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Purpose and Vision

The College Realignment Initiative is a strategic effort to thoughtfully examine and optimize the academic organizational structure of the university in support of UNT's mission, strategic priorities, and long-term aspirations. As higher education continues to evolve, this initiative provides an opportunity to reimagine how our academic colleges are organized, including a shift from department-based to school-based structures. Ultimately, our aim is to cultivate stronger, more connected academic communities that empower students to thrive, foster meaningful collaboration across disciplines, elevate research and creative excellence, enhance operational effectiveness, and amplify UNT's impact across North Texas and beyond. In doing so, we position the university to respond with agility and purpose to the opportunities and challenges of a rapidly changing world.

College Realignment Operations Working Group

The Operations Working Group (OWG) is charged with supporting the successful planning, operational alignment, and implementation of the university's College Realignment Initiative leading to Fall 2027. Serving as a cross-functional body of contributors and ambassadors, the OWG helps ensure that implementation efforts remain coordinated, informed, responsive to emerging needs, and aligned with institutional goals.

The Operations Working Group will:

  • Support the planning, coordination, and execution of college realignment efforts leading to implementation by Fall 2027.
  • Serve as a structured forum for cross-functional collaboration, information sharing, and coordinated decision support.
  • Act as both contributors to the planning process and ambassadors who help foster communication, engagement, and understanding across stakeholder groups.
  • Monitor the progress of implementation activities, milestones, and operational dependencies.
  • Identify emerging risks, challenges, opportunities, and areas requiring additional attention.
  • Recommend mitigation strategies, operational adjustments, and decision pathways as circumstances evolve.
  • Elevate issues requiring executive guidance or institutional action.
  • Establish focused subcommittees or task groups, as needed, to address specific implementation challenges, opportunities, or areas of complexity.


Guiding Principles

The goal of the College Realignment Initiative is not simply structural change, but the creation of an academic framework that better supports student success, empowers faculty and staff to do their most impactful work, fosters innovation and collaboration, and aligns our resources in ways that advance UNT’s mission and extend our impact across the communities we serve.

In support of successful implementation, the Operations Working Group will strive to ensure that its work reflects the following priorities:

Keep students at the center

Focus on supporting student success, ensuring continuity of services, and minimizing disruption to students' academic progress and experience.

Advance UNT's mission and strategic aspirations

Align organizational changes with UNT's educational mission, the aspirations outlined in Look North: UNT 2030, and our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of students and society.

Communicate transparently and with care
Provide timely and accessible updates about decisions, progress, opportunities for input, and changes affecting stakeholders.
Leverage the expertise within our academic community
Engage academic units throughout the process, drawing upon their expertise to identify opportunities, anticipate challenges, and help inform thoughtful decision-making.
Build for long-term success
Our efforts should not only address immediate organizational needs but also aim to strengthen our capacity to serve students, support our people, and position the university for long-term success and sustainability.
  • Dr. Albert Bimper, Interim Provost and Vice President, Academic Affairs
  • Dr. Elizabeth With, Sr. Vice President, Student Affairs
  • Dr. Holly Hutchins, Vice Provost, Faculty Success
  • Brandi Everett, Vice Provost, Academic Resources
  • Patty Rodriguez, Director of Academic Personnel, Academic Resources
  • Elizabeth Vogt, Associate Vice Provost, Accreditation and Institutional Effectiveness
  • Ana White, Director, Academic Advising, Student Success
  • Shari Schwartz, Registrar, Sr. Associate Vice President, Enrollment
  • James Garrison, Chief Information Officer, University Technology
  • Dr. Heidi Elmendorf, Deputy to the President for Strategic Initiatives
  • Dr. Pam Padilla, Vice President, Research and Innovation
  • DeeAnna Browning, Associate Vice President, Grants and Contracts Administration, Research and Innovation
  • Shelly Lane, Assistant Vice President, Advancement
  • Alayne Sewick, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Chief Human Resources Officer, UNT System
  • Sue Aichele, Director, Human Resources, UNT System
  • Dr. Brian Sauser, Professor and Chair, Supply Chain Management, G. Brint Ryan College of Business
  • Dr. Lisa Henry, Divisional Dean, Social Sciences; Professor of Anthropology, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
  • Dr. Jen Wallach, Divisional Dean, Humanities; Professor of History, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
  • Brenden Perfect, Assistant Dean, Finance and Administration, College of Engineering
  • Dr. Yunfei Du, Associate Dean, Academics, Anuradha and Vikas Sinha College of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics
  • Dr. Warren Henry, Sr. Associate Dean, Academic Affairs; Professor of Music Education, College of Music
  • Dr. Dalena Dillman Taylor, Interim Associate Dean, Research and Community Engagement, College of Education
  • Quortina Phipps, Sr. Assistant Dean, Undergraduate Programs, College of Education
  • Nicole Foran, Interim Associate Dean, Administrative Affairs, College of Visual Arts and Design
  • Angela Vanecek, Office Manager, Academic Departments and Foundations Administration, College of Visual Arts and Design
  • Maia Cudhea, Assistant Dean, Finance and Administration, College of Science
  • Amanda Fuller, Associate Director, Academic Affairs Communications, University Brand Strategy and Communications