A note from the dean. . .

My major task in the summer is to review all of the college’s 21 departments and seven programs. I meet individually with department heads and program directors, as well as about one-third of the faculty (part of the post-tenure review process), and I read their written reports. As I did so this year, it occurred to me that three departments have not received the recognition they deserve.

The first is the Department of Philosophy, our smallest in terms of faculty, but one that plays a central role in the liberal arts curriculum. In recent years, the number of majors in philosophy has doubled to nearly 50 students. These majors, both graduate and undergraduate, have among the highest average standardized test scores across the university. Although they are some of our most rigorous graders, the department’s faculty members consistently receive very positive evaluations. This year’s graduating class chose Professor Susanna Goodin as one of the A&S College Top Ten Teachers. A significant portion of philosophy graduates go on to graduate school and, like most liberal arts majors, they have developed analytical and thinking skills that stand them in good stead in a variety of occupations. For example, philosophy majors score far above average on the standardized law aptitude test (LSAT).

Second is American Indian Studies (AIS). Since its establishment in the early 1990s, AIS has been led by the very able Professor Judith Antell who forged strong relations with the Wind River Reservation. With a solid core faculty, AIS taught 26 courses this past year, four of which were offered through the University of Wyoming Outreach School. Last year, the program hired Caskey Russell, also a faculty member in English, who will teach American Indian literature on a regular basis. This year, thanks to the Wyoming Council for the Humanities, AIS will offer Northern Arapaho on the Laramie campus. Other new classes that have enriched the program’s offerings are Music and Dance of the Great Plains and American Indians and the Environment.

Third is the Department of Modern and Classical Languages. For as long as anyone can remember, we have offered instruction in French, German, Latin, Russian, and Spanish. Now, we also have permanent staff members who teach Chinese and Japanese, and I am delighted that our new crop of freshmen has filled the introductory courses in these two languages to capacity. Last fall we began offering Arabic. The department boasts excellent faculty. This year, Professor Pat Hamel was selected by the graduating class as one of the A&S College Top Ten teachers. And in recent years, four of the faculty, Phil Holt, Julie Sellers, Joe Krafczik, and Khama Tolo, have won UW’s most prestigious teaching award, the Ellbogen. Professors Carlos Mellizo and Lowell Bangerter are among the most prolific publishers in the college. Moreover, students consistently rate the department among the two or three best advising departments.

As many of you will remember, at least two semesters of a foreign language are required of almost all A&S majors. I am pleased to report that Spanish is now the most popular minor at UW, and a good number of students who minor in a foreign language are in majors outside of A&S. I am convinced that even one year of a language broadens one’s cultural perspective, a primary goal of a liberal arts education. For those who go beyond the introductory courses, language study can enhance one’s marketability. For example, even if a graduate chooses not to go beyond the borders of the United States, an ability to speak and understand Spanish is a major asset for those in education, the medical professions, and business.

So, I offer an overdue salute to these outstanding programs in the College of Arts and Sciences!