RUG spokesperson Jorien Bakker confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that De Jong will not continue his activities as dean. On 18 October, he told the staff of the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) about his reasons for leaving. ‘But I can’t comment on that’, says Bakker.
De Jong is a professor of economic history. He became dean of the Faculty of Business and Economic in September 2016. He will not complete his term; deans are generally appointed for a four-year period.
According to Bakker, De Jong ‘decided to step down as dean before the end of his term’. He will continue to be a professor at the faculty.
Interim dean
The RUG board will be looking for a new FEB dean. Jan Berend Wezeman, current dean for the law faculty, will serve as interim dean at FEB starting 19 November. ‘The board of directors wants to take its time and go about finding a new dean with care’, says Bakker. ‘To ensure continuity within the faculty an interim dean is a good idea.’
Wezeman is expected to serve as interim dean until May 2019. He will work for FEB one or two days a week in addition to his duties for the law faculty, an e-mail that was sent to the staff reads. The RUG hopes to have found a successor for De Jong before Wezeman leaves.