Royster Appointed to Second Term as Dean

Following a review over recent months, Jacqueline Jones Royster, dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, has been reappointed for a second term.

The Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook calls for a review of the performance of academic deans after five years of service. This past fall, Provost Rafael Bras appointed a committee to review Royster’s first term. The committee's report culminated in a hearty affirmation of Royster’s work and her competence in the role of dean.

“The committee commended Dean Royster’s emphasis on equity, fairness, transparency, high academic standards, and open communications,” said Bras. “It was my pleasure to offer her reappointment, and she has enthusiastically accepted.”

Royster was lauded for her prioritization of growing Ivan Allen’s reputation both on and off campus, along with other leadership qualities.

“The position calls for an innovative leader capable of not just finding opportunities, but making them,” the report stated. “Dean Royster is such a leader.”

Royster was also commended for articulating the role of the liberal arts at Tech, defining Ivan Allen’s institutional role as “innovation at the crossroads of humanities, social science, and technology.” Her particular emphasis on civic leadership aligns with Tech’s strategic goals of graduating good global citizens and instilling public service as a priority in graduates. She was also praised for her availability, including her willingness to have individual meetings and timely response to phone calls and emails. 

"The Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts is at a wonderful place in its long history at Georgia Tech, and I am pleased that this second appointment as Dean permits me to continue working with wonderful colleagues — faculty, staff, fellow administrators across the college and the Institute, students, alumni, partners and friends — near and far," said Royster. "Looking ahead, I remain excited to be connected to the remarkable vision and mission of liberal arts at Tech as we continue to set an ambitious pace for what the liberal arts should be in our 21st century world." 

Steven French, dean of the College of Architecture, chaired the committee, with Ivan Allen faculty comprising the rest of the group: Jennifer Clark (School of Public Policy), Kelly Comfort (School of Modern Languages), Carl DiSalvo (School of Literature, Media, and Communication), Byung-Cheol Kim (School of Economics), Steven Usselman (School of History, Technology, and Society), and Katja Weber (Sam Nunn School of International Affairs). 

The committee developed its evaluation with input from various sources, including a self-assessment from Royster, a survey of Ivan Allen faculty and staff, open office hours with Ivan Allen faculty and staff, interviews with Ivan Allen leadership, and a peer evaluation from Tech’s five other academic deans. Royster’s new appointment is for an additional five years, beginning August 1.