Seven new deans were hired in less than five months earlier this year, completing several dean searches started in fall 2013.
The searches for many of the deans began last year after seven deans stepped down, with University alumni and professors and candidates from other universities considered for dean positions, said Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Stuart Bell.
The hiring of the new deans comes a year after University-wide salary increases and state budget increases for the University.
Some of the new deans, like Dean of the E.J. Ourso College of Business Richard White Jr. and Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Stacia Haynie, were already at the University serving students in other capacities — like teaching — and others came to the University from around the country.
The Daily Reveille previously reported that the interview process has three stages: application reviews, Skype interviews and in-person interviews. The final candidates for the LSU Libraries and the College of Music and Dramatic Arts also visited campus in March to give open forum talks to students.
The College of Business was the largest of the six colleges to receive a new dean this year with an enrollment of 1,927 students last semester. The College of Science came in second with 1,633 students.
White served as interim dean of the college for almost two years before his hiring in February. White said in a news release that the college will help spur Louisiana’s economy and move the state ahead.
Haynie said she is working with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences to develop a pre-law program and looks forward to collaboration with the law school.
College of Music and Dramatic Arts Dean Todd Queen, who came to the University from Colorado State University, said in a news release that during every stage of the search process, he was impressed with the students, staff, administration and programs at the University.
LSU President F. King Alexander said the University is also looking to hire about 100 new faculty in the next year to fill places as faculty leave for retirement and other jobs and to match the growing enrollment numbers in certain colleges.