Dennis G. Wiseman, dean of Coastal Carolina University's College of Education, has been appointed a special assistant to Coastal President Ronald R. Ingle for K-12 collaboration. He has also been named an associate provost, responsible for supervising Coastal's graduate programs.

Wiseman will assume his new duties at the beginning of the fall 2000 semester. Gilbert Hunt, professor of education at Coastal, will serve as interim dean of the College of Education.

Wiseman's primary responsibility will be to assist Ingle in setting an institutional agenda outlining the university's commitment to improve K-12 education in South Carolina.

"Advancing the quality of our teachers and the quality of our public schools isn't just the responsibility of Coastal's College of Education faculty - it's an institutional responsibility," said Ingle. "Dennis Wiseman has an excellent record in establishing results- oriented partnerships linking the university and the public schools. In his new position he will recommend areas of cooperation and collaboration which will place Coastal at the forefront of state universities dedicated to helping South Carolina provide the best possible education for its students, from kindergarten through the college level."

Wiseman will also advise the university regarding graduate studies. Coastal offers graduate programs in education as well as several cooperative graduate degrees with other universities in South Carolina. "While Coastal is primarily an undergraduate institution, we recognize our responsibility to the region we serve to provide opportunities for postgraduate education," said John Idoux, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at Coastal.

Wiseman, who joined the Coastal faculty in 1974, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Indianapolis and a master's degree and Ph.D from the University of Illinois. He has served as dean of Coastal's College of Education since 1982. Wiseman has received Coastal's Faculty Distinguished Teaching Award, coauthored two books and numerous journal articles on education, and has served on many education task forces, panels and committees at the state and national levels.

Hunt, chair of Coastal's Professional Program in Teacher Education, joined the Coastal faculty in 1975. He earned a bachelor's degree from Campbell University and a master's degree and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina.