Thank you for your continued participation as we prepare for the divisional structure pilot, which begins July 1. We have accomplished quite a bit in the month since my last update. Searches are underway for the divisional deans and three associate deans. We are revising college bylaws to reflect changes in our academic units and to prepare us for the divisional pilot.
Associate Deans Update
Angie Batey and Brendan McConville will leave their associate dean positions this summer to join the new College of Music leadership team.
Angie served 10 years as the associate dean for diversity and inclusion and helped develop STRIDE, the Faculty Fellows program, and mentoring and professional development programs for diverse faculty, including the college’s mentoring matrix for women faculty.
Brendan joined the college leadership team last year as associate dean for academic programs. In his short time with the team, he has improved the college’s curricular processes, supported our graduate students, and strengthened our online academic offerings. Please join me in thanking Angie and Brendan for their leadership and service.
Todd Moore, associate dean for academic personnel (and former associate dean for academic programs) will return to the Department of Psychology and resume his teaching and research activities. In his current role, Todd is dedicated to supporting departments in hiring, retaining, promoting, and supporting faculty members through all stages of their careers. As associate dean for academic programs, he spearheaded work to support graduate students and collaborated with Angie on outreach to HBCUs. Please join me in thanking Todd for his leadership and service.
Finally, the associate dean for research and facilities position will be split into two positions. Larry McKay will take on the new role of associate dean for facilities and infrastructure. This is a full-time job, considering that the college occupies more than 800,000 square feet of space on campus. We will conduct an internal search for a new associate dean for research and creative activity.
Internal searches are underway now for several of these positions. Candidates should have achieved the rank of full professor by fall 2023 and may apply via the following Interfolio links:
- Associate Dean for Academic Programs
- Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
- Associate Dean for Research and Creative Activity
If you would like to recommend someone for one of these positions, please email me at rhinde@utk.edu. The search for a new associate dean for diversity will take place this fall.
Divisional Deans Update
In the divisional structure pilot, divisional deans will be responsible for leading and managing the academic units within their division in collaboration with department heads. The Interfolio sites for the college’s divisional dean positions are open. Candidates for these positions should have achieved the rank of full professor by fall 2023 and apply via the following Interfolio links:
Information about the roles and responsibilities of divisional deans, members of the search committees, and other resources about the divisional structure pilot are available on the college website.
Bylaws Update
In order to implement the divisional structure pilot, we need to make changes to the college’s bylaws. We also needed to update the bylaws to reflect recent developments, such as the creation of the Department of Africana Studies and the College of Music, name changes for some of the college’s departments, and consolidation of the Manual for Faculty Evaluation with the Faculty Handbook.
Proposed changes to the bylaws were first shared with faculty by email on March 30. In-person discussions of the proposed changes took place April 5 and April 10, and the college established a Microsoft Teams site for online discussion of the proposed changes. A vote on the first set of proposed changes, which revised the bylaws to reflect changes in the academic units in the college, was conducted from April 5 to April 14. The changes were approved. The vote on the second group of proposed changes, which will add the roles and responsibilities of the divisional dean positions to the bylaws, is underway now and will end on April 27.
Thank you again for your participation and active engagement as we continue our preparations for the divisional structure pilot. I am excited to work together to strengthen the experience of every student, staff member, and faculty member in our college.
Sincerely,
RJ Hinde
Interim Executive Dean
College of Arts and Sciences