence in technology and engineering, CEAS delivers unparalleled opportunities for our graduates. Further, CEAS is now well positioned to provide leadership in engineering and STEM education locally, regionally and across the state of Ohio.

That leadership position was recognized by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2011 in awarding a $9.2 million five-year interdisciplinary grant to CEAS to establish the Cincinnati Engineering Enhanced Mathematics and Science Program (CEEMS). Designed to meet the growing need for engineering-educated teachers, CEEMS’s goal is to equip teachers with the skills needed to provide students with opportunities to reach and surpass recently revised Ohio State Science Standards. Completing the UC CEEMS team are the University’s College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services (CECH) and the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences.

We also succeeded in establishing UCRI, which includes a partnership with GE Aviation supported by a multi-million dollar commitment from GE and a Third Frontier award of $5 million from the state of Ohio. The University is expanding UCRI to include all colleges in the hope that UC will become a leader in industrial partnerships and generate a new stream of revenue from licensing technologies and spin-off companies.

Finally, and most importantly, I hope that we have been able to establish an environment that will support the aspirations of all members of our community—faculty, students and staff—to want to be the best we can possibly be and attain even higher levels of excellence. This is, of course, an ideal, but a dynamic ideal that may be realized through our individual and corporate efforts.

When students arrive for fall semester in late August, the College’s incoming freshman class will be the most academically qualified in the history of CEAS (based on ACT/SAT test scores) with 35.7% of incoming freshmen having an ACT score or SAT equivalent to 30 or above, representing the top 5% of test-takers in the state of Ohio. The class contains 27 high school valedictorians, eight salutatorians and 13 National Merit finalists. CEAS students reflect the highest academic excellence in the University of Cincinnati.

The students will have opportunities to participate in a number of enhanced program offerings as well, including: research co-op, attractive to undergraduates already looking toward pursuing professional degrees in medicine, law or other fields; a common first-year curriculum, to provide greater flexibility for students in selecting the engineering or technology field most suitable for them; the new CEAS Learning Center featuring enhanced learning opportunities for mentoring, advising and tutoring; and expanded ACCEND programs to include many BS offerings in combination with MS, MEng and MBA degrees.

First-year students will also receive a gift from the College, a polo shirt featuring the new CEAS emblem designed in collaboration with the UC Office of Governmental Relations and University Communications and UC’s advertising agency (Lipman Hearne). The emblem is part of a yearlong comprehensive marketing effort to create a unique and distinctive identity, a sub-brand consistent with the UC brand and reflecting CEAS’s high standards and academic excellence. CEAS is the first college in the University to offer a signature emblem. Members of the CEAS community¾students, faculty, staff and alumni¾will soon be able to purchase apparel and merchandise with the emblem through the UC Bookstore. The College portion of the proceeds will be earmarked for student scholarships.

There is more work to be done as CEAS moves boldly to navigate its promising future. Dr. Teik C. Lim, associate dean for graduate studies and research of the College and professor of mechanical engineering, has been appointed interim dean until a new leader is appointed via a national search. I ask you to provide Dr. Lim with the support and cooperation you graciously offered me during my tenure as CEAS Dean.

It has been my privilege to serve as dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Cincinnati.

Sincerely, Carlo D. Montemagno

Sorry Professor Montemagno, I can't help but be glad you're gone. On your completely insane decision to close CS alone, you've proven that you have no idea what sort of jobs and expertise the real world needs, and I hope your replacement does a better job.