Office of the Dean

Dr. Susan Sciame-Giesecke, Dean

Dr. Susan Sciame-Giesecke, Associate Professor of Communication Arts, is Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences.  Dr. Sciame-Giesecke has been with the university since 1977 and is also serving as the Director for the Freshman Learning Community Program.  Her many appointments have included acting Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (1996-98), Chair of Humanities (1998-2006) and Coordinator for the Communication Arts Program (1984-96).  Dr. Sciame-Giesecke holds a bachelor’s degree from Ball State University, a master’s degree from Illinois State University and her Ph.D. from Indiana University.

A Message from the Dean...........

Welcome to the School of Arts and Sciences, the home of humanities, social sciences, sciences and informatics.  During the past year the faculty have been working on a strategic planning process to move the School from being good to great.  Building upon the foundation of the book, Good to Great by Jim Collins, the faculty have begun to identify the hallmarks of the School, those areas that distinguish the majors in SOAS from other programs in the state.  The collaborative planning process was designed to strengthen the School and foster a learning environment that meets the needs of students, faculty, and staff.  The faculty have decided to infuse undergraduate research and experiential learning opportunities throughout the curriculum. 

This fall I am excited to welcome new faculty to the School of Arts and Sciences.  Dr. Patrick Motl, Assistant Professor of Physics; Dr. Shawn Vincent, Assistant Professor of Anatomy; Leda Casey, Visiting Lecturer in Geology; Dr. Sarah Heath, Assistant Professor of History; Dr. Joseph Keener, Assistant Professor of English; Joann Kaiser,Visiting Lecturer in Communication Arts; and Whitney Bair-Sneed, Lecturer in Fine Arts.  Bryan-Mitchell Young is here for one year as a future faculty fellow, teaching in the area of New Media Communication.

In concert with our Good to Great Initiative, we are also working on our self-study report as we prepare for our accreditation visit in April 2009.  The 2008-2009 academic year will be a year of action.  I look forward to everyone's engagement on our journey to greatness.