Dean of Arkansas State College of Liberal Arts and Communication to step down

Little Rock, Arkansas – According to a press release from Arkansas State University, Dr. Carl Cates informed his chairs and faculty today of his plan to retire as the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Communication later this year.

Cates will step down as dean on June 30 and resume his academic consultancy business.

Cates was chosen to serve as the first dean of the newly organized College of Liberal Arts and Communication upon his arrival at Arkansas State in 2016. Cates effectively oversaw the fusion of three different institutions into a single cross-disciplinary organization throughout his tenure.

“It has been my honor to be a part of this transformation at Arkansas State, and I will always remember the great things we achieved together,” Cates said.

According to a press release, one of his main accomplishments during his time at A-State was the opening of the Windgate Center for Three-Dimensional Arts. The Department of Art + Design now has modern workspaces thanks to the $7 million structure, which took the place of the Art Annex. Also, he contributed to early planning efforts for the future Windgate Hall of Art and Innovation.

Len Frey, the interim provost, commended Cates for his years of dedication to the university.

“Carl played an integral role in guiding the launch of our College of Liberal Arts and Communication, and Arkansas State will always remember him as the inaugural dean of CLAC,” Frey said. “We wish him well in his future endeavors.”

The appointment of an interim dean and the procedure for choosing a permanent dean would be decided in the coming weeks, according to Frey’s announcement to the campus today.