A Message from the Dean - Summer 2020
It has been a spring and summer unlike any other for SIUE and the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). Following the sudden move to remote instruction in the spring semester resulting from the outbreak of COVID-19, all courses that began in the first five weeks of the summer were offered only online. The campus began reopening in mid-June, but many people continue to work remotely so we can limit personal interaction, maintain social distance and reduce the risk of viral transmission.
In a pilot program in the second five-week summer term, CAS offered face-to-face courses in the Departments of Art and Design, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, and Music. Faculty, teaching assistants and students in these courses were required to abide by social distancing guidelines and to wear face coverings. Faculty and students have adjusted well to the changes in the learning environment. We have learned from this experiment, which will guide us as we expand our face-to-face course offerings in the fall semester.
In the middle of this unique summer, the College of Arts and Sciences, which was formally established on July 1, 1995, celebrated its 25th anniversary. Because we could not safely host a gala celebration, we commemorated this important milestone with a Zoom webinar on June 30 (see recording here). The webinar featured an interview with former SIUE President Earl Lazerson, who launched the process that resulted in the creation of CAS, and reflections by the first leadership team—Dean Sharon Hahs and Associate Deans Dixie Engelman and David Steinberg.
On the very day of the anniversary, I became the new dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, taking over from Greg Budzban, PhD, who is retiring. I want to take this opportunity to thank Dean Budzban for his years of leadership. Greg guided the College through challenging times, including a serious budget reduction and the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Greg has shared a great deal of information and wise guidance to prepare me for the challenges and the rewards of leading a large, dynamic college.
One of the rewards of being the dean of CAS is to be able to draw attention to the important work being done by students, faculty and alumni of the College. Larrisha Tidwell, a graduate student in social work, who is scheduled to graduate in August, has made a difference not only in the lives of her clients at Chestnut Health Systems—a physical and mental health support facility in Granite City—but also in the lives of people all over Illinois. As a result of Tidwell’s efforts, nurse practitioners’ signatures are now accepted on the forms that allow people with disabilities to obtain bus passes.
A team of CAS faculty researchers, curriculum developers and graduate students, led by Sharon Locke, PhD, director of the SIUE STEM Center and professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences, and Ben Greenfield, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences, received a $1.3 million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences as part of the Science Education Partnerships Award program. The grant will allow the team to develop a community-based environmental health program and provide minority students opportunities to learn about and prepare for careers in health sciences.
The photography of Christian K. Lee, who earned his bachelor’s degree in mass communications in 2018, is attracting national attention. Lee’s photo essay, “Cancelled Prom,” was featured in Rolling Stone Magazine in June. Lee’s photography first received acclaim when he was a student at SIUE. In February 2015 he displayed an exhibit, “Ferguson Unrest,” following the fatal shooting of Michael Brown. Lee also won a 2016 Illinois College Press Association first-place award for coverage of on-campus Black Lives Matter protests.
SIUE’s Successful Communities Collaborative (SSCC) is having a positive impact in Illinois communities. Connie Frey Spurlock, PhD, the SSCC director and associate professor in the Department of Sociology, highlighted the work of the SSCC in a webinar in May. Through its Small Partnership projects, the SSCC links SIUE faculty and students to community-initiated projects, such as The Tiny Children’s Garden, a community garden in Washington Park founded by Derissa Davis.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of SIUE students, faculty and staff and the educational experiences of all SIUE students. In one disruptive instance, restrictions on international travel have threatened to delay graduation of students in our international studies program. SIUE faculty and staff have responded creatively to this challenge. Working together, faculty and staff have arranged a temporary virtual study abroad option, in which students have engaged in virtual discussions with experts in Russia, Kenya, India, China, France and Germany.
Please read more about the individuals described above and their actions in This Month in CAS.
Kevin Leonard, PhD
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
