Sarah Beth Estes joined Wichita State as Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences dean in June, but that wasn’t the first time she had considered working for the university. 

Before joining Wichita State in July, Estes worked at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock as the dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Education.

“When I was finishing my PhD in either 1999 or 2000… I had a campus visit here in the sociology department,” Estes said. “So I really loved that department, and I loved Wichita State. It ended up not being the right choice for me at the time, but that’s how I got familiar with Wichita State.”

Estes worked at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for 19 years, making this one of the first new environments she’s had to adjust to.

“I’ve started a million new positions, but I have not started at a different institution for 19 years,” Estes said. “So, you know, it’s been — I mean — fascinating, really, to sort of — to see what that feels like.”

Despite the novelty of moving to a new university, Estes said the campus matched her expectations.

“It’s been going great. Wichita State is what I thought it was,” Estes said. “It’s been very confirming for me.”

Her first few months on campus were spent visiting different departments, participating in start of the year events and greeting students on a Wuber for the first days of the semester. Estes also saw LAS win both Clash of the Colleges and Faculty and Staff Olympics.

“We won Clash, and then the week before that, we also won the faculty staff Olympics. So faculty, staff, students, we cleared the board,” Estes said. “I’m very happy about it… I’m a good sport, like I don’t have to win, but winning is more fun. It just is.”

Cheryl Miller, the assistant dean of LAS, works closely with Estes and is in charge of strategic communications and staff concerns in the office. In their time together, Miller said that Estes’s foundation serving as a dean at a previous university gives her an advantage in her role.

“She knows already what a dean does,” Miller said. “So when she came here, you know, the names and the position titles might have been different, but she knew who to go to for support or to be able to answer a specific question. She just needed to find out who that person was.”

This is Miller’s 31st year at WSU, and her 28th year in the dean’s office. Estes is the sixth academic dean Miller has worked with. Miller said one of the biggest strengths Estes brings is her ability to collaborate. 

“She’s genuine. She’s approachable. She listens very well,” Miller said. “She has the ability to connect with people individually.”

Estes said she thinks WSU is a leader in its search process for leadership positions and noted that as one of the largest drawing factors for her.

“It was really informative. It was very robust,” Estes said. “I got to meet with lots of groups of people, and then they do a thing of bringing you back again when you get to say who you want to meet with.”

Estes visited WSU as part of the interview process. During the visit, Miller noticed Estes’ collaborative nature and ability to connect with people.

“I saw that during her interview when she had an open forum, and rather than have a PowerPoint presentation, she spoke to people,” Miller said. “And the eye contact, the listening, I mean, it was almost a case study in interpersonal communication. It was very obvious that she has that ability.”

Another draw for Estes was LAS’s adoption of core competencies. The college began using competencies in fall 2024 under former dean Andrew Hippisley. The change reduced and shifted the college’s general education requirements to classify courses into 9 core competencies — an attempt to clarify to students what skills they would learn in each class.

“The theory is, you know, it’s not what’s on your transcript; it’s what you can articulate and do,” Estes said. And so it’s not the grades and it’s not the name of the class, it is the skills.”

Estes said that already having these competencies in place, especially in a “large, diverse unit” like LAS, was significant to her. 

“I’m very impressed with what the faculty in this college accomplished by developing those,” Estes said. “And I think those are essential in the future of higher education, that we need to move into that competency space.”

Estes said that it took years after college for her to reflect on the deeper meaning of her classes, something she thinks students may be able to gain from the implementation of competencies.

“For me, I went to a small liberal arts college, and I learned so much,” Estes said. “But it wasn’t until really years and years later, after being in the world and in a career that I could reflect on, ‘Oh, that was something I took from there’, or ‘That was really the foundation of that.’ And so it’s really to make those things more plain at the time that it’s happening.”

Some of Estes’ favorite moments on campus come from interactions with students and faculty from different parts of the university, giving her opportunities to see the creativity and application of education on campus.

“I’m very glad that school is in session. It’s been great to see students, and obviously adds a vibrancy,” Estes said. “That’s why we’re here, and it can be pretty quiet over the summer, so doing more of that.”

Dean of the Cohen Honors College, Kimberly Ember, said that in her work with Estes she has noticed her authenticity and ability to connect with others.

“She asked really good questions,” Ember said. “She listened. She was really open and authentic and pretty much immediately engaged. It was easy to just start a conversation.”

Ember also noticed that Estes has a good sense of the mission of the university and the balance of a dean’s role, to advocate for and present the strengths of their college.

“She really seems to have a good sense of what the mission is of this university. That’s about the history,” Ember said. “I think we have a deep sense of history, but you can’t always tell that when you first come.”

Fairmount College, now commonly referred to as LAS, has played an important role in the history of WSU, carrying on the institution’s original name, and it’s still the largest college on campus. 

“Wichita State would not be where it is today without Fairmount College, because we were the founding college that eventually became Wichita State,” Miller said. “Liberal arts and sciences is core to American education. It is core to developing students with durable skills, and also helping students understand a broader perspective of the world.”

In addition to looking back at WSU’s history, Ember said being a dean is also about looking to the future.

“For me, it’s always a blend,” Ember said. “I just have a sense that she (Estes) understands that balance.”

Something that drives Estes forward is knowing that in a year from now “things will be a lot more straightforward,” allowing her to focus less on adjustment. 

“I’m also a learner,” Estes said. “And you know, I’ve learned so much in this short time, and I’m looking forward to all the other things that I’ll get to learn this year because of what they (students) give to us.”

While she’s still adjusting to aspects of campus, like using Outlook or navigating myWSU, Estes said she’s been finding comfort and validation in her new role from those around her.

“(It’s) a big change,” Estes said. “But every day this institution, and you know in particular, individuals in this college, (have been) just validating of that decision. The strengths are strengths. People are strong. The programs are excellent.”