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.

This fall I am excited to have five new faculty members join us in this initiative.  Dr. Eva White, Assistant Professor of English.  Eva received her Ph.D. in English from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.  Dr. Andrew McFarland, Assistant Professor of History.  Andrew received his Ph.D. in European History from the University of Texas.  Christina Downey, Assistant Professor of Psychology.  Christina received her Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from the University of Michigan.   Joshua Gottemoller, Lecturer in Mathematics.  Joshua received his Master of Arts in Mathematics at Indiana University.  Linda Krause, Lecturer in Mathematics.  Linda received her Master of Science in Mathematics at Ball State University.

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 2009.  The 2007-2008 academic year will be a year of reflection and action.  I look forward to everyone's engagement on our journey to greatness.