Linda LucasDuring a forum hosted by the UAB Faculty Senate Jan. 20, faculty from several disciplines gathered to hear more information about the search for a new Graduate School dean from Provost Linda Lucas and ask questions about the future of graduate education.
UAB’s graduate enrollment, up 43 percent in the past decade, is the highest among Alabama universities at 5,937 in fall 2014. The diverse group — two-thirds female, nearly 30 percent minority — are pursuing degrees in 50 master’s programs, 37 doctoral programs and eight education specialist programs.
Questions were raised about funding for graduate student education, the availability of interdisciplinary programs for graduate students and the wording of the dean’s job description, among others.
Lucas said she wants a new dean named before nine-month faculty leave in mid-May. Finalizing the job description is essential to making that happen, she said.
Lucas has said the search committee, once selected, will have broad representation within UAB, and the search will be open to internal and external candidates. The search committee will review applicants, and finalists for the position will make public presentations.
During the search, Associate Dean Jeffrey Engler, Ph.D., is interim dean of The Graduate School. He fills the vacancy created by the Dec. 31 retirement of Bryan Noe, Ph.D., who was UAB’s first full-time Graduate School dean from 2005 to 2014.
