Kit Spicer, dean of Western’s College of Fine & Performing Arts, to retire in March

Christopher “Kit” Spicer, who has been the dean of Western’s College of Fine & Performing Arts since July 2013, will retire in March 2022.

Spicer was first named to a one-year term as interim dean of CFPA in July 2013 to succeed the departing Dan Guyette; he was named to the permanent dean position the following April.

Spicer reflected on his years at Western and said he was appreciative of the collaborative work that had been done to move the college forward during his tenure.

“While I am proud of all the work we accomplished, I am especially proud of the Sculpture Woods project, the Arts Enterprise and Cultural Innovation (AECI) minor, and honored to have been part of the ADEI Task Force this past year,” Spicer said.

Western’s Provost, Brent Carbajal, thanked Spicer for his years of service and dedication to the university.

“Having had the honor of working with Dean Spicer for eight years, I can attest to his commitment to the fine and performing arts, to student success, and to Western more generally.  He came to us with a wealth of experience at other institutions, and his administrative acumen has served the College well,” Carbajal said.

“It was under Dean Spicer’s leadership that we received the very special gift of Sculpture Woods on Lummi Island, and his personal involvement in those conversations was critical.  I wish him the very best in his retirement and thank him for all that he’s done for WWU over the years,” he said.

Spicer has a doctorate in Organizational Communication from the University of Texas at Austin. From 2003 to 2011, he was dean of the College of Fine Arts & Communications at Towson University, in Towson, Maryland.

From 1995 to 2003 he was dean of the School of the Arts at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. At Pacific Lutheran University, he also served as associate professor, professor and chair of the Department of Communication and Theatre.

Carbajal said that an announcement of an interim dean for the college could come soon.