CLA Administrative Structure

The College of Liberal Arts structure is organized to streamline administrative tasks, re-focus curriculum, strengthen faculty leadership, and maximize shared governance. The college consists of six administrative “areas,” each of which brings together several departments and programs that are curricularly autonomous but administratively interlinked. Each area is overseen by an “Administrative Head” (AH), a faculty member responsible for the vitality of the area’s departments and programs in terms of scheduling, budgeting, faculty workload distribution, etc. The Administrative Heads meet regularly and report directly to the College dean. Each department and program is in turn led by a department chair or program director, whose primary responsibility is collaborative development of each department’s/program’s curriculum, vision, and future direction.

Arts, Media, and Culture: Jeff Turner, Administrative Head

Communication Studies, Suda Ishida, Department Chair
The Creative Writing Programs, John Brandon, Department Chair
Digital Media Arts, Joshua Gumiela, Department Chair
English, Michael Reynolds, Department Chair
First-Year Writing, Kristina Deffenbacher, Program Director
Music, Janet Greene, Department Chair
Studio Arts & Art History, Allison Baker, Department Chair
Theatre & Dance, Jeffrey Turner, Department Chair

Global Citizenship, Ethics, and Cultural Studies: Susie Steinbach, Administrative Head

Global and Religion Studies, Kathryn Geurts, Department Chair
History, Katharine Bjork, Department Chair
Modern Languages & Literatures, Shannon Cannella, Department Chair
Philosophy, Samuel Imbo, Department Chair
Religion, Mark Berkson, Program Director

Justice, Advocacy, and Social Change: Shelly Schaefer, Administrative Head

Anthropology, Brian Hoffman, Department Chair
Conflict Studies, Kaori Kenmotsu & Ken Fox, Program Co-Directors
Criminal Justice & Forensic Science, Shelly Schaefer, Department Chair
Environmental Studies, Paul Bogard & Patty Born, Program Co-Directors
Forensic Psychology, Jillian Peterson, Program Director
Graduate Legal Education, Leondra Hanson, Program Director
Legal Studies, Stephen Arnott & Leondra Hanson, Department Co-Chairs
Master in the Study of Law (includes Paralegal Certificate Program), Leondra Hanson, Program Director
Political Science, Alina Oxendine, Department Chair
Social Justice, Ryan LeCount, Program Director
Sociology, Ryan LeCount, Department Chair
Women's Studies, Kristin Mapel Bloomberg, Program Director

Life, Mind, and Health Sciences: Irina Makarevitch, Administrative Head

Biology, Irina Makarevitch, Department Chair
Exercise Science, Lisa Stegall, Program Director
Neuroscience, Bridget Jacques-Fricke, Program Director
Psychology, Serena King, Department Chair
Public Health Sciences, Susi Keefe, Program Director

Physical and Computational Sciences: Bruce Bolon, Administrative Head

Biochemistry, Betsy Martinez-Vaz, Program Director
Chemistry, Nicholas Schlotter, Department Chair
Mathematics, Irina Makarevitch, Department Chair
Physics, Lifeng Dong, Department Chair

School of Education and Leadership: Joseph Lewis, Administrative Head

ADAL & Teacher Education, Joseph Lewis, Department Chair
ABE Teaching & Learning Advancement System (ATLAS), Patsy Egan, Program Director
Center for Excellence in Urban Teaching (CEUT), Rebecca Neal, Executive Director
Center for Global Environmental Education (CGEE), Tracy Fredin, Program Director
English Learners in the Mainstream (ELM) Project, Amy Stolpestad, Project Coordinator
Midwest Migrant Education Resource Center (MMERC), Lidibette Guzman, Program Director