Staff Report
Published Oct. 19, 2012

The University of South Carolina has tapped Mary Anne Fitzpatrick, dean of USC’s College of Arts and Sciences, to take on an additional role: vice provost for special academic initiatives.

Mary Anne Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick, who will retain her position as dean of the university’s largest college, will join Provost Michael Amiridis’ provost council. In her new position, she will work on special initiatives in the provost’s office, including developing ways to increase undergraduate retention and improve graduation rates.

She also will plan and implement a “summer-mester,” which will re-create the academic calendar to provide students greater flexibility and options, allowing them to move more quickly toward graduation.

Fitzpatrick, who came to USC in 2005 as the founding dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said the university has made great strides in improving the undergraduate curriculum and in creating innovative ways to support students and help them achieve their goals.

“This is a sign of the collaboration, the energy and the commitment to innovation we have at the University of South Carolina. We’re really looking at a number of major initiatives to improve the academic services we offer to undergraduate students,” Fitzpatrick said. “It shows a sense of commitment to our undergraduate students and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

The appointment is effective immediately.

Prior to joining USC’s faculty, Fitzpatrick was at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she spent more than 25 years and held several posts, including the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Kellett Professorship.