FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. –Suzanne McCray, currently the interim dean of the university’s Honors College and director of the office of post-graduate fellowships, has been appointed vice provost for enrollment management and dean of admissions at the University of Arkansas.

McCray, who will report to the provost effective June 1, will oversee the offices of admissions, financial aid and the registrar. She also will have shared oversight of the offices of academic scholarships and post-graduate fellowships.

“The vice provost for enrollment management and dean of admissions is critical to our success in attracting and retaining high quality students in an increasingly diverse academic arena,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “Suzanne has a deep understanding of the needs of students as well as a great deal of knowledge about the history of the University of Arkansas and the demographics of our state. Her experience and excellent rapport with students will serve the university exceptionally well in this new capacity.”

“I am pleased that Dr. McCray has agreed to fill this critical position,” added Sharon Gaber, who will assume her new appointment as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs on May 1. “Her student-centered experience with recruitment, retention and scholarships in the Honors College will serve the university well in enrollment management. We have also discussed establishing a council to keep all stakeholder groups informed about progress, opportunities and challenges.”

The position of vice provost of enrollment management and dean of admissions is not a new position, but rather a restoration of a post established several years ago but unfilled since 2003. 

McCray said her first priority will be to reintegrate the various offices that are an essential part of an effective enrollment services operation.

“Financial aid, admissions and the registrar’s office are critical parts of the recruitment effort,” McCray said. “They work collaboratively now, but we want our approach to recruitment and admissions to be as seamless as possible. I also want to help put in place a council on responsible growth that will help ensure that we have the infrastructure – facilities, faculty, staff and courses – available to handle growth. It is important that we plan ahead for growth and do not simply react to it when it happens.”

Gearhart has charged enrollment management with developing a strategic plan to increase the size of the university by recruiting students who are academically prepared to succeed.

“We are very interested in growing the right way with students who will graduate,” said McCray, who will lead the strategic planning effort in this new role. “This means expanding the help we provide to those who are not yet ready – through ACT preparation and counseling.

“It also means reaching out to more students who are prepared,” she continued. “Increasing the size of our student body has the potential to really benefit the university, especially if the additional students contribute to the overall mission and quality of the campus. Growing in quality and quantity will require an extensive, long-term coordinated effort.”

McCray will continue working directly with Robert McMath, dean of the Honors College, in administering academic scholarships and post-graduate fellowships. A search for an associate dean of the Honors College will be conducted by McMath.

“Suzanne McCray has played a crucial role in the success of the Honors College since its inception, and she will make an even greater contribution to the university in this new role,” said McMath. “As much as I hate to see Dr. McCray leave the Honors College, I am proud that we have such an outstanding leader among us who is willing to take on this important assignment.”

McCray holds three degrees from the University of Arkansas – a B.A. in English and M.A. degrees in English and French. She also holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Tennessee.

She began her career at the University of Arkansas in 1983 as an English instructor. In 1990, she became program coordinator in honors studies in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, eventually moving into the assistant and then associate director. In 1998, she was named director of the office of post-graduate fellowships. From 2002 to the present, she has served as associate dean of the Honors College. She also has served as the interim dean of the Honors College from 2008 to 2009.