University College Transition Update
Dear Colleagues:
I hope you are having an amazing summer!
I write to update you on our efforts to implement the recommendations of the One VCU Academic Repositioning Task Force, specifically the recommendation entitled, “Creation of a new College for advancing Interdisciplinary, Experiential and Entrepreneurial Studies.”
- Effective July 10, 2024, Andrew Arroyo, Ed.D., senior vice provost for Academic Affairs, will become the interim dean for University College. In that capacity, Dr. Arroyo will lead a transition committee that will guide the implementation of this recommendation.
- That transition committee will include the following members:
- Catherine Ingrassia, Ph.D., dean, VCU College of Humanities and Sciences
- Vanessa B. Sheppard, Ph.D., interim founding dean, VCU School of Population Health
- Brian Brown, Ph.D., interim dean, VCU School of Business
- Garret Westlake, Ph.D., executive director, VCU da Vinci Center for Innovation
- Zach Hilpert, Ph.D., director of Interdisciplinary Studies, University College
- Shanza Isom, director, Engaged Transformative Learning
- D’Arcy Mays, Ph.D., who has done a terrific job as the interim dean of University College since last fall, will return to the College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS), effective July 10, 2024. There he will resume his position as an associate dean and will lead the transition of the Focused Inquiry program into CHS.
- Faculty members from all three units are already working together to create a name for this re-focused college, and will collaborate with the transition committee over the coming academic year to plan for how the combined units will operate.
- Once the transition committee completes its work, a national search will be conducted for the college’s permanent dean, likely during the spring semester.
As always, thank you for all that you do for VCU and the students we serve together.
Best regards,
Fotis Sotiropoulos, Ph.D.
Provost and senior vice president for academic affairs