The dean of the College of Education announced Wednesday he will leave Iowa State in July to take a similar position at the University of San Francisco.

Walter Gmelch came to the decision with his wife, Paula, program assistant for the Department of Apparel, Education Studies and Hospitality Management in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

He said although “this university is the best experience I’ve had in this profession, by far,” he and Paula had always planned to return to California, where they both grew up and where their families live.

“We always said our next and last move would be back to the Bay Area,” he said.

Gmelch was offered the San Francisco job in late October 2003, he said, and applied for it in November. He made two visits to the University of San Francisco earlier this year and accepted the position of Dean of the School of Education on Tuesday.

“We were debating and debating and finally decided that this is right, and that this is a good fit,” he said.

He said his decision to leave was not related to the February announcement by ISU President Gregory Geoffroy about combining the Colleges of Education and Family and Consumer Sciences to save administrative costs.

“Walt has a philosophy of being pulled from a position, not pushed,” Paula Gmelch said. “He’s enjoyed all he’s done here and was not looking to leave. This has nothing to do with the situation here.”

She said moving closer to family, including her ill father, was a major factor in their decision.

“We haven’t looked for a change, but once something came our way, things changed,” she said.

Frustration with lack of support for higher education by the Iowa Legislature also factored into the decision to leave Iowa, Walter said.

“We have no frustration with the university; our frustration is in the deterioration of support within Iowa government,” he said. “The Legislature has not supported education the way they should.”

Gmelch, who became dean at Iowa State in July 1998, said his initial decision to move to Iowa was partially based on the state’s focus on education.

“Iowa is special for a couple ways,” he said. “Most important is the focus on education. If [legislators are] not going to support education, they take away best thing the state has to offer.”

Provost Ben Allen said continual cuts in state support are affecting on the university’s ability to retain and attract faculty and staff.

“I know Dean Gmelch had that concern about the level of support from the state,” Allen said. “I do believe as these budgets year after year are cut, you are getting an increased number of faculty and administrators who are obviously tempted to look elsewhere for opportunities.”

Gmelch formally announced his decision to leave to his colleagues at a deans meeting Wednesday morning, Allen said.

“His decision to leave was a surprise, [although] he had this opportunity in front of him for some time,” Allen said. “He has done a credible job here as dean and has left a great legacy. Because of that, we are very, very disappointed that he’s leaving.”

Allen said he plans to begin an interim dean search in early summer to replace Gmelch. A search for a new dean for the combined Colleges of Education and Family and Consumer Sciences will follow in the next year.