May 14, 2008

Key Higher-Education Official Is Leaving Education Department

Washington — Diane Auer Jones announced her resignation today as the U.S. Education Department’s assistant secretary for postsecondary education, one year after taking the job.

“She did let her senior staff know today that she will be leaving,” said Samara Yudof, a department spokeswoman. Ms. Yudof said she had no immediate details on the reasons for Ms. Jones’s departure.

Ms. Jones was nominated by President Bush in May 2007. She had served as a science-policy adviser in the White House, and as director for government affairs at Princeton University. She also served as a program director at the National Science Foundation and as an associate professor at the Community College of Baltimore County.

That combination of experiences made her valued in the college community, said Terry W. Hartle, senior vice president for government and public affairs at the American Council on Education.

“Diane brought enormous skill and knowledge to the assistant-secretary position,” Mr. Hartle said, citing her efforts to draft regulations governing loan and grant programs for students, and to oversee their implementation. Her departure “is disappointing but not totally surprising,” given that appointed government officials often seek new career opportunities toward the end of an administration, he said. —Paul Basken

Comments

1. Assistant secretaries do not “draft” regulations. At best they review the regulatory language as it is on its way to the Federal Register.

   — djl    May 15, 07:47 AM    #

2. I think that this is another example of the “rats leaving a sinking ship”. The Bush Administration’s appointees at every level may be seeing the writing on the wall and are trying to leave before they are asked to leave.

   — Marie Nubia-Feliciano, M.S.    May 15, 12:12 PM    #

3. Her resume reads like the typical “job hopper,” the kind that doesn’t even make the first cut on my stack.

   — all too real marci    May 15, 03:09 PM    #

4. Diane Auer Jones’ departure from the Dept. of Education is a sad day for Washington, DC. Those who were fortunate to see her Commencement Address at Ball State University got a wonderful glimpse of the gifted and upstanding person she is.

   Those who are using her leaving as a chance for a bunch of ad-hominin attacks and inappropriate insinuations about her motivation simply do not know the kind of person they’re are dealing with here.

   To speak of mediocrity, nepotism, and corruption in the same breath as Diane Jones reflects nothing more than unfamiliarity with her work or her character.

   She will be heard from again in a different role much to the benefit and deligiht of her next associates.

   God bless her for her hard work. This citizen from her community is proud of her efforts.

   Save your powder for a more legitimate fight!

   — Rob Bannister    May 15, 11:49 PM    #

5. Those actions would be ones of a thoughtful, thorough, and dedicated professional who assesses each issue from every angle while having done the best she could to satisfy the requirements mandated by law and Federal policy for her position and upholding the admistration’s objectives for higher ed.

   Diane Jones is the real deal. She will be an excellent leader at The Washington Campus and beyond.

   Those who have made insinuations about her motives or portrayed her as a generic administrative hack probably have never worked with her and surely don’t know the talaent and wisdom she possesses.

   Failure to see that is a loss in the eyes of the beholder, not Ms. Jones who has risen up like the Phoenix from the ashes many times before.

   — Rob Bannister    May 16, 10:22 AM    #

6. I don’t know Ms. Jones’ background, but this is certainly a reasonable action for someone in a dead-end administration. congrats to her for finding a good “next step”.

   — Al    May 16, 12:16 PM    #

7. INCREDIBLE! How an Assistant Secretary’s departure brings out the cynicism in some.

   For someone with no political background, prestigious or wealthy lineaage, and a squeaky clean reputation, it sure looks to this observer that Ms. Jones escalating reposibilities must mean that lady is pretty sharp!

   I’ve only seen her work from a distance, but she sure seems incredibly resourceful and talented. Is it okay in today’s world to salute somebody for also just coming across as a really nice, thoughtful person?

   Too bad folks like her don’t last long in admistrative posts where they’d get buried among the career bureaucrats. Sure we all get tired of the Washington Soap Opera, the constant parade of careerists and menial paper and policy pushers. Ms. Jones seems to be a very different kind of person. She just might be that rare diamond in the rough. I’ll be honest with you readers, I’m just an observer, but maybe one step back from the action I might see something as in the forest not the trees.

   The rewards are too many in the private sector.It just seems too bad we don’t get to vote for people like her for public office.

   They probably have too much vision to put up with all the mud that would be thrown at their windshields if you know what I mean…

   — Arbee    May 20, 03:52 PM    #

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