Serving My Academic Home: Message from RJ Hinde
I am excited to return to the College of Arts and Sciences to serve as the interim executive dean from November 2022 to June 2026.
My independent academic career began in 1994 when I joined the faculty in the UT Department of Chemistry. After becoming a full professor, I made my first foray into academic administration in the college office as an associate dean. I served the college under three different deans, including serving for three and half years under Dean Lee.
In August 2015, I moved to the UT Office of the Provost to serve as vice provost for academic affairs. I left that role at the request of the provost in October 2022 to return to the college as the interim executive dean and help navigate the divisional structure pilot.
Divisional Structure Pilot
During the 2021-22 academic year, UT leadership engaged campus partners in a discussion about academic structures to ensure our academic colleges enable the success of our strategic vision, offer the best opportunity for disciplines and programs to thrive, and provide departments with the resources and support to be successful in a rapidly changing higher education landscape.
For the College of Arts and Sciences, the recommendation was to establish a divisional structure organized around three broad divisions: arts and humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences and mathematics. A divisional dean will lead each division and report to the executive dean of the college. UT leadership also recommended removing the School of Music from the college to create an independent College of Music, which the Board of Trustees approved in February.
This structure is similar to several of the nation’s leading public research universities, including the Universities of Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, and Washington. I have consulted with arts and sciences leadership at these institutions and received valuable advice as we begin the divisional structure pilot at UT.
Under the college’s new divisional structure, the primary responsibilities of the executive dean include:
- Developing clear and consistent lines of communication with faculty and staff.
- Creating processes to support financial decision-making and accountability across the divisions.
- Providing staffing and resources to support faculty in areas such as research support and advocacy for the college’s departments.
- Creating and executing compelling strategic goals that are a model for colleges of arts and sciences across the country.
The divisional structure pilot will begin in the 2023-24 academic year and continue through the 2024-25 academic year. We will assess its success in academic year 2025-26 and either continue with the divisional structure as-is or make further changes to the college’s administrative structure to support the college’s goals better. If we determine the divisional structure supports our goals, we will search for an executive dean to begin July 2026.
Change can be hard, but our college is a thriving center of discovery with nationally ranked programs and our goal is to build on these successes as we think about the future of our college. We will continue preparing our students to become engaged leaders and global citizens. I am excited to partner with our faculty and staff to continue our work and strengthen the experience of each person who is part of the College of Arts and Sciences community.
Our college has a bright future thanks to the thoughtfulness, dedication, and energy of our faculty, staff, and students, and the unwavering support of our alumni. Thank you for being part of our community!
I am always happy to hear from our college alumni and other stakeholders. Please feel free to email me at ExecutiveDeanCAS@utk.edu.
Thank you for your continued support of UT and the College of Arts and Sciences!
Sincerely,
RJ Hinde
Interim Executive Dean
