Professor Louise Smith, chairperson of the UMass Boston English Department, has been named the interim dean of Liberal Arts Faculty. Smith, who will begin her term at the end of the current semester, replaces Neal Bruss.

“I am delighted that Louise Smith has agreed to become Dean of Liberal Arts Faculty. Professor Smith’s long experience at the university and her extensive involvement in basic curriculum issues will give her a strong foundation for her work as dean. She is an energetic, thoughtful person, deeply committed to Umass Boston. I am sure she will be an effective leader of the College,” stated Interim Provost Arthur MacEwan.

Smith joined the English Department as a part-time faculty member in 1974. She became a full professor in 1996, and became the department’s chairperson in 1999. She has also served as director of Core Curriculum, director of Freshman English and director of the English Tutoring Program.

“This year’s primary challenge is to maintain the quality of majors and programs and to implement General Education fully under the circumstances of a serious budget shortfall,” Smith said.

Professor Smith is co-editor of the St. Martin’s Custom Reader (2001), an electronic book on-line and in CD-ROM. In 1987, she published The Practical Tutor, based on work by UMB writing students and tutors. She has numerous book chapters and articles in such journals as Studies in Romanticism, Mosaic, Journal of Information Ethics, Studies in Scottish Literature, and College English. Since 1998 she has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Modern Language Association’s Division on Teaching of Literature.

“In addition to all the regular duties of the dean of the Liberal Arts Faculty, Professor Smith will play a very important role in the final implementation of the General Education Program and, especially, in the development of the assessment component of the program,” said MacEwan, in announcing the appointment on November 2. “Also, I expect that she will take the lead in lead in developing the long-range plans of the Liberal Arts faculty.”

MacEwan added, “She will remain as interim dean through 2002/03, when I anticipate that there will be a search for a permanent dean.”