Andrew McMichael came to academia via elementary school classrooms and has a passion for teaching and learning. After hitting roadblocks while trying to convene a cross discipline class he decided to go into leadership roles to fix the problem. Since then he has used his role as Dean to bring about positive change for his faculty.
He also addresses the issue of whether or not university teachers must also be researchers. ‘When we say ‘they don’t do research’ that’s almost pejorative for us, because they do research. They’re learning how to be better teachers.”
Dr Andrew McMichael is Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama.
This interview was recorded at the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences Annual Meeting in San Deigo in November 2023 by Executive Director Jane Ryan. DASSH warmly thanks the US Deans’ Council for its generosity and ongoing friendship.