Interim Dean Vaught
Since arriving at UMKC as a faculty member in 1998, I have been impressed by the quality of the student body and the dedication and expertise of the faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences. During this time I have had the privilege of working with some truly exceptional people and am honored to have this opportunity to serve as interim dean.
Over the next few months, the College will be faced with some significant challenges but also with real opportunities for growth and innovation. As interim dean, my primary commitment is to help guide the College through these challenges toward achieving its strategic goals in both education and research. In so doing, I hope to continue previous efforts aimed at enhancing the College’s reputation as a vital community resource and a destination of choice for prospective students, faculty, and staff.
While the landscape of higher education is rapidly evolving and we are likely to see more changes in the next 20 years than in the past 100, our commitment to our students and our community remains unchanged. We must continue working to ensure that our students have access to high quality educational experiences and the resources necessary to complete their degrees in a timely fashion. We must also foster an environment that promotes innovative research and creative activities, allowing our faculty to continue to be recognized with prestigious honors and awards.
I have greatly enjoyed being a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences and my administrative roles as chair of the department of philosophy and associate dean. I am looking forward to serving in this new role and the opportunity to work with such an exciting group of faculty, students, and staff.
