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SIMMONS GSLIS DEAN TO STEP DOWN Dean Michèle Cloonan’s 10-year Tenure Included Top 10 National Ranking by U.S.News & World Report BOSTON (September 19, 2011) – Simmons College announced today that Michèle Cloonan, dean of the Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS), will step down at the end of this academic year. Cloonan, who has served 10 years as dean, will continue her scholarly work at Simmons as a researcher and professor, specializing in the preservation of cultural heritage and book trade history. “GSLIS is truly a special place, not only because of its sterling and growing reputation, but also because of the wonderful faculty, students, staff, and illustrious alumni who continue to make the school shine,” said Dean Cloonan. “I feel that with the School in such good standing, now is the right time for me to step down as dean.” The College plans to conduct a national search for her replacement. Under her leadership, GSLIS has achieved great success. U.S.News & World Report ranked the program among the nation’s top 10; it was the only small-to-midsize library and information science graduate program to make the top 10 list. During Cloonan’s tenure Simmons GSLIS, she: · * Instituted a Ph.D. concentration in managerial leadership in the information professions · * Established five new endowed scholarship funds, including the Allen Smith Visiting Scholars Endowed Program and the Endowed Fund for International Initiatives · * Received significant grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Library and Museum Services, the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, and several major foundations · * Built a nationally recognized Archives Program · * Achieved two successful reaccreditation reviews for the program · * Hired more than one dozen distinguished and highly respected faculty members “Michèle has worked tirelessly during her highly successful deanship to help make Simmons Library and Information School one of the best in the country,” said President Helen Drinan. “I am incredibly grateful for her effective leadership and long service to the GSLIS program and Simmons.” Founded in 1902, Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science is one of the country’s oldest and most distinguished library and information science programs. With campuses in Boston and South Hadley, Mass., the school is ranked by U.S.News & World Report among the top 10 in the nation. It was the only small-to-midsize library and information science graduate program to make the top 10 list. Follow GSLIS on Twitter @SimmonsGSLIS and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/simmonsgslis). Simmons College is a nationally ranked university located in the heart of Boston with a history of visionary thinking, and a focus on leadership and social responsibility. It offers undergraduate education for women, and renowned coeducational graduate programs in nursing and health sciences, liberal arts, library and information science, social work, as well as the nation's first MBA program designed specifically for women. Follow Simmons on Twitter @SimmonsCollege and @SimmonsNews.