If you have not heard the news already, the McKay School of Education has a new Dean!
I was able to sit down with Dean Osguthorpe and have a conversation with him and I'm so glad I got to know him better. Here's what I learned!
#1: Avid River Rafter
Dean Osguthorpe, along with his wife and four children, moved to Provo after living in Boise, ID for almost 15 years. While living in Boise, he was able to indulge in one of his favorite hobbies, river rafting. When living in Boise, if the weather was over 90 degrees, Dean Osguthorpe would schedule any meeting after 4:00 pm to the next day so he and his family could go rafting!
#2: Leadership philosophy mirrors his family life
After being asked how his role as dean compares to his role in his family, Dean Osguthorpe said, "I like shared leadership as a dean and at home. I think it’s best when everybody has a voice and can come to a consensus. I like to be able to counsel together."
#3: Deeply committed to promoting a sense of belonging
Dean Osguthorpe hopes that everyone in the McKay School will feel like they belong and are needed, and wants McKay School students to know the importance of enthusiastically embracing their decision to become educators. A piece of advice the Dean wants to share with McKay school students is, "seek after and pursue the moral rewards of teaching that are only available to our students through the exercise of virtue in their classrooms."
#4: The McKay School is an essential part of each person's quest for eternal life
Dean Osguthorpe believes that the McKay School of education is going to make a difference in the world. For this reason, he shared how he feels a newfound responsibility as the Dean to make sure we can fulfill the mission of helping others in their quest for eternal life. Dean Osguthorpe said, "It has been made very clear to me that the heavens are very interested in what is happening in the McKay School."
#5: Dean Osguthorpe wants to get to know you!
The last thing Dean Osguthorpe would like the McKay School students to know is, "I would love for students to know that if they see me and they recognize me for them to come up and introduce themselves. Say hi, your name, and where you're from. Tell me about your hopes and dreams! I would love to connect with our students. I love the connection."
Hopefully, now you feel like you know the Dean better! After this interview, I realized how fortunate the McKay School is to have Richard Osguthorpe as our new dean.
If you have any other questions about education majors or about the McKay School, please don't hesitate to reach out to an ambassador here.