Interim Dean Betsy Sandlin to Give Leadership Talk on "Leading In-Between: Navigating Times of Transition"

February 24, 2025

Betsy Sandlin, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, will offer a talk on "Leading In-Between: Navigating Times of Transition" at 5 p.m., Monday, March 3, in Convocation Hall. The talk is co-sponsored by Sewanee’s Center for Leadership and its chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society; it is free and open to the public.

A deeply respected leader on campus, Sandlin will reflect on leadership in times of transition, drawing from her unique vantage point as an interim dean. She will explore the possibilities of "the in-between"—the bridge between stability and change, harmony and progress, responsibility and trust—and the lessons it offers.

Sandlin has been a member of Sewanee’s academic community since 2004. She currently serves as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, a role she assumed after a four-year tenure as associate dean for inclusion and faculty development.

With a strong dedication to teaching and learning, Sandlin co-directed the Center for Teaching at Sewanee and served as a facilitator and then director of the annual Teaching and Learning Workshop hosted by the Associated Colleges of the South for many years. As a professor of Spanish, she teaches all levels of Spanish language, as well as Latin American and Latino/Latina literature.

Sandlin holds a Ph.D. in Spanish American literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She recently completed the Executive Leadership Institute from the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association, and is a graduate of the inaugural cohort of Sewanee's Leadership Lab (LL1). 

A first-generation college graduate from rural Kentucky, she has been actively involved in initiatives that promote inclusive excellence at Sewanee. Outside of her professional work, Sandlin treasures time spent with her family and is an enthusiastic volunteer in local community theatres, reflecting her passion for both the arts and community engagement.