September 10, 2019
September 2019
Dear Arts & Letters Community:
The start of the Fall semester meant the convening of a new Dean’s Student Advisory Council. This group consists of students who were nominated by their department chairs, themselves, or me to represent the voices of the Arts & Letters student body. They run the gamut from a freshman pursuing a bachelor’s degree in TV and Film to a returning adult graduate student, retired from her career, pursuing an MA degree in Spanish literature, with many others between, graduate and undergraduate students from across the College’s nine departments (Art, Communication Studies, English, Liberal Studies, Modern Language and Literatures, Music, Philosophy, TV Film and Media Studies, and Theatre and Dance).
During our first meeting, we shared our stories (you can find mine in this recent profile in LiveDesign Magazine) and my vision for this group: to share their student experiences directly with the Dean and provide feedback on new initiatives the College is considering. I also made two asks of this group: to consider serving as the College of Arts & Letters representative to the official student government, ASI, and to serve as student ambassadors for the student-centered events produced by the college, including the upcoming Connect the Dots: Pathways into the Creative Industries on November 1. This in turn led to a discussion of how arts and humanities degrees can be good preparation for many careers in the creative industries and beyond (my favorite topic as readers of this column have probably noticed).
We talked about the challenges and opportunities provided by being in a university environment, including being part of a vibrant intellectual community where diverse viewpoints are valued. We also discussed campus services, including the Student Food Pantry in the University Student Union. The College of Arts & Letters Dean’s Office now has a donation box in our office, MUS228 and will bring your donations over to the pantry on a weekly basis. If you’re able, please consider dropping off something from the list below either directly to the pantry on Mondays or to MUS228 any day of the week. If you are a currently enrolled student, you can visit the pantry on Wednesdays 11-1 and 3-5 in USU room 308E.
Grains: Rice, Oats/Oatmeal, Cornmeal, Pasta, Cereal, Crackers
Proteins: Canned Meats, Beans, Nuts, Powdered Eggs, Soy Products, Peanut Butter
Vegetables/Fruit: Canned Vegetables, Canned Fruits, 100% Vegetable Juice, 100% Fruit Juice, Apple Juice
Other Food Items: Soups, Snacks, Pasta Sauce, Gluten Free Options, Non-perishable Vegetarian/Vegan Options
We have some exciting events coming up in the month of September – be sure to check out the calendar of events by clicking, here. And, finally, please feel free to stop by my new open office hours on Friday mornings at 10:00, schedule permitting.
Warm best wishes,
Dr. Linda Essig, Dean