West Point promotes, recognizes new Dean during COR ceremony

Photo By John Pellino | Brig. Gen. Shane Reeves was pinned his one star by his daughters (left) and his wife (right) and assumed responsibility as the 15th Dean of the Academic Board from outgoing Dean, Brig. Gen. Cindy Jebb, during a Change of Responsibility and Investiture Ceremony Friday on The Plain. The dean at West Point is charged with guiding the academic board, which has the mission of overseeing admissions, cadet education, curriculum, faculty and talent management. (Photo by John Pellino/USMA PAO)  

WEST POINT, NY, UNITED STATES

06.03.2021

Story by Jorge Garcia 

United States Military Academy at West Point

Family, friends and distinguished guests gathered at the U.S. Military Academy for a Change of Responsibility and Investiture Ceremony to celebrate the new Dean of the Academic Board on Friday on The Plain.

Brig. Gen. Shane Reeves, previously a professor and the head of the Department of Law, received a promotion to brigadier general and assumed responsibility as the new 15th Dean of the Academic Board from outgoing Dean, Brig. Gen. Cindy Jebb.

“I am so thankful to be here today for this promotion and investiture (ceremony). I am immensely honored and humbled to be selected as the Dean of the Academic Board and thankful for the opportunity to lead such an exceptional team,” Reeves, a 1996 USMA graduate, said. “The U.S. Army has an immense concentration of talent right here at West Point, but more importantly, I cannot think of a group of more selfless, conscientious or mission-oriented people I’d rather work with.”

The Dean at West Point is charged with guiding the Academic Board, which oversees admissions, cadet adjudication and education, curriculum, and faculty and talent management. These components, under the Academic Board’s purview, are some of the most key and strategic functions of the academy, Jebb said.

During the ceremony, the USMA Superintendent, Lt. Gen. Darryl Williams, expressed heartfelt words thanking Jebb for her 39 years of prominent service. Throughout her tenure as Dean, she led the faculty and academic program superbly, Williams said.

“We are a better leader development institution, a better higher learning institution and a more prepared Army because of (Jebb’s) leadership,” Williams said. “Our graduates are better prepared to take on the challenges of the 21st century global environment because of her.”

Jebb said she feels immense gratitude to have served with exceptional teammates focused on a mission that will ensure the common defense of the Republic.

“I’m thrilled to have had this experience and very humbled to have had this opportunity,” Jebb said. “The West Point model produces bold problem solvers who are acutely aware of the human condition. It is our blend of excellence within our faculty and staff that produce a world-class liberal arts education for our cadets within the academy, led by our Superintendent.

“Thank you, Lt. Gen. Williams, for your wisdom, your tenacity and leadership within the most energetic and tumultuous tenure I have ever seen.” Jebb added. “And to Reeves, in this position, as the Dean of the Academic Program, you are responsible for ensuring that the curriculum reflects the needs of the Army and the best practices of higher education. You are the right person to lead us boldly so that our graduates are best prepared to lead through the complexities of the future.”

Reeves’s prior engagements include teaching as a professor and the head of the Department of Law at West Point. He lectured at Columbia Law School and the University of California-Berkeley Law School, and conducted speaking engagements in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Israel, as part of the Academic Exchange Program. He is also a founding member and director of the Lieber Institute for Law and Land Warfare located at West Point.

“The Army is stronger and more capable than ever. I know this fact because I know all of you,” Reeves said. “I have come to know cadets in and out of the classroom. I know the determination of our leadership. I know the commitment of our faculty. Together we are fully committed to fighting and winning our nation’s wars.

“And for those who question that commitment, that’s a dangerous miscalculation,” Reeves added. “Cadets today are more than ready for the challenges of tomorrow, and I promise you as the 15th Dean of the Academic Board, to ensure our cadets are ready for the future.”

• Date Taken: 06.03.2021
• Date Posted: 06.03.2021 12:39
• Story ID: 398057
• Location: WEST POINT, NY, US