Welcome to the Office of Academic Affairs! We are a community of dedicated educators, scholars, and higher education professionals. We are happy you are here! Please explore each section to familiarize yourself with the people and responsibilities of the Office of Academic Affairs.
INTERIM CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER
Morgan Johnson
A Message from Interim Chief Academic Officer
Welcome to the Office of Academic Affairs at the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC)! We are excited that you are joining our community. Your addition to our team enhances our ability to remain focused on our two-fold academic mission: delivering a quality online academic experience as well as exemplary service to our students who entrust our institution with their academic experience. We will continue to forge ahead as one team strengthening our university with a single mission: striving to empower, support, enrich and graduate every student.
UAGC is part of a higher education community that continually seeks solutions that remediate the inequities in systems and structures that inhibit student access to learning opportunities. We believe that such solutions begin with a commitment from this Academic Affairs team to understanding the whole student, including the intersections of their expectations, goals, lived experiences, skills, and life demands. We validate the individuality of each student–knowing that a diversity of thought and experiences contributes to a rich community of learning and engaged citizenship.
In addition to focalizing access to education, Academic Affairs has been the catalyst for the Culture of Care at UAGC and is committed to furthering that mission of dedication to our students. This UAGC-pervasive culture is defined by compassion, inclusivity, and continuous effort to ensure members of our community feel safe and supported; we strive to foster their intellectual curiosity and secure the attainment of their learning goals. Because we serve students who may be disproportionately affected by challenges related to poverty, social injustices, and systemic untruths that may collapse social capital, sense of belonging, and self-efficacy, we strive to provide our learners with the resources and care to facilitate their persistence to meet their goals.
Driven by Academic Affairs and the common mission, vision, and purpose, we uphold the following goals and strategies. We seek to:
- RETAIN students during their first year of enrollment
- Support COMPLETION of programs and educational goals driven by student-based timelines
- Offer HIGH VALUE CREDENTIALS WITH MARKETABLE SKILLS
- Enhance students’ ECONOMIC RETURN
We invite our students, colleagues, and communities to join our institution that as a public good, seeks to innovate the educational system to more ethically and equitably equip learners to persist in pursuing their life goals.
The Culture of Care is not an arbitrary sign hanging on a wall. It is the engine that drives our work and relationships in Academic Affairs. The UAGC culture prizes academic challenge, holistic learning and personal development, and unconditional support for our students — anchored in an ethic of care and accountability. UAGC is committed to upholding an institutional Culture of Care, which is defined by our compassion, inclusivity, and continuous effort to ensure community members feel safe and supported.
Each of us contributes to this culture of student care. Because we serve students disproportionately affected by challenges and struggles, we know the importance of staying strong and present to ensure we’re giving them our best selves to help them become their best selves. We encourage the UAGC community to come together during difficult times and listen to and reflect on understanding each other. Above all, be kind and practice mutual respect. We are always stronger together. We encourage faculty to harness the resources for individual development aligned with the Culture of Care institutional initiative.
Driven by UAGC’s common mission, vision, and purpose,
Office of Academic Affairs Executive Leadership Team
Morgan Johnson
Vice President of Academic Experience and Interim Chief Academic Officer - Academic Experience
Dr. Teresa Kuruc
Vice President - Faculty Affairs & Accreditation Liaison Officer
College of Arts and Sciences
Tony Farrell, PhD
Dean - Professor
School of General Studies
Justin Harrison, PhD
- Dean
Tricia Lauer
Vice President - Office of Assessment & Curricular Affairs
Office of Academic Affairs Leadership Team
Dr. Bryan Aylward
Associate Vice President - Office of Academic Innovation, Operations & Technology
Lindsay Devine
Senior Director - Learning Services
Kira Heske
Associate Director - Learning Support
Cole McFarren
Associate Director - Academic Technology and Innovation
Kate Johnson
Associate Director - Faculty Development
Haley Sampson
Associate Director - Faculty Engagement
Jennifer Zaur, MA
Director - Learning Solutions
College of Arts and Sciences
Barbara Zorn, PhD
Associate Vice President, Graduate Studies & Professional Accreditation - Professor
Forbes School of Business and Technology®
Charles Minnick, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean - Professor
Forbes School of Business and Technology®
Katie Thiry, PhD
Assistant Dean - Professor
Forbes School of Business and Technology®
Jorge Alberto Cardenas Cano, DBA
Assistant Dean - Professor
Forbes School of Business and Technology®
Karen Lynne-Daniels Ivy, PhD
Assistant Dean - Professor
College of Arts and Sciences
Yvonne M. Lozano, PhD, LMFT
Assistant Dean - Professor
College of Arts and Sciences
Denise Maxwell, EdD
Assistant Dean - Professor
College of Arts and Sciences
Michelle Rosser-Majors, PhD
Assistant Dean - Professor
School of General Studies
Mingzhen Bao, PhD
- Assistant Dean
School of General Studies
Allison Rief, EdD
- Department Chair