On Aug. 18, Dean Timothy McNamara announced his decision to conclude his deanship per a press release from the university. He will continue to serve as dean through the end of his term on June 30, 2026. Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs C. Cybele Raver appointed a search committee to work in partnership with executive search firm Isaacson Miller to lead the initiative to appoint McNamara’s successor.
Thomas Steenburgh, dean of the Owen School and chair of the search committee, commented on his vision for the committee’s search in the press release from the university.
“The brightest days for Arts and Science are ahead, and this committee and I are excited to work on behalf of the entire community to identify exceptional candidates for the role,” Steenburgh said.
McNamara’s deanship, which began in 2023 as an interim position, resulted in several major changes to the College of Arts and Science’s offerings. He oversaw the replacement of AXLE with the College Core curriculum, expansion of fundraising, reorganization of the pre-major advising system and planning for collaborative research space in Stevenson 6.
Some of the changes under his deanship, including the phasing out of the College Scholars program, proved controversial among students. Senior Katerina Krizner, who serves as co-president of the program’s council, hopes that the transition to a new dean may prompt a revival of the organization.
“I am optimistic that the petitioning and planning we did to try to keep College Scholars alive might be used by students in the coming years to revive the organization we loved,” Krizner said.
Other changes, such as the College Core and reorganization of pre-major advising, were designed to better serve the A&S student body, according to McNamara.
“[We] created written policies where none existed; revised policies to better align decision making criteria with strategic goals; simplified procedures; and focused a lot of energy on making sure that we were offering the best possible educational experience to students,” McNamara said in an email to The Hustler.
McNamara also reflected on the challenges throughout his deanship and as a member of the Vanderbilt community for over forty years, expressing optimism for the future of Vanderbilt.
“I have been a member of the A&S faculty for more than 40 years. During that time, Vanderbilt has experienced at least six major financial or other challenges; a couple of which looked like they might become existential threats,” McNamara said. “Yet Vanderbilt emerged from each crisis stronger than when it entered. Those experiences give me confidence that Vanderbilt’s future remains very bright.”
After the conclusion of his deanship, McNamara plans to return as a faculty member, with plans to teach a learning and memory course, as well as classes in the College Core.
