Dr. Victoria-Groves Scott is the new dean of the College of Education at the University of Central Arkansas.
Prior to coming to UCA, Groves-Scott, a native of northwest Arkansas, had served as assistant dean of the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
“We are excited to have Dr. Victoria Groves-Scott join us as our new dean of the College of Education. She brings many years of teaching, research and administrative experience from several other institutions to our university,” said President Tom Courtway. “UCA’s roots are broad and very deep in the field of education, and with the leadership and enthusiasm of Dr. Groves-Scott, we will continue to be a leader. We welcome her back to Arkansas and look forward to her work and leadership.”
Groves-Scott began her career as an elementary special education classroom teacher. During the last 20 years, she has worked in various roles at three institutions of higher education including Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, the Associated Colleges of Central Kansas and the University of Kansas.
Throughout her career, Groves-Scott said her educational philosophy has focused on social justice.
“I believe educators have a deep obligation to make education the great equalizer, and it has not fully lived up to this promise. While there are institutional and larger societal issues that contribute to systematic inequalities, we realize that some kids have been left out and that there are ways in which we can make a difference in the policy discussions and in the schools and classrooms,” Groves-Scott said. “I am interested in making a difference for all kids and that includes students in poverty, for children in rural areas, for children in urban areas, children with disabilities and for every child.
“We have an opportunity to make a tremendous difference in students’ future social and economic opportunities, and we are dedicated to that mission.”
The College of Education encompasses the Department of Leadership Studies, Department Teaching and Learning and Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education. The college offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as graduate and post-master’s certificates in the areas of education, educational leadership, interdisciplinary leadership, school counseling, library media, instructional technology and higher education personnel administration.
“I am confident that she will do an excellent job of leading our College of Education in continuing to offer outstanding educational programs for our students, strong outreach programs for our community, and exceptional research and scholarship opportunities for our faculty and staff,” said Dr. Steven Runge, executive vice president and provost. “Dr. Groves-Scott brings with her outstanding leadership skills, a no-nonsense, creative approach to problem solving and a strong work ethic. Her career in education has spanned K-12 teaching and higher education in a variety of capacities where she has excelled at all levels.”
Groves-Scott earned a Doctor of Education in special education from the University of Kansas, a Master of Arts in special education from the University of Missouri at Kansas City and a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education from Drury University.
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