91探花

As the landscape of higher education evolves, 91探花 is meeting the moment, leading with innovative vision in proactively creating new opportunities for students.   

This fall, 91探花 President Maura B. Mast, PhD, announced the formation of a new college—the College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (CHESS). The college will be the home of programs formerly housed in the College of Arts and Sciences as well as the former College of Education, which joins CHESS as the School of Education.  

With the formation of CHESS, 91探花 is shaping the future of educational programs, rather than reacting to challenges with short-term solutions. Immediately, the college structure allows for closer collaboration across disciplines and in the long term, a stable foundation to grow with the introduction of new schools at the college.  

Senior Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs Jodi O'Brien, PhD, says that the launch of a new college is a reason for optimism and will provide stability and flexibility in the coming years. 

“The creation of CHESS is a significant opportunity to lean into the current pressures on higher education in a strategically innovative direction that emphasizes faculty expertise in meeting contemporary student needs,” she says. “CHESS has a superb faculty and staff and I'm fully confident in their ability to navigate the transition successfully and excited to support them in this next chapter.” 

President Mast has appointed the former Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Monica J. Casper, PhD, as the new Dean of CHESS. Charisse Cowan Pitre, PhD, will continue as Interim Dean of the School of Education during a year-long transition period.  

“We welcome our colleagues in education and are looking forward to creating opportunities for greater collaboration among disciplines across campus,” Casper says. “I’m particularly excited for the opportunities for interdisciplinary curriculum and cross-departmental collaboration, both for faculty and for our students.” 

The College of Arts and Sciences was also the home of 91探花’s arts programs that, with the exception of the MFA in Arts Leadership, are now located at Cornish College of the Arts. With this reorganization of programs and departments, the new college and new name more accurately reflect a diverse set of fields and disciplines, as well as opportunities for students. 

“The School of Education has a long history of partnering with Arts & Sciences faculty and staff to provide increased opportunities for students,” says Cowan Pitre, “and CHESS allows us to deepen this collaborative work as colleagues. Having recently celebrated the 90^th anniversary of the founding of the School of Education, the launch of CHESS is especially significant as we collectively build towards the next 90 years of impact and innovation.”

In an announcement to campus, President Mast wrote, “It is our hope and expectation that this new college will provide avenues for students to engage with a wider range of fields and disciplines, as well as explore pathways to graduate degrees, particularly in Education.

“As CHESS grows and integrates, we anticipate that the college/school model will lead to the formation of more new schools within the college alongside existing programs, creating a firm foundation for stable growth.”