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Update, January 31, 2025

After careful review and consultation, ÀÏ»¢»ú¹¥ÂÔ will not move forward with the proposal to create a combined college of humanities, social sciences, and education. Instead, we will pursue the creation of a College of Humanities and Social Sciences, separate from the PJW College of Education. We will also move ahead with the College of Science proposal. To ensure financial sustainability, the Colleges of Education, Science, and Humanities & Social Sciences will share support services, with the structure of these services shaped in consultation with faculty, staff, and students throughout the spring semester. We also look forward to broader discussions about shared services across Academic Affairs, beginning with our May retreat. Upon Board of Regents approval, interim deans will lead the new colleges as we launch national searches for permanent deans. 

Charge

Establish a new college that brings together departments in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and related interdisciplinary programs with the departments in the Phyllis J. Washington College of Education. In phase one of the planning process, the task force will gather input from departments to address the questions required for a Level II proposal. In phase two, the task force will focus on planning the vision and mission of the new college and preparing for the recruitment of a founding dean, with the search beginning in August 2025 to ensure the dean starts from a position of strength.

Background

This new college provides an opportunity to make the critical role of the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education more visible and legible at ÀÏ»¢»ú¹¥ÂÔ, with a focus on enhancing civic engagement and supporting students as they prepare for leadership roles in a rapidly changing world. Together, these disciplines will foster a deeper understanding of the human experience and our relationships to others, encourage critical exploration of enduring questions in a rapidly changing world, and develop the skills necessary for students to become engaged citizens, leaders, and educators. The goal is to create a college that:

• Provides students with opportunities to study human history, culture, and societal structures through various perspectives.

• Prepares students to navigate complex societal challenges.

• Develops civic engagement, leadership, and critical thinking skills, particularly in relation to education, social systems, and the human experience.

• Enhances collaboration between faculty in Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education, leading to new research initiatives and engagement opportunities that address urgent community, state, and global needs.

By aligning these disciplines under one academic college, we seek to create a platform for examining contemporary societal issues through teaching, research, and policy engagement, allowing students to gain a holistic understanding of both theoretical and applied knowledge.

Task Force

Leadership

Dan Lee, Dean of the Phyllis J. Washington College of Education

Matt Semanoff, Dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences

Membership

Jackson Bunch, Sociology and Criminology

Amanda Dawsey, Economics

Sara Hayden, Communication Studies

Greg Machek, Psychology

Bill McCaw, Educational Leadership

Jayna Mumbauer, Counseling

Kristi Steinberg, College of Education

Jeff Wiltse, History

Meetings

Meetings will be held to discuss and draft the Level II proposal for establishing the new college. The Faculty Senate will publicly consider this proposal during Spring 2025. As a courtesy, these sessions are open to the public, with the first five minutes reserved for public comment. No official decisions will be made during these meetings.