Dean of Engineering and Science Andrew Langrehr and Dean of Math and Communications Angela Grupas are two of the many Deans at STLCC-Meramec who oversee the budget that decides the supplies required for the classrooms.
Kimberly Morice
-Sr. Staff Writer-
With shows such as the popular NBC comedy Community creating a twisted view on community college, and in many ways the dean, it is no wonder that many community college students have no idea what a dean really does or who they could possibly be.
“The dean in Community is a riot, he cracks me up,” Andrew Langrehr, dean of science and technology, said. “All deans aren’t nerds like in Community, even though I came out of the sciences.”
Langrehr›s office contains a large mahogany desk, many chemistry and science books, and photographs of his family. He is originally from Iowa, where he got his start as an adjunct chemistry professor. Eventually, he transferred to Jefferson College, where he worked full-time.
“A faculty position opened up here at Meramec and it was attractive because it had a larger chemistry department, more equipment, it’s a lead for innovation schools, better pay, all of those things, so I applied for that,” Langrehr said.
After two years the physical and engineering science department chair retired, and with that position open, Langrehr took that as his opportunity to alter his career path. He was the department chair for four and a half years until the dean retired and he took on that position.
“Now I’m here. I liked all of those jobs and I like working here. There’s appealing things about the faculty position that I miss, there are some appealing things about the department chair position that I miss, but this is a good job too,” Langrehr said.
Student success is most important for Langrehr and his colleagues.
“Ideally, my role would be academic leader. I set a course for the division, where we›re going to go and things like that. A lot of what I do is manage budgets, people, and solve problems for the students and faculty. I move things up the pipe-line, and back down the pipe-line, so I would say that it’s a lot of management and some leadership and strategic planning,» Langrehr said.
Langrehr teaches a chemistry class one night a week at STLCC-Meramec with Nancy Collier. If a dean is interested in teaching a course at the college, they have to get special permission to do so
“I team teach the class because chemistry classes are a significant amount of credit and as an administrator I can only teach a limited amount. So if I team teach it, it partitions it so that I can teach more semesters,» Langrehr said.
Angela Grupas›s office is filled with statues of tiny dogs, and pictures hang on her walls with different motivational sayings – one with a red high heel and the saying “I can do anything with the right pair of shoes.” She has been with the college for 23 years and has served as a faculty member and chairperson of the communications department. Grupas is now the acting dean of the math and communications departments, a position held by Vernon Kays.
“My division is responsible for math, communications and English. A lot of times people kind of question math and communications as an odd combination, but what is unique about this division is that most of the students are in these courses in their first year. So while math is very different from English, we share the same students in their first year experience,» Grupas said.
Grupas said about having some of the academic resources offered at STLCC-Meramec in her division.
“This is kind of the academic hub of general education and deals with all of the academic student support,” Grupas said.
Many of the deans spend countless hours in meetings, planning budgets and deciding on what will end up in the classroom each semester. Every computer, projector and Smart Board is placed in classrooms by the deans.
“You don’t really see us because we›re always doing the background work to make things run efficiently,” Grupas said. “Even though we don’t see the students, we tend to be extremely student-focused. Mainly we›re just trying to make the student experience better.”
Grupas would like students to realize that going to the dean’s office is not like visiting the principle when you were in high school.
“One thing you should know, I’m fun. I take my job very seriously, but dang it if you can’t have fun while you’re doing it,” Grupas said. “I’ve got sayings around my office, I enjoy life, I’ve got glitter in my hair, and I wear funky shoes. We’re accessible, we’re fun people, we may deal with serious things, but you can come talk to me.”
