Dr. Marie Morris drawn by AU's mission
By Deborah Lilly
Dr. Marie Morris has a personal mission when it comes to her career in higher education: to create environments for growth and learning. This is also a mission she strives to nurture in herself. After a long career at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia — the last nine years as academic dean — she was ready for a new challenge. Among the many positive qualities that drew her to Anderson University as the new academic dean was the institution’s mission to educate individuals for faith and service in church and society. “I wasn’t just looking for a job,” she explains. “I was looking for a compelling mission that I could be a part of.”
Morris actually began her career as a nurse. It was a tough decision for her to make. Her passion is music, but she realized she could make a living as a nurse. After she earned her associate degree in nursing, she and her husband signed on to work with a United Methodist mission in southeastern Kentucky. There she worked at a small hospital, learning various aspects of the field. She discovered she enjoyed positions that allowed for long-term relationships, so when she and her husband moved to Virginia, she began working in a long-term care facility. After completing her four-year degree at Eastern Mennonite University, Morris was offered a job on the EMU nursing faculty. She began her career there in 1984. Over time, she completed her PhD in nursing administration at George Mason University. She rose through the ranks at EMU from instructor to chair of the nursing department to associate dean to academic dean.
Morris looks back and sees that her nursing background has served her well as she has worked in higher education. Obtaining her nursing degrees through liberal arts institutions, she not only studied nursing but also took classes in subjects such as women’s studies and business. “All of that education gave me a stronger appreciation for the liberal arts,” she explains. Morris firmly believes that no matter what career path an individual is following, a strong foundation in the liberal arts is important.
\While at EMU, Morris led the nursing department through a successful reaccreditation. She helped revitalize the nursing curriculum. She served as co-director and the director of the university’s honors program. During her nine years as academic dean, EMU went through a wave of retirements. As a result, Morris had the opportunity to hire more than 50 percent of the school’s faculty while she was there.
In addition to AU’s mission, Morris said she was drawn to Anderson because of the school’s strong Church of God ties and the diversity of opportunities at AU from undergraduate to graduate programs. When she visited AU, she was warmly welcomed on campus by students, faculty, staff, and administrators. The role of academic dean can be a precarious position. Morris balances concerns of faculty, students, and administrators. “I think the key to balancing all of that is respect,” says Morris. “You have to respect the work and the role of each person.” In the end, everyone is involved in carrying out the mission of the university. “It takes all of us here to make AU the institution it is called by God to be.”
Morris will spend much of her first year learning AU — not only the people but its history. She will also be taking it all in with fresh eyes. She hopes that the new perspective she can provide will continue to advance the potential of the university.
