Candidates for the next dean of the University of Delaware’s College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) will visit campus beginning Friday, Nov. 15, to participate in town hall meetings.

The initial town hall is scheduled from 2:30-3:45 p.m., and the others are scheduled from 2-3:15 p.m. Each town hall will be held in Trabant Theater and available on this livestream link. The full schedule will be available on the CAS dean search website, with biographical information about each candidate available through a UD login 24 hours before their town hall. 

At the town halls, candidates will present their vision for the college, followed by a question-and-answer session.

Recordings of the town halls, along with forms for submitting feedback about the candidates, will be available for one week after each event.

Co-chairing the search advisory committee for the next CAS dean are Wendy Bellion, associate dean for the humanities in CAS and the Sewell C. Biggs Chair in American Art History, and Louis Rossi, dean of the Graduate College and vice provost for graduate and professional education.

Reporting to Provost Laura Carlson, the dean is responsible for the leadership of CAS, including the development, operations, and sustained excellence of all academic programs across the College’s schools, departments, and interdisciplinary centers and institutes.

The College of Arts and Sciences is nationally recognized for its exceptional educational experiences and for integrating instruction, research, and public engagement. With 24 academic departments in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, more than 25 centers, programs, and institutes, and featuring outstanding research and teaching facilities, CAS serves over 7,500 students, supported by more than 400 staff and 600 faculty members. The College’s faculty members emphasize the enduring value of an arts and sciences education and a deep commitment to excellence in scholarship and all forms of creative and intellectual expression.

Debra Hess Norris, a long-time member of the University of Delaware faculty, highly regarded scholar and respected administrator, has served as interim CAS dean since August 2023.