September 27, 2006

Ed Boyatt, Ed.D., La Sierra University professor of administration and leadership in the School of Education, was selected Dean of the School of Education beginning July 1, 2006.

“With his many years of distinguished service in K-12 education, educational leadership, postsecondary administration, and university teaching, Dr. Boyatt is eminently qualified to serve in his new role as the Dean of the School of Education,” says Warren Trenchard, Ph.D., provost for La Sierra University. “He also brings to the position the strength of his broad campus engagement in accreditation issues, strategic planning, and university governance.”

Boyatt has a long history in education administrative work. He served as superintendent of schools in the Oregon Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, associate director of education in the North Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and vice president for student administration at Walla Walla College in Washington.

“Since excellence is a process of continual improvement, excellence is a journey, not a destination,” says Boyatt of his new position. His goals are to enhance the resources and the ways to teach while assessing the effectiveness in the School of Education. The School has 11 faculty members, about 250 undergraduate students they advise and around 200 graduate level students in master’s, education specialist and doctoral programs.

Boyatt will still teach courses while serving his four-year term as dean. “I entered education because I wanted to be a teacher,” says Boyatt. “I want to stay where my heart is, in the classroom to facilitate learning.”

“I see our mission to facilitate learning in all the intelligences: cognitive, emotional, and moral domains,” says Boyatt. “I want our students to be competent and caring, skillful and compassionate, generous and thankful to their God.”

An accomplished professor and administrator, Boyatt has written numerous publications, attended and presented at conferences, and served on several University committees including Faculty Senate, Graduate Admissions, and Strategic Planning. He has also served as the chair of the WASC Proposal Committee and chair of the Educational Effectiveness Review Committee for the WASC Self-Study.

While not teaching he serves an associate head elder for the La Sierra University Church of Seventh-day Adventists and a volunteer teacher assistant in the Riverside Public School District. He also enjoys astronomy, outdoor sports, hiking, golfing, and his grandchildren. His wife, Teri, has just accepted a position as associate superintendent of education for Southeastern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and two of their three children are educators, the other is a physician.