Message from the Interim Dean
Welcome to the College of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences [CAHSS]. Created in 2006, we are the largest of the six academic Colleges at CSU Stanislaus, comprising fifteen majors, fifty-three minors and concentrations, and two programs at the undergraduate level, and five degrees and two certificate programs at the graduate level, and contributing substantially to the General Education program of the university.
The two hundred faculty who teach in the College know that a university education in the twenty-first century must be responsive to the complexities and challenges of a constantly changing world. Central to our mission in the CAHSS, therefore, is fostering an appreciation and understanding of the value of lifelong intellectual pursuit. The College is committed to a liberal arts curriculum that broadens the mind and encourages students to become active, engaged, compassionate participants in our global society. We are uniquely situated in the Central Valley of California at the interface of rural and urban communities of extraordinary ethnic diversity. Our students benefit from this fertile environment by gaining the opportunity to study the historical and contemporary context of culture, society, place, and language.
Emerging themes in the College reflect the strength and diversity of our academic programs. We encourage cross-disciplinary connections so that students learn to critically examine a broad spectrum of ideas, values, and beliefs through a variety of lenses. We offer students opportunities to immerse themselves in local ethnic and international communities so that they appreciate diversity. We value co-curricular experiential learning to enrich traditional academic accomplishments so that students recognize and acknowledge their social responsibility and feel empowered to make lasting contributions in local and global communities.
Sustainable development is a key feature of increasing global connections. We invite students to think critically and creatively about economic, social, and environmental challenges faced by communities at home and across the globe. Our students work closely with committed faculty who provide foundations for the understanding of environmental processes, community development, and the socioeconomic and political dimensions of a sustainable future.
The academic areas and co-curricular activities of the College reflect these themes, as do the other programs we sponsor, such as the University Honors Program; the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program; the University Keck Computer Lab with its state-of-the-art geotechnologies; the university newspaper and radio station, six centers and institutes: the California Institute for Peruvian Studies (in collaboration with the Library), the Center for Economic Education, the Center for Portuguese Studies (in collaboration with the College of Education), the Center for Public Policy Studies, the Institute for Archaeological Research, and the Institute for Cultural Resources; and the Council for Sustainable Futures.
Please join me in discovering all that the CAHSS has to offer. The faculty, staff, and students of the College are excited by the prospect of accompanying you on your educational journey.
Sincerely,