Peggy Doss
University of Arkansas System President Donald Bobbitt will recommend Peggy Doss, provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, to serve as the next Chancellor of UAM.
She would succeed Karla Hughes, who will retire on Dec. 31.
Bobbitt will recommend the appointment of Doss during a special telephone meeting of the UA Board of Trustees at 3 p.m. Monday. The board will immediately go into executive session to consider the appointment, which would be effective Jan. 1.
Doss said in a news release that her main goals include enhancing recruitment and retention of students, but she considers student engagement an all-encompassing feature of a successful university.
“I plan to continue to prioritize student success efforts, as Dr. Hughes has done, and that includes a focus on engaging students, faculty and staff in all aspects of our community of learning,” she said.
As provost and vice president, Doss has focused on student retention efforts such as the UAM Degree Pathways initiative, which directs students to entry point programs where they are most likely to be successful, according to the release.
She also has involved faculty and staff in an early alert system and implemented a “15-to-finish” campaign encouraging students to enroll in a least 15 hours each semester to promote graduation in four years.
Among other projects, Doss has partnered with academic leaders and faculty to promote student success initiatives such as embedding tutors in classrooms, enriching student advising and offering additional professional development opportunities for faculty.
Before becoming provost, Doss served for a decade as dean of the School of Education. She also served UAM as vice chancellor for student affairs and university relations after working in public education as a teacher and administrator.
Doss holds degrees from three UA System institutions. She earned a doctoral degree in higher education administration and a master’s degree in gifted and talented education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and also holds a master of education from the University of Arkansas. She earned her bachelor’s degree in education from UAM and will be the only graduate of the school to lead the institution in its history.
Bobbitt said in the release, “Her experience and relationships on campus and in the Monticello community will give her a head start on planning for the future development of the institution as a critically important academic and economic asset for southeast Arkansas.”
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