College of Liberal Arts (CLA) Dean Philip Williams accepted a new role at Oregon State University as its CLA dean, according to an email from the Office of the Provost.
Williams’ last day at Cal Poly will be Aug. 23 and he will begin his new role on Sept. 16, according to the email.
Throughout Williams’ five-year tenure, the CLA launched various programs to help support students, the email stated, such as starting a summer undergraduate research program and increasing access to study abroad programs through global engagement grants.
First drawn to the university for its “Learn by Doing” philosophy, Dean Williams began his role at Cal Poly in 2019. He saw an opportunity to create interdisciplinary “collaboration and innovation” between academic colleges and within CLA, according to the 2019 Cal Poly Impact Magazine.
Dean Williams’ commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) contributed to his vision of a liberal arts sin fronteras, meaning without borders, boundaries or barriers, the email stated.
“The college carried out two successful DEI-focused cluster hires,” the Office of the Provost wrote. “One [cluster hire] resulted in hiring 11 new tenure-track faculty across eight different departments. A Latinx Studies cluster hire resulted in hiring six new tenure-track faculty in support of Cal Poly’s Hispanic-Serving Institution initiative.”
Dean Williams will contribute to the selection process for an interim CLA dean. The Office of the Provost will soon be conducting a nationwide search for Williams’ permanent successor with support from an external search firm, the email stated. Further details about the search process for the next CLA dean and community involvement will be released in the future.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Dean Philip Williams’ last day as Aug. 2. His last day is Aug. 23.
