Welcoming Kevin Arms as the new Dean of Communications

Lake-Sumter State College welcomes Kevin Arms as the new Dean of Communications.

According to an email sent on Tuesday, July 29 by Vice President of Academic Affairs Karen Hogans, Kevin Arms will be transitioning from his current role as Associate Dean of Library and Learning Services to the Dean of Communications position, effective Monday, August 4, 2025.

When reached out for comment on what the Communications Department can expect from his leadership, Kevin Arms stated that faculty could expect advocacy, empowerment, and support.

“I feel very honored to be leading this group of people because the Communications faculty together are incredible. They are all working on amazing projects or programs or teaching innovations. I am here to support them. I see this role as a support to the faculty and students, ultimately.”

When asked about his vision for the Communications Department at LSSC, Kevin Arms indicated he has big ideas.

Innovation

Innovation is a key idea Kevin Arms strives for.

“I want to think about the way we’re offering classes,” Kevin Arms stated. “One of the biggest problems for students is transportation, so I think scheduling blocks is something we need to think about. Putting English, Public Speaking, and SLS in the same part of the day means you can knock out three classes on the same day instead of coming to campus four-days a week.”

Community Involvement

Mr. Arms would like to see the revival of the TedXLSSC series led by speech professor Heather Elmati, as well as the beginning of a lecture series to spotlight the passionate professors of LSSC. 

“We have a duty to be active in our community, and we can always do more,” Kevin Arms said. “Things are kicking in my head about the things we can do. I think it is an exciting time to be a dean at the college because we’re growing faster than any other college in Florida. This is the largest incoming group of students we’ve ever had, so this is an amazing opportunity to try out some new things.”

Inspire Confidence

According to psychologist Albert Bandura, self-efficacy is defined as, “an individual’s belief in his or her capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments.” This concept is exactly what Kevin Arms hopes students are able to achieve with his student-centered mentality.

“I wish for students to think of themselves as capable. A lot of times, students come to us very self-conscious about their own skills and their ability to talk to people. There are a few classes where we can definitely push on the self-confidence to help them feel more prepared.”

Passion is Encouragement

Kevin Arms emphasized the importance of a professor’s passion towards their subject. He further explained how said passion can be an infectious encouragement to the professor’s students.

“I think we have professors that have so much passion for what they do. I think that could open doors for students to look at other career options that they may have not thought of. I want to see the faculty involved with the community and student activities more frequently. The more we can help influence students’ lives and guide them to their pathways the better.”

Overall, Kevin Arms is ready to support LSSC’s students and faculty.

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