Beginning September 1, Kandi Tayebi, former Associate Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, will take on the position of the new Dean of Graduate Studies and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs.
“I am excited to work with faculty, staff, and students to grow and improve graduate education,” said Tayebi. “Sam Houston State University has many quality graduate programs and talented faculty and students. Thus, the new position provides a great opportunity to work with graduate programs as they continue to prosper and grow.”
Tayebi will be replacing Dr. Mitchell Muehsam, who took over as the dean for the College of Business Administration on Aug. 1. “Dr. Muehsam laid a strong foundation of excellence for graduate studies that I hope to build on in the future,” said Tayebi. (Today @ Sam Press Release)
Coming from the University of Northern Colorado in 1999 with a Ph.D. in English, Tayebi has served as Associate Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences since 2004; is a professor of English; served as a faculty senate chair and chair- elect; served as the Director of the Graduate Program in English; and was the Co-Editor of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation report.
As the new Graduate Dean Tayebi will be focusing on three main areas: graduate enrollment, quality of graduate programs, and graduate funding.
“Graduate enrollment at SAM is currently approximately 11%,” said Tayebi. “I would like to move that closer to 20% of the total student enrollment. I would like to institute program reviews for all of our graduate programs to insure the superior quality we already have in graduate studies is maintained.”
Tayebi stated that she would also like to see more funding sources to help students complete their graduate degrees so that they can receive a quality education while keeping costs manageable.
“I hope to streamline the admission process for students, so students can more easily apply to SHSU and receive a decision on their application sooner,” said Tayebi. “Furthermore, placing other paperwork necessary to complete a graduate degree online for easy access by students and faculty will make a student’s progress toward graduation smoother.”
As Vice President for Academic Affairs, Tayebi will be representing SHSU to the Coordinating Board and accreditation organizations.