As chancellor, he will continue to serve as the chief executive officer for the Dearborn campus and as an executive officer of the university. He also is professor of philosophy in the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters and professor of sociology at U-M in Ann Arbor.
"Chancellor Little is a valued member of the university's leadership team," said President Mark Schlissel. "He has built strong ties to the local community, especially among businesses, and he has established a terrific rapport with UM-Dearborn's students."
Little has served as chancellor since 2000 and is the longest-serving chancellor in UM-Dearborn’s history.
“I am gratified by the vote of confidence this represents, from the Board of Regents and President Schlissel,” said Little. “UM-Dearborn strives for excellence in teaching, learning, research and scholarship. We seek to be accessible and affordable, and to impact the community beyond us. It has been my honor to lead this endeavor, and I am quite pleased to look forward to the opportunities of the next three years.”
During his current term, UM-Dearborn has experienced record-breaking enrollment, as well as growth in student services and academic programs.
Campus enrollment grew to an all-time high of more than 9,100 students in the fall of 2014, marking the third consecutive year of enrollment of more than 9,000 students. And in 2013, Little helped usher in a new era of student life with the opening of The Union at Dearborn, a privately owned complex that is the first housing option specifically designed for UM-Dearborn students in more than 25 years.
UM-Dearborn’s College of Education, Health, and Human Services (CEHHS) launched in 2014, offering new programs in public health, community health and health information technology. Little also oversaw the awarding of the first doctoral degrees by CEHHS and UM-Dearborn’s College of Engineering and Computer Science.
Throughout his tenure, Little has championed college accessibility and diversity, as well as the university’s metropolitan vision. Under his leadership, the university opened the Office of Metropolitan Engagement, launched Public Allies Metro Detroit and was named an engaged campus by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Little previously served as vice president for academic affairs and professor of philosophy at Bucknell University. He also was associate dean of the faculty at Colgate University.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy, both from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a doctorate in philosophy from Harvard University.
