Welcome to the College of Arts & Sciences Website:

     During my career at EMU, as faculty, as Department Head, and as Associate Dean, I have had many opportunities to witness and support the myriad successes of EMU’s faculty, staff, and students. As Interim Dean, I look forward to supporting the College’s continued growth and productivity in the coming years.

To Friends:

     I know that I speak for the entire CAS community when I say that we continue to be deeply appreciative of our alumni and friends; their support of and devotion to the College, its departments, and its students inspires us all. In the past year, cash donations to the College reached over 1.2 million dollars, an all-time historic high. This money supports our students in countless ways, through scholarships, through support for travel to compete in regional and national events, through opportunities to pursue collaborative research with our faculty. The extraordinary commitment of the friends of the College is matched by the successful efforts of the faculty members and their students. In the past academic year, our faculty were awarded $3,825,005 in external funding, another all-time historic high. The research and teaching projects, the equipment and innovations this money supports enhance the learning and creative environment for our entire community.

To Students:

     Last spring, literally hundreds of members of the CAS community contributed to EMU’s 25th Undergraduate Symposium, the nation’s oldest symposium devoted to the presentation of undergraduate research. The 25th Symposium showcased a record number of undergraduate research and creative projects, raised a record amount of money, and enhanced EMU’s reputation as a leader in fostering undergraduate inquiry and success. The Dean’s office and college faculty are working to make Undergraduate Symposium XXVI, to be held on March 31, 2006, an even greater success. The College is raising funds for student scholarships for Symposium Scholars, to support students and faculty in mentored collaborations that lead to Symposium presentations in the future (for details see webpage-link to the Symposium). And of course the Symposium offers only one example of our commitment to student learning, mentored student research, student co-curricular activities, and student successes in all of our programs, both graduate and undergraduate.

To Faculty:

     Faculty members’ extraordinary dedication and productivity is expressed through their artistic expressions, scholarly activities, mentoring of students and success with internal and external grant sponsorships; I urge you to browse departmental and faculty websites to experience the wealth of knowledge and accomplishments that the College has to offer. Over the last three years the College has lost some of its most senior faculty through retirement, but it has been fortunate enough to enter into an extended cycle of hiring new faculty. 15 new faculty joined the College in Fall 2004, another 28 new faculty joined in Fall 2005 and we are in the process of hiring an additional 24 new faculty; by fall 2006 approximately 1/6th of all College faculty will have been here three years or less. Each new “class” of faculty colleagues pushes all of us to stay current with emerging knowledge and inquiry in all our fields as well as to continue our tradition of focus on our students.

Planning for the Future:

     Two very exciting planning processes, started in May 2005, have the potential to improve the teaching and research environment for students and faculty alike. One group of departments has prepared a program statement for improving and expanding classrooms, computer lab spaces and last, but not least, student lounges in Pray-Harrold. The document has been presented to the Board of Regents in its conceptual form and is awaiting funding decisions for phased implementation. Another group is in the final stages of preparing a program statement for a new Science and Technology complex that will extend and refurbish Mark Jefferson. We are also committed to begin the planning process for a new Fine and Performing Arts Building as soon as possible. Our central commitment is that every new facility be attractive to students and support the academic, co-curricular, and creative engagements with our community.

College Facts:

During the Fall 2005 term well over

6,912 undergraduates selected one of the 105 undergraduate majors in the College as their field of study;
1,116 graduate students were pursuing a master’s degree or graduate certificate in one of 72 degree programs offered by the College;
437 bachelor degrees in Arts & Sciences were awarded in Fall 2005;
113 master’s degrees in Arts & Sciences were awarded in Fall 2005.


Sincerely,

Hartmut Höft
Interim Dean
February 2, 2006