This post was updated Feb. 19 at 6:50 p.m.
The senior dean and dean of Undergraduate Education at the UCLA College of Letters and Sciences will be stepping down this June after four years at the head of the college.
Patricia Turner, a world arts and cultures and African American Studies professor, will step down as dean and vice provost of the Division of Undergraduate Education and senior dean of the college June 30, according to an email sent by Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Emily Carter to UCLA College faculty and staff.
Turner will continue as a full-time professor in the departments of World Arts and Cultures/Dance and African American Studies, Carter said.
Turner, a former UC Davis vice provost, assumed the role of senior dean in June 2016 and has served as the dean and vice provost of UCLA’s Division of Undergraduate Education since 2013. In these roles, Turner implemented UCLA’s diversity requirement and helped establish Centennial Fiat Lux courses that delved into UCLA’s history and culture, Carter said.
UCLA has witnessed a growth in four-year graduation rates under Turner, Carter added. Turner and her staff also helped create three- and four-year pathways to help students graduate on a timeline best suited to their academic goals, Carter said.
Additionally, Turner has served as UCLA’s accreditation liaison professor since 2013, managing the campus’ accreditation review process.
Turner has also worked toward raising contributions for the Centennial Campaign for UCLA and led the development of the Arthur Ashe Legacy Fund, which funds both an undergraduate scholarship and several projects memorializing Arthur Ashe.
Carter said she is initiating the search for a successor to Turner.
