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Greetings Bronco Alumni, Donors, and Parents!
This academic year, the University has some big projects facing campus – finishing a strategic plan, hiring a provost, and – deep breath – starting the process of revising our core curriculum. As is usually the case, faculty and staff from the College of Arts and Sciences figure prominently in important, campus-wide, collective efforts; this year will be no different. We look forward to helping shape the future of our campus in this way.
At the College level, we have made much progress on our Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) goals that are part of the broader College vision mentioned in our spring newsletter. My team has written our first comprehensive JEDI Implementation Plan which outlines our path to increasing diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and social justice for all of our students, faculty and staff. This is extremely important work, and I am grateful that our departments are already busy working on incorporating these goals into their own plans.
Many of you are familiar with our Frank Sinatra Chair in the Performing Arts which has brought artist such as Mark Duplass, BD Wong, and Rhiannon Giddens to campus in recent years.This year, the Sinatra Residency enters a new phase that will allow for a more in-depth and lasting experience for our students, faculty and staff. Brian Thorstenson, a long-time professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance has been named the 2023-25 Frank Sinatra Chair in the Performing Arts. As SCU’s first internal Sinatra Artist-in-Residence since the program was revitalized in 2016, Brian will be developing and implementing a Devised Theater project with visiting artists—a well-respected Bay Area devised dance-theater ensemble.
Looking forward, I wanted to invite you all to campus for two upcoming experiences. First, we are hosting our first ever College of Arts and Sciences Night at the Men’s Basketball game versus St. Mary’s on January 13. Celebrate the College with us and show your CAS Pride! Tickets are available through the Athletics Box Office. Second, we have been hard at work on an interactive installation to spark students’ desire to explore multidisciplinary study while here on campus. We would love for you to come and check it out while it’s up, mid-February through mid-April. We will have more details to share after the new year.
Lastly, my 2020 AJCU dean colleagues and I have published another essay, Why we do the work: Academic leaders discuss what matters most. After our first two joint essays these past three years, we decided to write one final essay together in the hope of inspiring others to lead while providing guidance to those who hire and support leaders. I do hope you’ll enjoy the quick read.
Wishing you peace and joy this holiday season.
Daniel Press
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Santa Clara University
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