School of Professional & Continuing Studies undergoes internal restructuring in response to direction provided in the SPCS Strategic Plan

July 1, 2018

In response to its strategic plan’s goals, the University of Richmond School of Professional & Continuing Studies (SPCS) has restructured its operations to better reflect its student-focused alignment in the areas of academic & student affairs, professional education & special projects, and continuing & lifelong learning.

Effective July 1, 2018, following the June 30 retirement of Senior Associate Dean Dr. Patricia J. Brown, Dr. Thomas J. Shields has been named Associate Dean for Academic & Student Affairs.

Dr. David Kitchen’s title has been revised to Associate Dean for Professional Education & Special Programs.

Joining Dean Jamelle Wilson and Associate Deans Shields and Kitchen on the School’s Extended Leadership team are James Campbell, Director of Marketing & Engagement, and Tom Walsh, Director of Administrative & Technical Services. Dr. Ellen Walk, Associate Professor of Information Systems, will continue to serve as Associate Dean for Administration through the upcoming transitional months while representing the faculty on the extended leadership team.

Also effective July 1, the School’s Marketing & Communication team has been expanded to become the Marketing & Engagement team, directed by James Campbell. Joining the team effective July 1 are John Zinn, Director of Enrollment Management & Strategic Partnerships, and Linda Turner, Director of External Relations.

Through October 1, Erica De Pompeo will continuing serving as Student Advisor for undergraduate liberal arts and Weekend College students while joining the Marketing & Engagement team as Recruiter. On or about October 1, De Pompeo will relinquish her advising responsibilities to become the School’s full-time recruiter.

The Student Services team, consisting of Student Advisors Lois Willis and Tammy Alexander, Advisor Erica De Pompeo through October 1, and Admissions Coordinator Kelli Bradford, will become part of the Academic & Student Affairs area of the School, supervised during an interim transitional period by Dr. Ellen Walk

The Professional Education & Special Programs unit of the School expands to include Partners in the Arts and the Institute on Philanthropy, along with the existing Summer School and Professional Education (formerly noncredit) programs. The unit also encompasses the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute as the largest component of the School’s Continuing & Lifelong Learning efforts.

Faculty, staff and administrators not named above remain engaged in their existing positions with their existing responsibilities; individual position titles and job descriptions may be revised in the coming months to better represent current and future responsibilities and strategic direction. Titles and roles will be updated in the School’s staff directory and the University’s main directory.

These structural changes reflect the School’s desire as expressed in its Strategic Plan to align its programs and mission along three student-focused areas, stated in Goal 1, and its desire to enhance strategic partnerships, stated in Goal 5. These structural changes are also intended to align and leverage School and University assets to develop programming that meets the needs of the Richmond community, stated in Goal 2, and to integrate programs, services, and educational offerings with those of the University and of the other schools at UR, stated in Goal 4.