Provost Peggy Agouris sent the following message to the campus community on April 19, 2023. – Ed.
Dear William & Mary faculty, staff and students,
With great pleasure I announce today that Suzanne Raitt will become the permanent Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, effective April 25.
Suzanne has been leading Arts & Sciences since the beginning of the year, when she agreed to serve as Acting Dean. At that time she was Vice Dean for Arts, Humanities, and Interdisciplinary Studies, and Chancellor Professor of English. Since then, Suzanne has helped to advance several key initiatives in Arts & Sciences, has continued to work with the Council of Arts & Sciences, and co-chairs the steering committee exploring the future of computing, data & applied sciences at William & Mary.
The search committee, chaired by Law School Dean A. Benjamin Spencer, shared that stakeholder feedback was “overwhelmingly positive” in favor of Suzanne becoming the permanent dean. Additionally, Dean Spencer shared the committee’s sense that she “has a level of trust with faculty that a new candidate wouldn’t have at the outset.” He added that the committee felt that Suzanne understands the concerns of Arts & Sciences and that she “could start the position with a level of positivity and realism that would serve her well.”
I couldn’t agree more. Suzanne is a valuable partner with my office and others with which she interacts. She is fair, level-headed, and measured. And as Arts & Sciences faculty members will tell you, she has a unique and wry sense of humor, an indispensable attribute for an academic leader.
Suzanne has served as Chair of W&M’s Department of English, directed the university’s Women’s Studies program, represented the faculty on the Board of Visitors and held three Faculty Assembly leadership positions, including President. In 2008, she was honored with the Plumeri Award for Faculty Excellence at William & Mary. Please visit the W&M News announcement to learn more about Suzanne.
Thank you to Dean Spencer and the search committee, as well as everyone who took time to offer feedback on the A&S Dean candidates. We searched the nation to reaffirm that our treasure was here the whole time. Please extend your congratulations to Suzanne. I look forward to the future in Arts & Sciences with her at the helm.
Sincerely,
Peggy