Renée Middleton, dean of the Patton College of Education, announced Friday her intentions to step down from her position at Ohio University.
Middleton will be leaving the position at the end of June, and plans for new leadership at the college will be announced at a later date, according to an OU email.
For the past 15 years, Middleton has worked at OU as the Patton College of Education dean and a tenured professor of counselor education. In 2010, she helped lead growth at the Patton College of Education as programs from the former College of Health and Human Services integrated into the college.
The college now has over 100 faculty members and more than 2,100 undergraduate and 800 graduate students, according to an OU email.
Under Middleton’s position as dean, the Patton College of Education also placed at or near the top 100 in national rankings and saw ranking increases over the past eight years.
Middleton's time also led to multiple progressions within the Patton College of Education, such as the HOPE program and the College’s Brothers RISE Initiative. Middleton also aided the development of OU’s Black Lives Matter series, which aims to showcase anti-racist behaviors across communities.
“I’m extremely proud of what our students, faculty and staff have accomplished during my time as dean,” Middleton said in the OU email. “Together, we have set the Patton College on a robust path of rigor, access and inclusivity.”
