A Message from the Dean - November 2022
As November ends, many of us pause to reflect on the past year and to give thanks for everything that is good in our lives. Since November is National Native American Heritage Month, we also honor and celebrate the Indigenous peoples on whose territory we reside.
Today is Giving Tuesday. This National Day of Giving began 10 years ago, in 2012, and has rapidly evolved into a global movement whose mission is to build a world in which generosity is part of everyday life. I encourage you to consider giving in some way today. There are many worthwhile causes to which you can give, including SIUE.
As we near the end of the fall semester of 2022, I want to express my gratitude for all the people whose passion for learning, commitment to excellence, and devotion to antiracism, diversity, equity and inclusion sustain the College of Arts and Sciences. I am thankful for the students who have returned to campus, bringing their energy and enthusiasm to classes and extracurricular activities. I am grateful for the staff across the College, who maintain labs and studios, manage accounts, and support teaching and learning in countless other ways. And I am especially thankful for all of the lecturers, instructors, and tenured/tenure-track faculty whose teaching, scholarship, and service allows the College to fulfill its mission to provide excellent degree programs and to offer an outstanding liberal arts and sciences foundation for all SIUE undergraduate students.
The hard work of CAS faculty and staff contributes to the recognition received by the University. This fall SIUE was recognized in the Military Times’ Best for Vets: Colleges ranking.
I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Dr. Bill Retzlaff, who became the Interim Vice Chancellor for Administration in October. Bill began working as an associate dean in CAS in 2010. He represented the College in the planning and oversight of the construction of two new buildings, Art and Design West and Science West, and the renovation of Science East. In the spring of 2020, Bill worked tirelessly to move all instruction online. In the summer of 2020, he put in hundreds of hours adjusting the fall schedule so that faculty could teach and students could learn safely during a global pandemic. Everyone in the Dean’s Office misses Bill’s knowledge and wisdom, but we are pleased that he continues to use his experience and insight to serve SIUE.
As we pause to give thanks, we also mourn the loss of an SIUE student. Morgen Schroeder, a first-year student from Jerseyville, passed away unexpectedly on November 3. Morgen planned to major in criminal justice studies and become a police officer. I know we all extend sympathy to Morgen’s family and friends.
Other notable news from CAS includes:
- Students and I were able to meet and talk at “Donuts with the Dean” in the Morris University Center on October 27. Thanks to Madison Sample, Trent Long, and Abe Jones, the Student Government senators who represent CAS, who organized the event.
- Kedra Tolson, who earned a bachelor’s degree in the Department of Mass Communications in 1994, was named SIUE's Executive Director of University of Marketing and Communications. She will return to SIUE on December 7.
- Duff Wrobbel, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Applied Communication Studies, was honored with a Defender of Equity Award at the fourth annual Ed Roberts Champions of Accessibility Celebration in the Morris University Center on November 3.
- Opera Edwardsville will return to Dunham Hall on Saturday, December 3, for its fifth anniversary celebration and holiday concert, which is the final Arts & Issues event of the fall semester.
Please read more about these events and these people and their accomplishments in This Month in CAS, and tune in to Segue at 9 a.m. on Sundays to learn about people and events on the SIUE campus.
Kevin Leonard, PhD
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
