Selection of Wayne Smutz as Dean of Continuing Education and UCLA Extension

UCLA Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

To:  Administrative Officers, Deans, Department Chairs, Directors, Faculty, Extension Instructors and Staff, and Vice Chancellors

Dear Colleagues:

I am pleased to announce the selection of Wayne Smutz as Dean of Continuing Education and UCLA Extension, effective October 15, 2013, subject to approval by interim action of the UC Regents.

With more than 30 years of experience in the fields of continuing education, distance education, outreach and engagement, Dr. Smutz brings a wealth of knowledge and perspective to this critical position. He comes to UCLA from Pennsylvania State University, where he has served in a variety of leadership roles related to program development, marketing, strategic development and online learning. He is currently the executive director of Penn State’s World Campus and associate vice president for academic outreach. In these roles, Dr. Smutz provides strategic direction and operational leadership for World Campus and Continuing Education credit programs, overseeing more than 90 degree and certificate programs; student support services including advising and learning design; and administrative activities associated with adult learners. World Campus, Penn State’s online campus, has nearly 55,000 course enrollments per year, serving more than 12,000 unique World Campus students and 6,000 resident students, and reaching learners in all 50 states and 70 countries.

Dedicated to helping individuals transform their lives through education, Dr. Smutz has embraced a learner-centric approach with a focus on enhancing access to quality educational programs and ensuring that students have the support necessary to succeed. Committed to campus partnership, he has been instrumental in strengthening relationships with academic departments and enhancing the World Campus’ visibility within and beyond Penn State.

Dr. Smutz is a board member of the Sloan Consortium for Online Learning and the American Distance Education Consortium and has served on the boards of the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) and the Observatory on Borderless Higher Education. He has served as a faculty member for the Institute for Emerging Leaders in Online Learning. From 2005 to 2009 he served as the co-project leader of the Forming Community/University Systems for Engagement (FOCUS), a Kellogg Foundation–funded project. He has spoken and written extensively on a variety of issues related to continuing education, online learning, and higher education in the 21st century. Dr. Smutz has received a number of individual and organizational awards including the Sloan Consortium John R. Bourne Award for Outstanding Achievement in Online Learning, the Sloan Consortium Award for Institution-Wide Excellence in Online Education (awarded to PSU’s World Campus), a UPCEA regional award for excellence in institutional partnerships (awarded to continuing education at PSU’s University Park) and a UPCEA national award for programming. He holds a B.A. in history from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.A. in political science and a Ph.D. in higher education from Penn State.

I want to thank the search/advisory committee for assembling an outstanding pool of candidates and for its role in recruiting Wayne. The committee was chaired by Kathryn Atchison, vice provost for new collaborative initiatives; other members were Ali Behdad, John Charles Hillis Professor of Literature and chair of the department of English; Jim Davis, vice provost for information technology; Barbara Drucker, professor of art and associate dean of academic affairs, School of the Arts and Architecture; Dominique M. Hanssens, Bud Knapp Professor of Marketing, Anderson School of Management; Christopher S. Lynch, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering; Paul M. Ong, professor of urban planning, social welfare and Asian American studies; Kieran P. Nolan, vice president for construction and engineering, AT&T Operations, and member of the UCLA Extension Dean’s Advisory Board; Marilyn N. Raphael, professor and chair of the department of geography; and Marcelo M. Suárez-Orozco, dean of the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies.

I also want to express our thanks to Michelle Stiles for her dedicated service as interim dean since January.

We all recognize the critical role that UCLA Extension plays on campus and in our community. We are excited about UCLA Extension’s future under Wayne’s leadership, and we are confident that he will advance continuing education at UCLA and be a valuable partner in creating and offering high-quality academic programs. Please join Chancellor Block and me in welcoming him to UCLA and this important role.

Sincerely,

Scott L. Waugh
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost