Dr. Erin Finzer has been named the permanent associate vice chancellor for academic affairs for continuous improvement at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. 

Finzer, who has served in the position as interim since Sept. 1, 2017, will begin her new appointment April 1.

As associate vice chancellor, Finzer will oversee all curricular processes in the Academic Affairs division including assessment, academic program reviews, and accreditation. She also will lead efforts for successful reaffirmation of accreditation according to Higher Learning Commission standards.

The position oversees the Department of Records and Registration and serves as liaison to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and other partners. In addition, Finzer will design and implement a comprehensive, continuous improvement process for the campus that includes integrated planning and resource allocation.

“I am excited to be part of leading improvement efforts at UA Little Rock, where I work with truly dedicated, visionary colleagues,” Finzer said. “Integrated planning with a continuous improvement philosophy will ultimately advance our institution by allowing us to focus and deliver on our mission of improving students’ lives and serving the public good in central Arkansas and beyond.”

UA Little Rock is committed to continuous improvement by strengthening its academic programs, research, and initiatives by relying upon data-driven responsible resource allocation. As an accomplished teacher-scholar, Finzer has led initiatives to strengthen the university through successful program viability audits and academic planning.

Prior to this appointment, Finzer served as faculty co-chair of the Higher Learning Commission Re-Accreditation Process, chair of the Assessment Academy, chair of Department of World Languages, and associate professor of Spanish. Previously, she served as assistant professor of languages at the University of Utah. Finzer holds a Ph.D. in Spanish from the University of Kansas.

She is an Arkansas native who specializes in Latin American poetry and takes a cultural studies approach to both teaching and research. Her research explores the cultural promotion of the pan-American conservation movement of the 1930s and 40s by female intellectuals across Latin America, and she continues a long-time interest in artistic production of the Cuban Special Period.