The Interim Dean
Philip Kearney's record of service to the university included seeing the School of Education through a pivotal moment in its history.
A $12 million shortfall in state appropriations for the University’s 1981-82 budget prompted university-wide reductions and the termination or downsizing of select campus units, including the School of Education. The appointed review committee proposed a 40 percent reduction for the school over the course of five years, or the deanship tenure of Carl Berger. With the bulk of the review recommendations complied, Berger stepped down as dean on June 30, 1988, and became Director of Educational Technology in the Information Technology division. Philip Kearney served as interim dean while a national search was completed.
Although his tenure as dean was short—just three months—Kearney devoted 18 years of service to the School of Education, holding various roles. He was chair of the Program in Educational Administration and Supervision; chair of the Division of Educational Foundations, Policy, and Administration; associate dean; and director of the Bureau of Accreditation and School Improvement Studies. In 1981, he became a research scientist in the Program in Urban, Technological, and Environmental Planning. Kearney taught graduate courses in school finance, educational policy, and educational administration.
Kearney's university service included appointments on School of Education and University-wide committees, including the Military Officer Education Committee; the UTEP Area Committee; the UM/Detroit Public Schools Collaborative; and the Faculty Associates Program.
Throughout his career, Kearney was active in professional associations on the local, state, and national levels. He was president of the American Education Finance Association, and was presiding officer of the U.S. Department of Education's National Advisory Council on Education Services.
Kearney passed away in 2019 after a battle with cancer. According to his obituary, “his quest for an education system that met the needs of all, including those communities most disadvantaged, never waivered. Phil's work in school finance was always grounded in the core principles of fairness and justice as well as in economy. The poorest school districts found their advocate in Phil Kearney. His graduate students and colleagues continue to regard him with a combination of deep respect, admiration, and affection for his mentorship of their careers and for his genuine goodness as a man.”