Cathy A. Sandeen, Dean of Continuing Education and UCLA Extension, to Become Vice President at ACE
UCLA Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
To: Administrative Officers, Deans, Directors, Department Chairs, UCLA Extension Instructors and Staff, and Vice Chancellors
Dear Colleagues:
It is with mixed emotions that I share with you the news that Cathy A. Sandeen, Dean of Continuing Education and UCLA Extension, has informed Chancellor Block and me of her intention to resign at the end of the calendar year to become Vice President for Education Attainment and Innovation at the American Council on Education (ACE) in Washington, D.C. This is a new position charged with developing a national agenda and strategy to improve postsecondary attainment across all sectors of higher education.
Under Cathy’s leadership over the past five-plus years, UCLA Extension has advanced in a number of important ways. Recent accomplishments include the acquisition of Continuing Education of the Bar and its integration into UCLA and UCLA Extension; the development of a major partnership with Empowered Careers, allowing UCLA Extension to expand into the national market and offer online certificate programs specifically to the baby-boomer career-changer segment; and an increase in annual revenue to $75 million from $41 million, with an even greater proportional increase in annual net revenue. Excelling in its quality, innovation and impact, UCLA Extension is considered one of the top programs of its kind in the United States. Serving more than 50,000 students per year, UCLA Extension offers approximately 4,500 classes and programs per year to meet the professional development, continuing education and personal enrichment needs of working professionals, companies and organizations throughout the Los Angeles region and beyond.
During her tenure, Dean Sandeen worked tirelessly to maintain academic excellence, strengthen the relationship between UCLA Extension and campus communities, encourage online instructional programs and technological innovation, and foster an organizational culture benefiting each of its constituencies—faculty, administrators, staff, students and the public at large. She is widely credited with enhancing the visibility and perception of UCLA Extension among other universities, within the Los Angeles community, and on broader state and national levels. We are confident that UCLA Extension will continue to thrive, building upon the solid foundation that Dean Sandeen and her colleagues have built.
Prior to joining UCLA in December 2006, Dr. Sandeen served for six years as Vice Provost and Dean of University Extension and Summer Session at University of California Santa Cruz and held several positions in continuing education at University of California, San Francisco. She is active in the University Continuing Education Association, has held leadership positions in other professional organizations, has published and presented extensively in the field of continuing higher education and has received major grants to support continuing education programs. She is the 2009 recipient of the Research and Scholarship Award from the University Professional & Continuing Education Association and was an ACE Fellow, class of 2010–11. She holds a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Utah and an M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
As we continue our work with Cathy throughout the fall, we anticipate opportunities to thank her for her leadership and contributions to UCLA and to wish her every success in her new endeavor.
In the coming months, I will form a search committee to identify candidates for Cathy’s successor and will keep you informed as we initiate the search.
Sincerely,
Scott L. Waugh
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost