Substance use expert named interim dean of FSU College of Social Work 

Craig Stanley, associate dean for academic affairs for Florida State University’s College of Social Work, has been appointed as the college’s interim dean.

Stanley succeeds Jim Clark, who was selected as the university’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs after six years as dean of the college.

Craig Stanley
Craig Stanley, associate dean for academic affairs for Florida State University’s College of Social Work, has been appointed as the college’s interim dean.

“I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to lead the college through this time of transition,” he said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues and students to continue the tradition of excellence at the FSU College of Social Work.”

Stanley has served as associate dean for academic affairs since 2015, providing leadership for the academic programs and student affairs within the College of Social Work. From 2009-2015, Stanley served as director of the Master of Social Work (MSW) program, overseeing the growth of the online program including the online advanced-standing and traditional MSW programs. He also has served in various administrative and teaching positions with the college since 2004.

A licensed clinical social worker who has spent more than a decade as a social work practitioner, Stanley previously held roles at DISC Village, where he administered residential substance use treatment programs, and the Children’s Home Society, where he administered community mental health programs that served children and families in North Florida.

A two-time graduate of Florida State University, Stanley received his doctoral degree in higher education from the FSU College of Education in 2014 and earned his Master of Social Work at FSU in 1997. He completed his bachelor’s degree in psychology at Furman University in 1988.

Stanley is a member of the Council on Social Work Education, Society for Social Work Research, and the National Association of Social Workers.

The university will conduct a national search for the next dean of the College of Social Work.