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Dean

University of Georgia College of Education professor Laura Dean has been elected president of one of the most preeminent groups in the nation promoting standards in higher education student affairs, student services and student development programs.

Dean, an associate professor in the college student affairs administration program, began a three-year as president of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education on September 1. She will follow that term with an additional year on the executive committee as past-president.

CAS standards respond to real-time student needs, the requirements of sound pedagogy and the effective management of more than 40 functional areas, consistent with institutional missions. The CAS Board of Directors is comprised of representatives from 42 professional associations in higher education in the U.S. and Canada.

As CAS president, Dean will lead both the board and executive committee, and represent the council as opportunities arise. She also will supervise the executive director, who is based in Washington, D.C.

Dean is a National Certified Counselor and a past president of the American College Counseling Association, which she represents on CAS.  Her research interests include small college environments, the use of standards in student affairs and college counseling issues. She has served on editorial boards for the College of Student Affairs Journal and the Journal of College Counseling.

Before joining the UGA faculty in 2006, Dean served as 10 years as a chief student affairs officer as vice president for student development/dean of students at Peace College, and dean of students at Pfeiffer University, both in North Carolina. Prior to that, she served five years as associate dean of student development and director of counseling at Manchester College in Indiana.

Dean received her Ph.D. in counseling/student development in higher education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.