Students in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) will soon be answering to a new dean. Eleanor Miller, dean of CAS, announced her resignation to the faculty in the form of a letter written on Dec. 21, 2010. “I tendered my resignation last Friday, and President Fogel has accepted it. My current plan is to take a year’s administrative leave and return to the faculty in January 2012,” Miller’s letter stated. Miller was a finalist for the provost position, which was given to Jane Knodell, the Burlington Free Press stated. “Asked via e-mail if her resignation had anything to do with her not being appointed provost, Miller replied: ‘Absolutely not,'” according to the Burlington Free Press. SGA Vice President David Maciewicz said that he believes that Miller stepping down had nothing to do with her not being selected for provost. “I was a part of the interview processes,” Maciewicz said. “And know both Provost Knodell and Dean Miller[‘s] personality, and I simply have no reason to believe that the reasons she outlined in her resignation statement are not 100 percent true.” Miller said that working with her faculty at the University of Vermont has been a wonderful experience. “My major organizational goal was to create a real community of diverse scholars, a community where faculty members would feel supported and unafraid as they tried to combine often complicated personal and professional lives,” the letter stated. Miller said that she believes that without the help of her faculty she could not have achieved her goals. “I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to you, too, for your hard work, your advice and friendship, and especially for the creativity and good cheer with which you confront the daily challenges of your jobs.” Miller’s letter stated. President Daniel Mark Fogel said that he was very grateful to Miller for her tireless efforts on behalf of the College and the University of Vermont and her accomplishments during her time as dean. An interim dean of CAS will be appointed in the near future. The University will launch a national search for the dean position once an interim has been appointed, President Fogel said. “I have every confidence that [President Fogel] and Provost Knodell will choose wisely and that I will be able to feel that I have left the college in good hands,” Miller’s letter stated. Miller’s last day as dean will be Jan. 25, 2011, her letter stated.