Glasscock School of Continuing Studies Dean Mary McIntire to retire

Mary McIntire, dean of Rice’s Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, announced plans to retire at the end of this academic year after “a long and successful career at Rice and the Glasscock School,” Rice Provost Marie Lynn Miranda wrote in a message to the campus community Dec. 6.

MARY MCINTIRE

“During her term as dean, the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies experienced exceptional growth in impact and enrollments,” Miranda said. “Since the mid-1970s when Mary was first hired as a program director in the then-Office of Continuing Studies, enrollments have increased from hundreds per year to nearly 20,000, and courses have attracted students from more than 100 countries who wish to pursue personal and professional development. The impact of her work in improving K-12 education is particularly noteworthy. Mary is a steady, experienced and insightful voice among the team of deans at Rice.”

Having worked in Continuing Studies from the days it was housed in Lovett Hall, to the basement of Fondren Library, to the temporary building on the edge of campus that it quickly outgrew, McIntire articulated the vision and led the campaign for the opening in 2014 of the school’s state-of-the-art Anderson-Clarke Center with comfortable classrooms equipped with digital technology.

McIntire has agreed to remain through the 2016-17 academic year so that the university can launch a comprehensive national search for her successor, Miranda said.

“Mary McIntire is an extraordinary leader in the field of postgraduate and lifelong learning and has been a major figure in the history of Rice,” President David Leebron said. “She took a fairly small educational endeavor that reached out to the community and turned it into a pre-eminent school that plays a major role in educating our community.”

“Without Mary’s efforts, Rice simply would not be as strong a contributor as it is to the city of Houston,” he said. “Her remarkable vision has ranged from humanities courses, to professional education, to teacher development, to online education. She has built a foundation that will serve Rice, Houston and the wider world of eager learners for many decades. We look forward to celebrating Mary and these contributions over the next months.”

Situated on the west side of Rice’s campus in the three-story, 55,000-square-foot Anderson-Clarke Center, the Glasscock School offers personal and professional development classes, online and hybrid courses and certificate programs with additional offerings from the Center for College Readiness, the Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership, the Foreign Language program, the English as a Second Language program, the Master of Liberal Studies and the Master of Arts in Teaching and School Literacy and Culture.

During the time of her deanship, McIntire has been intensely involved in activities outside of Rice as well, including serving as president and chair of the board of the Girls Scouts of San Jacinto Council. During her tenure, this was the largest council in the nation, engaging nearly 100,000 girls and adults. She has also been honored by many community groups for her leadership.

For more information about the Glasscock School and its programming, go to glasscock.rice.edu.