A photo of a woman from the waist up standing behind a table. Behind the woman are seven sewing mannequins.
VCUarts Dean Carmenita Higginbotham, who will step down at the end of the academic year, has helped the School of the Arts gain increased national recognition since she arrived in 2020. (Photo by Monica Escamilla)

Sept. 11, 2026

VCU School of the Arts Dean Carmenita Higginbotham to step down at end of academic year

Higginbotham’s tenure, which started in 2020, has been marked by increased national recognition and transformative initiatives that will positively impact the university for many years to come.

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By Debbie Farris

Carmenita Higginbotham, Ph.D., has announced she will step down as dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts at the end of the academic year, concluding a tenure during which the school ranked as one of the top arts schools in the country and secured funding for one of the most ambitious capital projects in VCU's history.

Higginbotham, who joined VCU as dean in September 2020, will remain in the dean's role through the end of the academic year while the university conducts a national search for her successor, expected to launch in the coming weeks. She plans to then take a leave before returning to the VCU faculty to focus on her research and scholarship.

“Leading this school alongside our faculty, staff and students has been one of the great privileges of my career,” Higginbotham said. “Together, we've positioned VCUarts as a global leader in arts education, and I leave this role more confident than ever in where the school is headed.”

During her tenure, VCUarts was ranked the No. 1 public fine arts graduate program in the nation (tied) and No. 2 overall by U.S. News & World Report this past spring. The school also secured funding for the CoStar Center for Arts and Innovation, integrated the Institute for Contemporary Art into the School of the Arts and strengthened VCUarts Qatar's standing as a premier global destination for art and design.

“Dean Higginbotham has greatly increased the national recognition and reputation of the VCUarts school and its programs," said Arturo P. Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president and provost. “Whether leading the school to its current No. 2 overall ranking in the United States or helping secure funding for the CoStar Center for Arts and Innovation, she has established transformative initiatives that will positively impact this university for many years to come. Thank you to Dean Higginbotham for her service to the institution and for her willingness to continue in this role until a successor is named."

The university will launch a national search for the next dean of the School of the Arts this year. Additional details on the search process will be shared as they become available.