Deans
The College of Arts and Sciences leadership is divided among deans who oversee specific academic and administrative areas within the college. Advancement and alumni relations, human resources and budget offices assist in the management and administration of the college.
Dean
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Dean Samuels provides academic and administrative leadership to the largest college of the University of South Carolina. He provides oversight for strategic planning, curriculum development, instruction, budget, and policies and procedures.
Academic Leadership Team
Senior Associate Dean for College Initiatives and Interdisciplinary Programs
Administrative/College-Wide Areas
Dr. Benitez-Nelson coordinates key initiatives within the college to advance the Dean’s priorities. She also coordinates several targeted fellowship programs within the college and is tasked with generating and implementing new initiatives designed to more effectively communicate the value of degrees in arts and sciences to a variety of audiences.
- College Initiatives
- Dean’s Initiatives Internal Grant Program
- Book Manuscript Finalization Support Program
- Faculty Research and Scholarship Grants
- Faculty Small Equipment Purchase Grants
- Faculty Travel Grants
- Faculty Development Programs (New Faculty, Junior Faculty and Mid-Career Faculty programs)
- Faculty Success Program: NCFDD Fellowship
- Fellowship Programs
- Bridge Humanities Fellowship Program
- McCausland Foundation Programs
- Theme Semester Program
- Dean’s Initiatives Internal Grant Program
Academic Unit Oversight and Management
Dr. Benitez-Nelson is the academic liaison between the dean’s office and the units below. Dr. Benitez-Nelson reviews all third-year, tenure, promotion, and post-tenure review files for the academic units, as well as hiring requests, administrative annual reviews, sabbatical requests, academic program reviews and nominations for named professorships and faculty and student awards in interdisciplinary programs.
Units
- African American Studies Program
- Ann Johnson Institute for Science, Technology and Society
- Cardiovascular Technology Program
- Film and Media Studies
- Humanities Collaborative
- Jewish Studies
- Linguistics
- McKissick Museum (incl. Museum Management Program)
- Neuroscience Program
- Southern Studies, Institute for
- Walker Institute of International and Area Studies
- Cyber Intelligence
- Global Studies
- Women's and Gender Studies
Assistant Dean for Research and Grants Operations
- External proposal preparation, especially budget development
- Proposal submission support for both internal (USC’s) and external (sponsors’) systems
- Policy and procedure compliance support for researchers (rebudgeting, extensions, reporting requirements)
- Budget reports for ongoing grants management
- Grant closeouts with Grants and Fund Management Office
- View Ms. Bridgman's profile.
WEBSITE: CAS Grants Operations
Vice Dean for Strategy and Engagement
Dr. Culbreath provides leadership and input to promote academic excellence and operational
efficiency. Dr. Culbreath directs strategic planning and communication around issues
related to optimizing institutional culture, reviews strategic hiring plans at the
university and college-wide level, and implements programmatic policy and guidance
to encourage engagement within the college and our broader off campus communities.
View Dr. Culbreath profile
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies
Administrative/College-Wide Areas
Dr. Friend oversees the college's Office of Undergraduate Studies at Flinn Hall and is responsible for representing the college in all matters related to undergraduate student services. Dr. Friend works closely with the Division of Student Affairs and Academic Support, the University Advising Center and serves on a wide-range of committees. Dr. Friend also manages college-level curriculum development and review including academic program and course proposals, course enrollment management, and online course and program development. Dr. Friend also serves as the college liaison for degree program assessment and experiential learning initiatives.
- Office of Undergraduate Studies at Flinn Hall
- Academic services for undergraduate students including academic advising for all majors, major changes, senior checks, and graduation approvals
- Experiential Learning and Beyond the Classroom services including study abroad program advice and approvals, career goals, internship opportunities, undergraduate research, and scholarships
- Academic Year Schedule of Classes
- College Orientation and New Student Recruitment
- Academic Unit program assessment planning and reporting
- Liaison to OIRAA on assessment issues
- CAS representative on Assessment Advisory Committee
- Program and course-level curricular development and approval
- College-level enrollment planning and course schedule development
- Faculty Credentialing
- CAS Academic Program Liaison to the Provost Office
- CAS Liaison for Carolina Core assessment
Associate Dean for Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Administrative/College-Wide Areas
Dr. Levine coordinates the Bilinski Dissertation Fellowship Program within the college.
Academic Unit Oversight and Management
Dr. Levine is the academic liaison between the dean’s office and the units below. Dr. Levine reviews all third-year, tenure, promotion, and post-tenure review files for these units, as well as hiring requests, administrative annual reviews, sabbatical requests, academic program reviews, and nominations for named professorships and faculty and student awards in the arts and humanities.
Units
- Anthropology
- Criminology & Criminal Justice
- History
- Languages, Literatures & Cultures
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Religious Studies
- Sociology
- Theatre & Dance
- Visual Art & Design, School of
Assistant Dean and Chief Financial and Operations Officer
- Serves as the college’s chief financial officer. Responsible for budget development and short and long-range planning
- Provides oversight for the college’s human resources and faculty affairs office
- Serves as the college’s chief operating officer overseeing the areas of information
technology and facilities.
WEBSITE: CAS Budget and Finance
Associate Dean for Natural Sciences
Academic Unit Oversight and Management
Dr. Roberts is the academic liaison between the dean’s office and the academic units below. Dr. Roberts reviews all third-year, tenure, promotion, and post-tenure review files for these units, as well as hiring requests, administrative annual reviews, sabbatical requests, academic program reviews, and nominations for named professorships and faculty and student awards in the sciences.
