Regent University Appoints Dr. Simon Tarr Dean of the School of Communication and the Arts
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (June 26, 2024) – Regent University has appointed Dr. Simon Tarr as Dean of the School of Communication and the Arts, effective July 1. He will also continue to serve as Dean of the Honors College.
“We are thrilled to honor Dr. Tarr’s profound commitment to Regent University with this decanal appointment,” said Dr. William L. Hathaway, Regent Provost. “Dr. Tarr’s pursuit of excellence in academics, scholarship, and spiritual care has produced transformational results. We look forward to his continued impact as he inspires his students and colleagues towards God’s best.”
Dean Tarr became the interim director of the School of Communication and the Arts in July 2022 and then director in May 2023. Since then, faculty and students in undergraduate and graduate programs have garnered regional and national visibility and honors. The school installed a new state-of-the-art piano lab supports proficiency in new music degrees, received numerous awards in filmmaking, including regional Emmys and recognition at the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) 2024 Convention for compelling visual storytelling, and earned increased national rankings in journalism, graphic design, communication studies, and social media marketing.
In addition to this new post, Dean Tarr will continue as Dean of the Honors College, which made history in fall 2023 when it welcomed the largest incoming class of freshmen ever, carrying an average unweighted high school GPA of 3.97. In January 2024, Dean Tarr also initiated the grand opening of a new cutting-edge Honors College facility that integrates impressive technology with dynamic use of space.
“I am excited to take on this new role and humbled to have earned the university’s confidence,” Dean Tarr added. “My time at Regent continues to enrich my walk with God each day. It’s an honor to work with first-rate colleagues to grow the next generation of thought leaders, innovators, and artists from a deep Christian worldview and to help them discover their Kingdom purpose.”
About Regent University
Founded in 1977, Regent University is America’s premier Christian university, with more than 13,000 students studying on its 70-acre campus in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and online around the world. The university offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in more than 150 areas of study, including business, communication and the arts, counseling, cybersecurity, divinity, education, government, law, leadership, nursing, healthcare, and psychology. Regent University has been ranked the #1 Best Accredited Online College in the United States (Study.com, 2020), the #1 Safest College Campus in Virginia (YourLocalSecurity, 2021), and the #1 Best Online Bachelor’s Program in Virginia for 12 years in a row (U.S. News & World Report, 2024).
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