Scholz to Lead Assessment of Academic Affairs

Dear Deans,

Our recent leadership changes are an opportunity for KU to look more closely at the services and structure of Academic Affairs before searching for a more permanent leader.

As I said in my March 4 message, I am initiating a study that will pull together numerous campus partners who can reflect on the resources and structure of Academic Affairs. We need to know how it can best serve the university community through a One KU lens, while still providing excellent support to its stakeholders. Susan Scholz, executive associate dean and professor in the School of Business, has agreed to lead this effort.

I know the people in Academic Affairs are dedicated to ensuring our students and faculty have the support they need and that programs meet rigorous standards expected by our stakeholders. They do amazing work, and each of us wants that to continue. At the same time, external pressures and our changing environment – which includes a unified One KU approach to our academic mission – call us to ensure our operations are coordinated, appropriately resourced and effective.

Susan will soon assemble a small working group that over the next six months will seek viewpoints from a variety of perspectives such as department chairs, faculty leading academic administration, staff within Academic Affairs, and colleagues at the KU Medical Center, to name a few. The working group will also reach out to academic affairs professionals at peer institutions to gather feedback on KU’s strengths and opportunities to evolve and advance.

The working group’s findings should help us identify operational efficiencies and insufficiencies, paths to organizational clarity, greater connection with KU Medical Center, routes to ensure high quality support for faculty and students and much more. This work will also help us ascertain a future direction for Academic Affairs, which will be critical information to guide a search for the next vice provost.

Please join me in thanking Susan for taking on this critical leadership role. Academics is foundational to every aspect of our university operations and structure. I’m appreciative this project is in her talented hands.

Sincerely,

Arash

Arash Mafi, Ph.D.

Chief Academic Officer / Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor

Professor of Physics & Astronomy