Units
- Biological Sciences
- Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Earth, Ocean and Environment, School of
- English Language and Literature
- Geography
- Mathematics
- Statistics
- Physics & Astronomy
Centers and Institutes
- Geographic Education, Center for
- Science Education, Center for
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies
Administrative/College-Wide Areas
Dr. Twiss oversees all graduate directors within the college, college grants administration, college outside professional activities, and annual CAS SmartState reports. Dr. Twiss serves as the liaison for the USC Office of Research, the College Institutional Review Board, and CAS departments in regard to budget-related matters, the CAS undergraduate computing and research operation, the college machine shop and the college electron microscopy facility.
- Graduate Education
- Liaison with all Graduate Directors and to The Graduate School
- Dean’s Initiatives Internal Grant Program
- Graduate Assistantship Enhancement Program
- Undergraduate Research Enhancement Program (UREP)
- External Grants Administration
- Liaison to USC Office of Research and USC IRB
- Undergraduate Research
- Research Facilities
- Center for Elemental Mass Spectrometry
- Electron Microscopy Center
- Magnetic Measurement Facility
- Mass Spectrometry Facility
- Mechanical Prototype Facility
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility
- Powder X-Ray Diffraction Facility
- Single Crystal X-Ray Diffraction Facility
Academic Unit Oversight and Management
Dr. Twiss is the academic liaison between the dean’s office and the units below.
Centers and Institutes
- Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine & Coastal Sciences
- Colon Cancer Prevention Network
- GIS and Remote Sensing
- Hazards and Vulnerability Research Institute
- Institute for Mind and Brain
- McCausland Center for Brain Imaging
- SC Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology
Directors of Administrative Areas (Senior Staff)
Assistant Dean for Research and Grants Operations
- External proposal preparation, especially budget development
- Proposal submission support for both internal (USC’s) and external (sponsors’) systems
- Policy and procedure compliance support for researchers (rebudgeting, extensions, reporting requirements)
- Budget reports for ongoing grants management
- Grant closeouts with Grants and Fund Management Office
- View Ms. Bridgman's profile.
WEBSITE: CAS Grants Operations
Director of Space and Facilities Operations
- Maintenance of buildings and associated service requests
- Monitoring, tracking and representing CAS units during construction and renovations projects
- College space utilization
- Security procedures including all key and Carolina Card access control
- Matters related to the safety of employees, students and visitors
- Emergency preparedness and notifications
- Communication of applicable facilities information to unit Building Coordinators and within the Dean’s Office
- View Mr. Doty's profile.
WEBSITE: CAS Space and Facilities Operations
Director of Communications
- External-facing public relations and marketing (news, press releases, interview requests, social media, feature stories)
- College websites including internal and unit sub-sites (departments, programs, centers, and institutes)
- CAS directory changes and profile page updates
- College Newsletters (alumni, students, and faculty/staff)
- View Mr. Gentry's profile.
WEBSITE: CAS Advancement
Director of Budget and Finance
- Fiscal and budget affairs for unrestricted funds of all college units
- Unit compliance with budget-related policies and procedures
- Unit- and college-level budget development
WEBSITE: CAS Budget and Finance
- Serves as the college’s chief financial officer. Responsible for budget development and short and long-range planning
- Provides oversight for the college’s human resources and faculty affairs office
- Serves as the college’s chief operating officer overseeing the areas of information
technology and facilities.
WEBSITE: CAS Budget and Finance
Director of Information Technology Services
- Technical support services for instructional and administrative needs in CAS
- Coordination with dean, chairs, and directors to assess IT needs
- Advisor for hardware and software planning and acquisition
- Security compliance liaison
- College IT policies and procedures
- IT liaison for university-level advisory and oversight committees
- View Mr. Mullaney's profile.
WEBSITE: CAS Information Technology Services
Director of External Relations
- Alumni Relations
- Donor Stewardship
- Community Engagement
- Special Events and Initiatives for the College
- View Ms.Plott's profile.
WEBSITE: CAS Advancement
Director of Human Resources and Faculty Affairs
- Human Resources actions and processes for all college staff, faculty and students
- Recruitment, hiring and appointment procedures
- Faculty review and promotion processes including tenure review
- Leaves of absence, emeritus appointments, administrative appointments
- Faculty awards, endowed chairs and professorships
- College-level compliance with federal, state and university labor laws
- Employee Relations support for CAS faculty and staff
- View Ms. Robinson's profile.
WEBSITE: CAS Human Resources and Faculty Affairs
- Oversee advancement operations and external relations strategies, with the goal of developing a fundraising portfolio to support the programs of the College of Arts and Sciences.
- In collaboration with the Assistant Vice President and Dean, create and implement an annual plan for fundraising, campaign, stewardship and programmatic goals, among other priorities. Cultivate major gifts and build relationships with prospective major donors.
- Manage a team of development and external relations professionals. Foster an environment conducive to high performance by maintaining clear monthly goals and providing mentorship.
- Collaborate with departments and teams in the Dean’s office, including External Relations, the Senior Associate Vice President, area coordinators and directors, faculty, alumni and volunteers for fundraising and development efforts. Partner with and gain insights from initiatives including Gift Planning, Annual Giving, Principal Gift, and Corporate and Foundation Philanthropy.
Prospectus and application available through Aspen Leadership Group
WEBSITE: CAS Advancement
Dean's Office Administration
Executive Assistant to the Dean and Office Manager
- Assistant to the Dean (appointments, travel, correspondence)
- Office Manager for the Dean's Office
- College-wide administrative communications (incl. Dean's Office CASDEAN and CASPROG email accounts)
- Chair/Director appointment and review
- Annual evaluations (Comprehensive, Annual and Standard)
- Chair/Director search process
- Collaboration with advancement and alumni relations
- Meeting scheduling and coordination
- CAS Chair/Director meetings
- CAS Faculty meetings
- Dean’s Advisory Committee
- Academic Planning and Curriculum Group