UTA Campus Announcement – College of Liberal Arts

We are writing to let you know that after careful consideration, Dr. Elisabeth Cawthon has decided to step down from her role as dean of the College of Liberal Arts (CoLA) on August 31, 2021. She will return as a UTA faculty member after a short leave of absence to attend to personal matters.

Dr. Cawthon joined UTA’s faculty in 1989. She worked in an administrative capacity for CoLA for the last seven years, serving as interim dean for a year and being appointed to the permanent position in 2017.

As dean, Dr. Cawthon enriched CoLA’s scholarship, research and creative activity in the social sciences, humanities and fine arts. Under her leadership, the college established several interdisciplinary programs, including Medical Humanities, Pre-Law, Forensic Applications of Science and Technology, Dance, Musical Theatre, Disability Studies, Philanthropy, and Music Industry Studies.

While serving as dean, Dr. Cawthon raised CoLA’s research profile through individual faculty work and the seeking of grants, ensured the college’s financial stability and secured capital improvements. She concentrated CoLA’s focus on:

Interdisciplinary and inter-field collaboration among students and faculty.
Evolving the curriculum to reflect 21st-century job prospects.
Diversity and inclusion in the hiring of faculty and staff.
Meaningful leadership development opportunities for students, faculty and staff.

“It was an extremely rewarding experience that solidified my leadership philosophy that I learned from Nelson Mandela, who spoke of ‘leading from behind.’ I endeavored to ensure our talented and energetic faculty, staff and students had individual and collaborative freedom in their educational and professional endeavors. I stepped forward to facilitate when needed but focused my efforts on inspiring and encouraging the brilliant people who truly innovate.”

Thanks to Dr. Cawthon’s leadership and contributions, the college is on a positive trajectory. In the coming weeks we will schedule listening sessions with faculty, staff and students to inform the selection of an interim dean before Dr. Cawthon’s leave of absence.

As we look forward to her return as an esteemed member of UTA’s faculty, please join us in thanking Dr. Cawthon for her admirable service as dean of CoLA.